Effect of the Motor Game “Exchequer Points” on the Topological Structure of the Relational Space: Case of 7 - 8 Aged Tunisians Pupils

Anis Ben Chikha, Nizar Guemri, Liwa Masmoudi, Nizar Souissi

Department of Education Sciences and Pedagogy, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Tunis, Tunisia.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2015.612127                

Abstract

The relational structure of the space for the child in order to ensure an efficient interaction with its environment is crucial. A didactic approach has as base that motor game could improve systemic and sensory-motor function of the body. The acquisition of a topological and spatial language represents the perspective of this study, in particular based on the action of a game created about it and we have called “Exchequer points”. The effects of this game on the topological relationships were studied among students (N = 44) of second primary school during the school year 2014-2015. The average age of the participants is 7.3 years. ANOVA model for repeated measures was used for data analysis. Results showed that after the learning program based on the motor game, the children of the experimental group (N = 22) significantly improved their topological relationships assessment. On the contrary, the children of the control group (N = 22) did not show significant differences between the pre- and post-measurement.

Keywords

Spatial Relations, Transfer, Motor Game

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Aleman, A., Schutter, D. J., Ramsey N.F., Van Honk, J., Kessels, R. P., Hoogduin J.M, Postma, A., Kahn, R. S., & Haan, E. H. (2002). Functional Anatomy of Top-Down Visuospatial Processing in the Human Brain: Evidence from TMS. Cognitive Brain Research, 14, 300-302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0926-6410(02)00109-X
[2]	Barisnikov, K., & Pizzo, R. (2007). Examination of Visuo-Spatial Competances. In M.-P. Noël (Ed.), Neuropsychological Assassurent of Children (pp. 139-170). Wavre: Mardaga.
[3]	Barry, V. (2010). Test of Topological and Directional Relationship. RTD Lacertrecalibration 2010, http://www.geppe.free.fr/article.php3?id_article=265,published26/11/2010
[4]	Bidet-Ildéi, C., Orliaguet, J. P., & Coello, Y. (2011). Role of Motor Representations in the Identification of Human Movement. Psychological Year, 111, 409-445.
[5]	Darling, W. G., & Miller, G. F. (1995). Perception of Arm Orientation in Three-Dimensional Space. Experimental Brain Research, 102, 495-502. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00230653
[6]	Doré, F., & Mercier, P. (1992). The Foundations of Learning and Cognition. Lille: University Publications Lille, Gaëtan Morin.
[7]	Fayasse, M., & Thibaut, J.P. (2003). Cognitive Disorders in Visuo-Constructives Williamssyndrome. Psychological Year, 104, 695-727.
[8]	Felleman, D. J., & Van Essen, D. C. (1991). Distributed Hierarchical Processing in Primate Visual Cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 1, 1-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/1.1.1
[9]	Gärling, T. (1995). How Do Urban Residents Acquire, Mentally Represent, and Use Knowledge of Spatial Layout? In T. Gärling (Eds.), Readings in Environmental Psychology: Urban Cognition (pp. 1-12). London: Academic Press.
[10]	Gärling, T., Book, A., & Lindberg, E. (1984). Cognitive Mapping of Large Scale Environments: The Interrelationships of Action Plans, Acquisition and Orientation: Environment and Behavior, 16, 3-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013916584161001
[11]	Ghafouri, M., Archambault, P. S., Adamovich, S. A., & Feldman, A. G. (2002). Pointing Movements May Be Produced in Different Frames of Reference Depending on the Task Demand. Brain Research, 929, 117-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0006-8993(01)03332-7
[12]	Gibson, J. J. (1979). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
[13]	Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Pediatrics, 119, 182-191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697
[14]	Goodale, M. A., & Milner, A. D. (1992). Separate Visual Pathways for Perception and Action. Trends in Neuroscience, 15, 20-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0166-2236(92)90344-8
[15]	Jeannerod, M. (1994). The Representing Brain: Neural Correlates of Motor Intention and Imagery. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 17, 187-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00034026
[16]	Jeannerod, M. (2003). Consciousness of Action and Self-Consciousness: A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach. In J. Roessler, & N. Eilan (Eds.), Agency and Self-Awareness: Issues in Philosophy and Psychology (pp. 128-149). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[17]	Jeannerod, M. (2006). Motor Cognition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198569657.001.0001
[18]	Jeannerod, M., & Biguer, B. (1987). The Directional Coding of Reaching Movements: A Visuomotor Conception of Spatial Neglect. In M. Jeannerod (Ed.), Neurophysiological and Neuropsychological Aspects of Spatial Neglect (pp 87-113). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
[19]	Karn, K. S., Moller, P., & Hayhoe, M. M. (1997). Reference Frames in Saccadic Targeting. Experimental Brain Research, 115, 267-282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/PL00005696
