Implications of exergaming for the physical education curriculum in the 21st century

Exergaming provides an initial situationally interesting environment in physical education (PE) that serves to motivate novice players to engage in PE or physical activity. Current research suggests, however, that as students persist in this activity their situational interest decreases as their ability to exercise consistently at moderate intensity levels increases. In this article I will briefly review the literature citing benefits of exergaming and the role of exergaming in contemporary PE curricula before turning to the question of the place of exergaming in a learning-oriented approach to PE. I will suggest that exergaming, when taught within a situated learning framework, can contribute to student understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies and may produce meaningful lessons to assist students to create, monitor, and adapt a fitness plan to participate in life long exercise using a variety of physical activities.