Mapping, Movement & Wellbeing: Using GIS to Let Adolescents Monitor their Own Physical Activity

Regular participation in physical activity that makes your heart beat faster and makes you sweat has been shown to help reduce risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, as well as improve psychological wellbeing in children. Current evidence suggests that only around 30 – 40% of children are sufficiently physically active to achieve these health benefits. Scientific evidence shows that health-enhancing physical activity begins to decline at around 9 years old, and declines rapidly in the secondary school years.

The ESRC MOVE project aims to explore school-based methods for increasing health-enhancing physical activity in children. One of the approaches being trailed by the Department of Geography involves school children wearing GPS devices and activity units to measure where and when they are active. This approach aims to encourage an active lifestyle, whilst also providing the students with experience in using computer-based spatial technologies (Geographical Information Systems, or GIS).

The apprenticeship will involve working with the MOVE team and the University outreach services to help set up class visits to the computer laboratories at the university. Our partners in local schools expressed an interest in this activity, to both enhance teaching and raise aspirations of higher education. The aim would be to run sessions using GIS based on the experience gained through MOVE, on topics closely aligned to the National Curriculum. The apprentice will be involved in designing and testing the teaching materials and also helping to run the school sessions. The skills developed through this apprenticeship would prove invaluable for students planning careers involving work with young people in an educational or learning environment.