The university as a playground... invited LSE workshop 18 January 2018
1. “If you don’t feel like an idiot at least once a day, you need to work less and play more.
Dumb errors force us to learn, progress and innovate.” (Kessels, 2016, 129)
The university as a playground
London School of Economics, 6 February 2018
http://ancientrome.ru/art/artwork/ceramics/gr/c0084.jpg
Dr Chrissi Nerantzi (FSEDA, PFHEA, CMALT, NTF) @chrissinerantzi
2. “……………………………….……. try out ideas, test
theories, experiment with symbol systems, explore
social relations, take risks, and reimagine the world.
Failure is an opportunity to try again.” (Project Zero,
2016, 4)
Missing words: Complete the gap when you arrive
3. The workshop plan
• Discuss playfulness and creativity in learning
and teaching in higher education
• Share creative practices from Manchester Met
• Explore opportunities to inject playfulness in
own practice
4. Evolution
new ideas from existing ideas
Synthesis
combination of existing ideas
Revolution
brand new ideas
Re-application
existing ideas in new light
Changing direction
new path when old doesn’t work
Creative methods (Harris, 1998)
6. Nerantzi, C. (2016) Learning to play, playing to learn: the rise of playful learning in higher
education – Digifest 2016, 25 February 2016, available at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/learning-
to-play-playing-to-learn-the-rise-of-playful-learning-in-he-25-feb-2016 interviewed by Michelle
Pauli
Reading
8. • Capture something you did recently in
one of your modules/sessions that
didn’t work.
• Make some notes about it on a piece
of paper.
• Make a ball out of this.
• Add it to the wall bin. Use white/blue
tag so that it sticks.
• Add your name next to it.
Bin it! 1/2
9. Play and its connection
to creativity
Explore! Remember the playground? Baby, Toddler, Teenager!
10. “People often associate play with laughter, fun, and
having a good time. It’s easy to understand why play
often involves all these things. But that description
misses what’s most important about play- and why play
is so important to creativity. Creativity doesn’t come
from laughter and fun: It comes from experimenting,
taking risks, and testing the boundaries.” (Resnick,
2017, 128)
11. “The major domains involve different
modes of inquiry, different rules/symbols,
different ways to generate new knowledge,
and different disciplinary cultures and
historical developments. This suggests that
before one can be creative, one must first
master the respective discipline.”
(Blessinger & Watts, 2017, 7)
Does this also apply to innovating in teaching?
12. “Learn the rules
like a pro, so you
can break them
like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso
“If you don’t
know the rules,
you don’t know
not to break
them. The
amateur doesn’t
fear failure.”
(Kessels, 2016,
43)
15. The Cognitive Domain and Bloom’s Taxonomy
16
evaluation
synthesis
analysis
application
comprehension
knowledge
creating
evaluating
analysing
applying
understanding
remembering
Bloom’s Taxonomoy (1956)
Anderson and Krathwohl Revision (2001)Educational Psychology Interactive: The Cognitive Domain
Is this problematic?
16. The three domains of learning (Bloom, 1984)
cognitive, affective, psychomotor
Head
Head
Heart
Hand
17. "The Teacher and the book are no longer the only
instructors; the hands, the eyes, the ears, in fact the
whole body, become sources of information, while
teacher and textbook become respectively the starter
and the tester. No book or map is a substitute for
personal experience; they cannot take the place of the
actual journey."
(Dewey, Schools of To-morrow, 1915, 74)
18. Draw it! Deconstruct and construct your learning model.
Work with the person next to you.
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/09/24/20/47/pencil-1692532_960_720.jpg
20. Curriculum
… is a creative act but it
usually focuses on…
•norm
•core knowledge of discipline
•assessment
•orientation internally and
externally
•informal adjustments
ongoing
•crammed?
Creative
Curriculum
… is a creative act that focuses on…
•less stuff!!!
•focus on concepts
•process driven
•sufficient time
•space and spaces
•flexibility
•contextualising and personalising
•freedom
•choice and variety
•stimulating
•challenging
•fun and playful
•dialogue, debate and collaboration
•development also for staff
22. 4Ps… of creative learning (Resnick, 2017, 16-17)
4Ps
Projects
Passion
Peers
Play
Anything missing?
