Translational research and initial findings of the dance mat evaluation(s)

Duika Burges WatsonDurham University

www.fuse.ac.uk

Two linked evaluations:

1. Implementation evaluation of the Middlesbrough Healthy Towns Partnership Dance-mat initiativeAim: to characterize the essence of key practices in implementation to facilitate translation in other contexts

2. Impact of Dance Exercise Activity in Schools (IDEAs)Qualitative aim: explore benefits and barriers to engagement with the scheme and the potential effect of this engagement on physical, emotional, school and social functioning

IDEAs 1. Staff interview (n=21)2. Pupil focus group (n=24)

May/June 2010

1. Participant recruitment 2.Baseline data collection

December 2011 6 months follow-

up

June 2011 12 months follow-up

Apr /May 2012 24months follow-

up

Timescales

1. Staff and junior health trainer interview (n= 15)

Translational research involves knowledge exchange and co-production with the application of knowledge through an ongoing system of interactions between users and researchers

Initial questionsWhat is a dance mat?How is it used, what for (aim) and for whom?How can it be best used?What do the evidence and early findings reveal about these questions?

What is a dance matDance, game, play, sport, exercise?

New taxonomies: dance pad based computer games; exertion games; dance based rhythm video games; movement based sports video game; active games.

PlayPlay GameGame

SportSport

ExerciseExercise

+competition

+ institutionalisation+ physical dimension

+ institutionalisation+ competition

DanceDance

- Aesthetic /creative representative art

(Figure: types of physical activity, adapted from Pasch et al, 2009 )

Aim(s)

Program: innovative communication technology“It’s about peer mentoring... looking beyond physical activity …so smoking, drug misuse, teenage pregnancy” (PE lead)Researchers: innovative health technology physical activity focus, well-being, academic achievement (social indicators). Policy makers: innovative health technology“broaden the range of activities… part of an active lifestyle that includes opportunities for traditional forms of exercise” Junior health trainers: game/play ‘its fun’

Dance, play, game, sport?

Dance: “it’s a way to incorporate dance to a group of boys, who if you say ‘dance’ they switch off straight away” PE teacher

Play: “a special activity … like a bookend” PE teacher

Game: “The mats are good like, it’s like a laugh as well, for people who aren’t as good as everyone else its a laugh, they’ll laugh along with you.” Junior Health Trainer

Sport: “look beyond the traditional sports of rugby, football, hockey, netball…most professional] people with their eyes open can see that that works for quite a lot of kids, but it doesn’t work for every kid” PE teacher

Impact“I would never have got them to dance in a dance studio, not in a million years... I mean maybe one or two but not a full group 15 to twenty lads, in a dance studio, all asking to dance to certain tunes”

“they are absolutely shattered at the end, really. Much more exhausted from 30 minutes on a dance mat than they would be from 60 minutes in a PE lesson.

“the ones that like footy get bored straight away “

Dance“We’ve used it to hook some of the boys into dance, when they found out they were going to do dance we started them off on the mats. So we kind of weaned them off to hook them into dance. They do the same steps but without the dance mats there.”

“yeah its funny, but the girls who are already into dance just found it impossible on the mats – they couldn’t do it!”

Exertion gaming“sometimes I don’t’ think they realise it is actually physical activity like PE. They think its like a video game so they do it, they love it” JHT

“you just use your feet instead of your thumbs” JHT

“I thought they’d have like a screen, like, instead of just a blank wall” JHT

Immersion

JHT “sometimes you have to share a mat and there like other people around you, and there will be people watching you, you’ve got to share it”DBW “so you’d rather do it on your own”JHT “yeah”

At

“The dance mats, they are alright like, but after awhile like once you’ve used them quite a lot the novelty wears off – but they are still fun like, but the batek boards just like you can beat your score every time ,like, if you know what I mean, so there is always a chance of, like, improving your score so which makes it better in my opinion”

Attainment

“[using mats] disguises the fact that they are actually doing a lot of hard work and working their heart and lungs” PE Teacher

“F: the session was a buzz wasn’t it, it was unbelievable. M: it’s just the music with primary school kids it just engages them…” JHT in conversation

Effort v control

Initial findings: - exertion gaming or dance? A hybrid technology- opportunities to use creatively for dance, play, game or sport with different populationsConsiderations- Know your aims, objectives and audience- Immersion, attainment and effort v control

To be continued…