Crucible studentship

I am pleased to report that the department has been successful in bidding for an inter-disciplinary Crucible studentship, to start September/October 2012. These studentships focus on research into lifelong health and well-being.

This studentship will be supervised by Nicola Shelton (Epidemiology and Public Health), Emmanuel Stamatakis (Epidemiology and Public Health), Oliver Duke-Williams (Information Studies) and Sandra Dunsmuir (Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology), and was one of four projects to be funded from 25 applications.

The project will look at the potential for using web technology to engage primary school pupils in physically active virtual fieldtrips: they will move through a virtual on-screen landscape as they walk on the spot in the classroom. Does physically active learning in the classroom setting improve learning outcomes and increase overall physical activity? The interdisciplinary project will involve designing a virtual fieldtrip linked to elements of the Primary Curriculum for use on school classroom white boards. This will be piloted in primary schools in London and the learning outcomes (comprehension, recall of facts, engagement) and physical activity of pupils measured compared to a control group who participate in a sedentary fieldtrip online. Physical activity would be measured at baseline, during the fieldtrip period and post the intervention using accelerometers and self report.