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Generation Fit: A Grassroots Look at Implementing Exergaming and Exerlearning in Schools and Organization

Session Description
Judy Shasek has developed an easy to implement program that allows schools and other organizations to use basic dance games and other interactive movement/fitness games as part of a habitually active lifestyle. Called Generation Fit, her grassroots campaign has taken her around the country several times helping chools, school districts and other organizations use dance pad games and more (including Guitar Hero) to motivate young people in new ways to maintain physical health. Along the way Shasek’s field studies indicate that using just 10-15 minute in-class dance-pad sessions supports conventional efforts to improve learning outcomes -- linking active movement with learning as iterative elements within even a single classroom period.

Idea Takeaway
Attendees will not only learn more about the world of exergaming and its proponents but specific ways to implement exergaming and exerlearning into schools and more!

I think this is really awesome. I know a few people who use Dance Dance Revolution as a means of exercise (I guess it has a calorie-burning counter in some versions) and getting kids to do this in school could be perfect. I mean, kids like video games, kids are competitive, a lot of kids like DDR... It would be especially sweet if teachers forced kids to get a certain score or beat some song before they could go to recess.

But I'm not sure how much exercise kids get playing Guitar Hero. I guess it gets them off their asses (it's hard to play the game sitting down) and improves their dexterity/ hand-eye coordination, but they would have to be rocking pretty hard to burn any calories. And I'm not sure what's up with the part about dance pad sessions improving learning outcomes. Do they learn how to conjugate verbs during techno dance-a-tons or something?