Strategies for Integrating Play into Classroom Learning
Learn about specific in-class learning activities to promote engagement with course readings and content, foster connection with each other, and enhance student learning.
Presented by:
Shannon Dean-Scott, Texas State University
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
Faculty are often focused on disseminating information and engaging students’ in active learning – and the idea of play is often lost in the midst of the important role in educating. Yet these ideas need not be in opposition to each other. Further, when students enjoy, instead of endure, their learning and educational journey they’re more likely to retain the information. Play encourages creativity and learning, and it helps learners develop new insights. Research suggests play is a key strategy for children’s learning, and researchers are making strides to better understand the positive implications of play on adult learning. The poster will cover 4 ways I have brought play into the classroom and the learning environment using play and fun to teach content, facilitate meaning-making, and form connections.
Key Words:
Play, Classroom Culture, Effective Learning
Abstract:
Research confirms that play is a cornerstone of children's learning - and emerging evidence suggests the same holds true for adults. Yet in higher education, play is often sidelined in favor of information delivery and active learning strategies. These approaches need not be in opposition. When students enjoy rather than endure their educational journey, retention and creativity improve, and new insights emerge. This presentation bridges research and practice, exploring how play fosters deeper engagement in adult learners. Presenters will share practical strategies for bringing playful learning into the classroom and broader educational environment.
Outcomes:
1. Identify strategies to create play in the classroom learning environments.
2. Describe ways others have used play to enhance learning.
3. Consider their own teaching practice and ways they have and can continue to bring play into the classroom.
References:
DeKoven, B. L. (2014). A playful path. ECT Press.
Forbes, L., & Thomas, D. (2022). Professors at play playbook. Pressbooks.
Forbes, L. K. (2021). The process of playful learning in higher education: A phenomenological study. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 15(1), 57-73.