Unfolding Exergame Roles to Improve Pre-Service Education Teachers’ Physical Activity Levels Using Drawings Analytics

Abstract

The exergame concept allowed us to promote physical activity (PA) through games. It helps to normalise PA rather than segregate or exclusive PA to certain times or settings. Nonetheless, studies on exergames during online distance learning are currently scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore participants’ insights and feelings towards exergame concepts to promote physical activity (PA). Specifically, aspects such as participants’ understanding, knowledge, and motivation with the exergame were analysed through drawings to investigate how the exergame influences their engagement with PA and learning during online distance learning (ODL). This study adopted a qualitative research design. Drawings were utilised to explore participants’ perceptions, motivation to play, and exergame as a teaching tool. The participants comprised 45 first-year undergraduate physical and health education (PHE), biology, and chemistry major students aged between 20-25 years. The Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach was adopted to develop the procedures while Consider.ly software [Usertime Solutions GmbH] was used to analyse data from the videos and drawings. Findings indicate that (i) emoticons were used to represent the changes in feelings among the participants throughout the intervention; (ii) the use of objects, symbols, and characters to portray the sense of protection, togetherness, and curiosities; and (iii) the combination of split drawings were used to express differences between ideas and thoughts on exergame approach among participants. Overall, the findings demonstrated the exergame potential (e.g., higher learning ownership, student-centred) and challenges (e.g., accessibilities, game-built quality) which helped inform future teaching planning and practices to promote meaningful learning experiences during distance learning.