Table 1.
Summary of variables used in the analysis.
| Variable name | Meaning | Dimensions/Range | How it is calculated? |
| Performance scores | Scores of children performing the activity | 1-10 (10 being the best possible score) | It is assigned by experts while reviewing the experiment |
| Number of movements | Total number of movements made with all the cubes during an experiment | 1-n (ideally five, one movement per cube) | A movement is any period of time in which the cube accelerometer sensor gives (after velocity calculation) a value high enough to determine the cube is moving (see [4] for a detailed explanation of the calculations) |
| Mean time of movement | Mean of the duration of each movement during an experiment | Milliseconds (msec) | The period of each movement is detected and stored and then the mean value of all these time values is calculated |
| Mean speed of movement | Mean of all the mean speed values measured during an experiment in meters per second. | Meters per second (m/s) | The speed values during a movement are calculated by integrating the values obtained by the cube accelerometer; with all the instant values within a movement, the mean speed is calculated and this value is the mean of these means for all the experiment |
| Mean of maximum speed | Mean of all the maximum speed values | m/s | For each speed value obtained during a movement, the maximum value is stored, then the mean of these values is calculated for the entire experiment |
| Highest maximum speed | The maximum value of the maximum speeds | m/s | For all the maximum values stored during an experiment, the maximum value is selected |
| Lowest maximum speed | The minimum value of the minimum speeds | m/s | For all the maximum values stored during an experiment, the minimum value is selected |
| Maximum acceleration of movement | Mean of the maximum acceleration values | m/s2 | The accelerations are calculated directly from the values obtained in the accelerometer; the maximum value obtained for a movement is stored and, for this variable, the mean of these maximum values is calculated |
| Highest maximum acceleration | The maximum value of the maximum accelerations | m/s2 | This variable represents the highest value of the maximum accelerations stored during an experiment |
| Lowest maximum acceleration | The minimum value of the maximum accelerations | m/s2 | This variable represents the lowest value of the maximum accelerations stored during an experiment |
| Mean of shaking (level 1)a | Mean of the number of shaking of level 1 | 1-n | Given the previous definition of shaking, this variable represents the mean of the level 1 shakings measured for each movement |
| Mean of shaking (level 2)a | Mean of the number of shaking of level 2 | 1-n | Given the previous definition of shaking, this variable represents the mean of the level 2 shakings measured for each movement |
| Mean of shaking (level 3)a | Mean of the number of shaking of level 3 | 1-n | Given the previous definition of shaking, this variable represents the mean of the level 3 shakings measured for each movement |
| Mean of shaking (level 4)a | Mean of the number of shaking of level 4 | 1-n | Given the previous definition of shaking, this variable represents the mean of the level 4 shakings measured for each movement |
a The first level represents the smaller shakings (ie, the shorter “mounds”, where only one sample from the sensor is received before and after a maximum acceleration value) and the fourth level represents the bigger shakings (where four or more samples are received).