Educators should leverage mobile technologies to encourage more physical activity and play, says a prominent British charity. Drawing on a report conducted by the Future Foundation, the Youth Sport Trust says that wearable tech and gamification could enhance physical education lessons.
The report, entitled The Class of 2035, suggests that the bemoaned prominence of smartphones and similar technologies in youth culture could actually be used to enhance and encourage physical activity. For example, smartphone games like Run An Empire encourage kids to complete running challenges in order to progress, while wearables like the Nabu fitness-tracking wristband similarly gamify healthful activities like healthy eating and adequate sleeping in a rewards-based system. “There is no resisting the march of technology,” write the report’s authors. “Policymakers can feel nostalgic for a time before the challenges new connected technologies have brought in engaging young people, or they can harness these technologies to their advantage.”
It’s an apt message at an opportune time. The wearables market is said to be on the cusp of a major boom. To many kids, smart clothes will simply be normal clothes, and given that the technology will already be in place, there would seem to be great opportunities for schools to use it to promote health activity among their charges.
Source: The Guardian
Follow Us