teaching technology and engineering concepts through socially relevant contexts: promoting mind and body fitness by engaging students in active game design

摘要

Although there are over 320,000 health and fitness apps available on major app stores, there is scant evidence that they actually promote a healthier lifestyle, assist users in exercising, or promote weight loss (Young, 2018). A healthy lifestyle includes multiple aspects of wellness such as physical, intellectual, social, and emotional health (Lyon, 2019). Two of these aspects, physical and intellectual, have recently come into focus. For example, in the United States the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s (Fryar, Carroll & Ogden, 2014). Although obesity can be caused by a variety of factors, consuming more energy from foods and bever- ages than the body uses for growth, physical activity, and health functioning can lead to extra weight gain over time (Hill, Wyatt, & Peters, 2012). In turn, obesity has been linked with a variety of other health-related, and non-health-related, challenges. While maintaining an appropriate balance of physical activity, relaxation, and food consumption can assist in promoting a healthy lifestyle and combating obesity (CDC, 2019), policies, opportunities, and environments that encourage youth to eat fruits and vegetables and spend at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day are not widely available (CDC, 2019). Recommendations regarding dietary, physical, and educational activities, positive emphasis and environments in schools can assist youth in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle balance (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).