[20]	Lester, S. (2011). The Pedagogy of Play, Space and Learning. In A. Pihlgren (Ed.), Fritidspedagogik (pp. 115-138). Lund: Sutdentlitteratur.
[21]	Marr, D. (1982). Vision: A Computational Investigation into the Human Representation and Processing of Visual Information. New York: W.H. Freeman.
[22]	Milner, A. D., & Goodale, M. A. (1995). The Visual Brain in Action. Oxford: Oxford Press.
[23]	Mossio, M., & Taraborelli, D. (2008). Action-Dependent Perceptual Invariants: From Ecological to Sensorimotor Approaches. Consciousness and Cognition, 17, 1324-1340. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2007.12.003
[24]	Neggers, S. F., & Bekkering, H. (2000). Ocular Gaze Is Anchored to the Target of an Ongoing Pointing Movement. Journal of Neurophysiology, 83, 639-651.
[25]	Noordzij, M. L., & Postma, A. (2005). Categorical and Metric Distance Information in Mental Representations Derived from Route and Survey Descriptions. Psychological Research, 69, 221-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00426-004-0172-y
[26]	O’keefe, J., & Nadel, L. (1976). The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map. Oxford: Claredom Press.
[27]	Paillard, J. (1991). Motor and Representational Framing of Space. In J. Paillard (Ed.), Brain and Space (pp. 163-182). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[28]	Paoletti, R. (1999). Education and Motricity, Case of Two to Eight Aged Childs. Québec: Gaëtan Morin Editor.
[29]	Pêcheux, M. G. (1990). The Development of Children Relationship with Space. Poitiers: Nathan.
[30]	Péruch, P., Chabanne, V., Nese, M. P., Thinus-Blanc, C., & Denis, N. (2006). Comparing Distances in Mental Images Constructed from Visual Experience or Verbal Descriptions: The Impact of Survey versus Route Perspective. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 59, 1950-1967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17470210500539408
[31]	Pierre, P., & Soppelsa, R. (1998). Clinical Evaluation of Disorder in Great Outdoors Spaces. Psychomotors Evolutions, 10, 205-216.
[32]	Pradet, M., De Agostini, M., & Zazzo, R. (1982). Ground Track, Spatial Structuring Test. Childhood, 1, 61-74.
[33]	Previc, F. H. (1998). The Neuro Psychology of 3D Space. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 123-124.
[34]	Rao, R. P. N., & Ballard, D. H. (1999). Predictive Coding in the Visual Cortex: A Functional Interpretation of Some Extra-Classical Receptive Field Effects. Nature Neuroscience, 2, 79-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/4580
[35]	Rivière, A. (1990). The Psychology Vygotsky. Liège: Pierre Mardaga.
[36]	Russell, J. A., & Ward, L. M. (1982). Environmental Psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 33, 651-688. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.33.020182.003251
[37]	Scannell, J. W., & Young, M. P. (1999). Primary Visual Cortex within the Cortico-Cortico-Thalamic Network. In: A. Peters, E. G. Jones, & B. R. Payne (Eds.), Cerebral Cortex, Vol. 15. Cat Primary Visual Cortex. New York: Plenum.
[38]	Soechting, J. F., & Terzuolo, C. A. (1990). Sensorimotor Transformations and the Kinematics of Arm Movements in Three-Dimensional Space. In M. Jeannerod, & N. J. Hillsdale (Eds.), Attention and Performance 13: Motor Representation and Control (pp. 479-494). Hove, UK: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
[39]	Spelke, E., & Shusterman, A. (2005). Language and the Development of Spatial Reasoning. In P. Carruhers, S. Laurence, & S. Stich (Eds.), The Innate Mind: Structure and Contents (pp. 89-105) Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[40]	Thommen, E., & Rimbert, G. (2005). The Child and the Knowledge of Others (pp. 59-80). Paris: Belin.
[41]	Tolman, E. C. (1948). Cognitive Maps in Rats and Men. Psychological Review, 55, 189-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0061626
[42]	Tucker, P. (2008). The Physical Activity Levels of Preschool-Aged Children: A Systematic Review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23, 547-558. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2008.08.005
[43]	Ungerleider, L. G., Courtney, S. M., & Haxby, J. V. (1998). A Neural System for Human Visual Working Memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 95, 883-890. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.3.883
[44]	Ungerleider, L., & Mishkin, M. (1982). Two Cortical Visual Systems. In D. Ingle, M. Goodale, & R. Mansfield (Eds.), Analysis of Visual Behavior (pp. 549-586). Cambridge: MIT Press.
[45]	Viader, F., Eustache, F., & Lechevalier, B. (2000). Espace, Geste, Action. Bruxelles: De Boeck Université.
[46]	Wade, N. J., & Swanston, M. (2001). Visual Perception: An Introduction (2nd ed.). London: Psychology Press.
[47]	Wauters-Krings, F. (2009). Preschool Psychomotricity. The Driving Situations at the Service of the Child’s Development. Bruxelles: De Boeck Université.
[48]	Wohlwill, J. F. (1981). A Conceptual Analysis of Exploratory Behavior. In H. I. Day (Ed.), Advances in Intrinsic Motivation and Aesthetics (pp. 385-414). New York: Plenum Press.
[49]	Young, M. P. (2000). The Architecture of Visual Cortex and Inferential Processes in Vision. Spatial Vision, 13, 137-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156856800741162