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Play and Playful Learning in Higher Education

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Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation

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Introduction

Play seems such a common concept that it is tempting to assume its meaning is universally understood. It is activity which is leisure-related, fun, relaxing, or trivial, the opposite of work or what children do. Its forms and intentions, however, can be diverse, ambiguous, and contradictory. This is evident when it comes to exploring play and playful learning in higher education (HE).

This essay examines the meanings and place of play and playful learning at university from a number of perspectives. These include beliefs about what university learning should be like, as well as what play is for and can achieve. It focuses on play as part of the curriculum, not extracurricular activity such as competitive sports. It draws on the practice of academics, play theorists, practitioners, and researchers and identifies tensions and benefits associated with play in HE. It is illustrated by multiple examples of play across the disciplines.

Types, Function, and Value of Play

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References

  • Bateson, P., & Martin, P. (2013). Play, playfulness, creativity and innovation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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  • Gray, P. (2013). Free to learn. New York: Basic Books.

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  • James, A., & Nerantzi, C. (2019). The power of play in HE: Creativity in tertiary learning. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

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  • Papert, S., & Harel, I. (1991). Constructionism. New York: Ablex Publishing.

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  • Sutton-Smith, B. (1997). The ambiguity of play. Cambridge, MA/London: Harvard University Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Winchester, Winchester, UK

    Alison James

Authors
  1. Alison James
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Correspondence to Alison James .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. WMIER, The University of Waikato WMIER, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand

    Michael A. Peters

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Richard Heraud

Section Editor information

  1. No affiliation provided

    Feng Su

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© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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James, A. (2019). Play and Playful Learning in Higher Education. In: Peters, M., Heraud, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_20-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_20-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-2262-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-2262-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

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