VUB examines impact of VR sports on young people through international tournament
International research tests impact of VR sports on motivation and exercise
Belgian schoolchildren are competing against peers from Italy, Cyprus and Portugal via Virtual Reality this week. This is the first international VR sports tournament, which is part of a European study on the role of exergaming, video games involving physical movement, in education. The whole project is coordinated in Belgium by VUB.
Belgian students participate from a specially equipped VR room at secondary schools in Wemmel, Ghent, Londerzeel and Denderleeuw. Through avatars, they play different sports disciplines against their European opponents, without physically moving. This allows players of different ages and levels to play sports with each other. At the same time, VR offers a low-threshold and 'safe' social environment, with participants visible only through their avatar. Moreover, the physical intensity is often higher than in classic exercise games such as Pokémon Go or Wii games.
The central question of the study is whether exergaming can have a place within the physical education subject. In addition, the researchers are looking at how international interaction via VR can contribute to motivation, sports participation and intercultural exchange between students. Indeed, a recent survey conducted by the researchers showed that 79% of physical education teachers surveyed are open to using VR during lessons. Above all, they see potential to give students extra motivation.
"During exergaming, you certainly don't sit still. Depending on the VR space and sport, the intensity can be as high as a classic workout. Many young people drop out of sports in the third grade, but continue gaming. By combining the two, you can potentially reach a target group that moves less today," says Marc Sarens, VUB researcher and co-initiator of the tournament.
Studies also point to the potential of exergaming to stimulate physical activity in other target groups, such as the elderly.
That exergaming will one day replace traditional sports already rules out project coordinator Marc Sarens (VUB): "Exergames are not a replacement for sport, but merely an additional way to motivate people and get them moving."
The sports tournament is part of the European Erasmus+ Sport project VIBES - Virtual Reality sport Interaction Between European Schools. The research on VR was made possible from the VUB by the faculty of LK and, in particular, by Dean Prof Evert Zinzen, Prof Dirk Aerenhouts and Prof Wouter Cools.
The sports tournament will continue until 24 April. On that day, the project will also be presented at the European Commission during the European Youth Week.
Press contact
Marc Sarens
Project coordinator / Researcher Vrije Universiteit Brussel
marc.sarens@vub.be
0468 22 12 69
Sam Jaspers
