Creating a Mark of Reference About the Use of Positioning Technology in Preschool-Aged Children Based on a Systematic Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Technological development has experienced exponential growth, providing more opportunity for enhancing scientific progress based on objective measures. To date, accelerometer (movement monitors) and subjective observations have led researchers to create a mark of reference in preschool education; however, the use of positioning technology is still scarce. The aim of the present article was to analyze previous research that provided behavioral information on preschoolers based on positioning systems, in order to provide a mark of reference and identify possibilities for future research. The results revealed that six studies used global positioning systems (GPS), one used a geometrical information system (GIS), and another one used video cameras for detecting location through a gridding technique. Overall, four articles used positioning systems to detect each child’s indoor/outdoor location, three used these systems to identify physical activity (PA) levels, and two used systems to detect social interactions. In conclusion, the use of positioning systems in future studies is necessary to open up new lines of research to collect data in early childhood.