Videogames as health promotion - exergaming and young peoples learning about body, physical activity and health

Video- and computer games are an important part of youth culture, criticised in terms of sedentary lifestyles as well as held forth as an important competence for the future in terms of IT-competence. A certain type of videogames, exergames, is now put forward as interesting tools in schools since they combine IT-technology and physical activity. The purpose of the project is to investigate the learning regarding the body, physical activity and health that take place in young peoples playing of exergames. First the project is going to investigate if teachers use videogames in health- and physical education as well as explore the arguments for doing that. Secondly, the content offered in the games regarding the body, physical activity and health is investigated in game manuals and in the game content. Thirdly, the project is exploring what young people learn playing videogames and how this learning occurs. The study is carried out through video- and audio recordings of on-going video gaming. The analysis focuses on spoken as well as embodied actions appearing in young peoples playing of different exergames once a week during ten weeks. A special focus is directed towards what view of the body that is constituted in young peoples use of the game, and if, and in what way, notions of health can be identified in their meaning making while playing.