Integrated ICT System to Increase Physical Activity in Schools: Agent-Oriented Modeling Approach

Abstract

During the past two decades the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has fundamentally changed the routines and practices of nearly all aspects of life, sometimes, creating undesired side-effects such as decreased physical activity, obesity, overweight and sedentary behaviour for school-age children. In this case teachers and parents often regard ICT systems (“computers”) as a growing danger for adolescents’ health.The authors aim to discover how integration of advanced and appropriate ICT systems can help to increase physical activity in schools. Thus authors complement to one-sided general public opinion and propose specific positive outcomes of integration of effective ICT systems for increased physical activity, improved teaching and learning environment, higher overall quality and accessibility of education and learning motivation. In this research authors take an agent-oriented modelling approach, as opposed to the more commonly used object-oriented view. “Agents” are defined as the humans and man-made components of a system. The specific agent-oriented model is presented at three levels of abstraction corresponding to a motivation layer, a design layer, and an implementation layer. The research paper also examines the outcomes and evidence of practical implementation of the proposed agent-oriented model during an experiment conducted in the Northeast Latgale region in Latvia from 2012 until 2014.