Research Project

Never too young to learn

Chafyn Grove School in Salisbury is the first educational establishment in the UK to take part in a unique research program aimed at teaching good computer ergonomics to children. Recognising that children are never too young to learn, Osmond Group of Wimborne has donated 22 Hoverstop mice to the school. 

“It’s important in this computer age to try to get young people into good habits and thereby reduce the risk of musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) in the future”, says Guy Osmond, Managing Director. “Mouse use is a major cause of MSDs, such as RSI. In daily use, most people continue to grip the mouse even when they are not using it. As a result, the arm, wrist and hand muscles remain tense unnecessarily. This may eventually lead to upper limb disorders. By training children now, we can develop good practice which we hope will avoid problems in later life.

“The Hoverstop mouse monitors activity and detects when the user is inactive but still holding on to it. After 10 seconds, it simply vibrates as a reminder to let go. Following initial training, the children will complete three online surveys about their experiences with the mouse so that we can analyse changes in behaviour. We are also running a competition to design a Hoverstop leaflet. The winner in each year group will receive a Hoverstop mouse to take home”.

 After further pilots locally, the long-term plan is to match schools to corporate sponsors who will pay for the mice.