Impact of exergames on physical activity and motivation in elementary school students: A follow-up study

The present study was built upon a previous study on the new generation video game, exergame, in elementary school physical education (PE). The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of exergames on elementary children's in-class physical activity (PA) intensity levels and perceived situational interest over time. The results indicated that students' situational interest dropped dramatically over two semesters, but their PA intensity increased over time. The results showed that boys and girls were equally active in the exergaming lessons, but boys perceived their gaming experiences more enjoyable than girls did. The findings suggest that exergames may be a possible means to enhance PA in PE. However, whether exergaming is a sustainable way to motivate children in PA is questionable. Copyright (C) 2013, Shanghai University of Sport. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.