23. Three main theories of
teaching (Ramsden,
2008)
Creativity and Learning
Ecologies (Jackson, 2015)
Playground model
(Nerantzi, 2015)
Theory 1: Teaching as
telling, transmission or
delivery - passive
Education 1.0/Creativity
1.0/Learning Ecology 1.0 –
instructivist
Playground 1.0
supervised > feeling safe,
developing trust
Theory 2: Teaching as
organising or facilitating
student activity - active
Education 2.0/Creativity
2.0/Learning Ecology 2.0 –
constructivist
Playground 2.0
participatory > gaining
playful confidence
through guided playful
learning
Theory 3: Teaching as
making learning possible
– self-directed
Education 3.0/Creativity
3.0/Learning Ecology 3.0 -
connectivist
Playground 3.0 self-
determined > autonomy,
developing and sustaining
play-active practice
24. Visualisation by Liz Walshaw
The playground model (Nerantzi, 2015) presented in relation to other theories
and frameworks (Bloom, 1984; Jackson, 2015; Nerantzi, 2017; Ramsden, 2008)
26. “[…] it may be time to suggest that academic
development needs to change with the times. Our
agenda needs to be explicitly transformative as
opposed to more compliant. We need to articulate our
vision of the student learning experience in the 21st
century, and influence policy to move teaching and
learning forward and provide the necessary purposeful
development framework.” (Stefani, 2017, 204)
The role of academic development
30. Using LSP to evaluate an undergraduate module at Manchester Met
“The familiar, playful and simplistic form of Lego was
why many of the group (who did not identify as
being creative or confident) felt so comfortable with
using it as a prop to express their thoughts and
feelings. The group focused more on the feedback as
a whole reflective process, rather than being
distracted by answering set questions.”
Nerantzi, C., Moravej, H. & Johnson, F. (2015) Play brings openness or
using a creative approach to evaluate an undergraduate unit and move
forward together, JPAAP, Vol 3, No. 2, pp. 82-91, available
at http://jpaap.napier.ac.uk/index.php/JPAAP/article/view/141
31. “Sell your bargains” (Nerantzi, 2013)
an alternative reality game, first played in HE in 2010/11, developed for
teacher education in FE, Adult and Community Learning in 2006
32. “Sell your bargains” game
• Stage 1: Select – Threshold concept (authentic problem
(individual task)
• Stage 2: Share and discuss problem, Invest – creative
intervention (collaborative task)
• Stage 3: Surprise – test in practice, Case study (individual task
(public voting)
34. • fun and enjoyable experience
• learning through play (not experienced before)
• playing with colleagues from other disciplines
• partnering
• using different learning spaces
• freedom despite structure
• thinking outside-the-box
• experimenting with digital tools (own devices and
freely available online platforms)
• reflect on own practice and think about introducing
game-based learning with own students
benefits
35. Professional Recognition HEA
(AFHEA, FHEA), Good
Standing
FLEX developmental CPD programme
Academic qualifications
(PgCert, MA in HE)
Informal CPD
FLEX 15 FLEX 30 Formal route
Informal route
36. An example of impact on
a Manchester Met colleague Haleh Moravej
Greenhouse member
Food for thought clip
Good Practice clip
ILTA and DAPP team-teaching
Man Met Student Led Teaching Award in
2014
National and International Green Gown
Winner in 2016
Introduced to LSP
Academic paper with student (use of LSP),
JPAAP
Conferences (RAISE & APT)
PgCert LTHE + FHEA
#LTHEchat guest + organising team
TLC webinar guest
AnxietyUK > #mindmunch, weekly
tweetchat introduced
37. 24 Oct 17, Nutritional Sciences, L4
The Mediterranean diet,
a collaboration with Haleh Moravej, Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences,
Manchester Met
38. 24 Oct 17, Nutritional Sciences, L4
The Mediterranean diet through inquiry-based learning
40. In pairs:
• Pick up the other person’s “binned idea”.
• Come up with an idea to upcycle it.
• Use the boats and what follows ;)
• Work with the originator.
image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Paperball.png
http://www2.psd100.com/ppp/2013/10/0401/recycle-bin-empty-icon-1004144319.png
Un-bin it! 2/2
43. Educational benefits of traditional
games (Whitton & Moseley, 2012,
139)
• “They require no technical knowledge to create or
play.
• They can be produced cheaply and easily using readily
available materials.
• Inspiration and working gameplay approaches can be
readily sourced from existing board, card or other
games.
• They can encourage group working and discussion.
• They can be reproduced and amended easily.”
44. Some questions to help you get started
• What is your game about?
• How do you win?
• Is the purpose fun, education, or both?
• Is your game a straight dice roller where players move
on a linear track or do players need to role play,
complete mini games, or follow another format?
• Do you need dice or a spinner?
• How do players move across the board?
• Do you need to make special game cards?
Source: http://boardgames.lovetoknow.com/Create_Your_Own_Printable_Board_Game
45. Board-games, potential uses
Threshold concepts Reflection
Problem solving Revision
Process
Framework/model/
theory
Community/team/
group building
Icebreaker
Storytelling Assessment
49. “In playful learning, children try out ideas, test
theories, experiment with symbol systems, explore
social relations, take risks, and reimagine the world.
Failure is an opportunity to try again.” (Project Zero,
2016, 4)
Complete the gap when you arrive
50. The Power of Play
Alison James and Chrissi
Nerantzi (eds.) >>>
63 contributors
In preparation
51. References
Bateson, P. & Martin, P. (2013) Play, playfulness, creativity and innovation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Blessinger, P. & Watts, L. S. (2017) History and nature of creative learning, in: Blessinger, P. & Watts, L. S. (eds.) (2017) Creative Learning in
higher education. International perspectives and approaches, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 3-13.
Bloom, B. S. (1984) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives Book 1: Cognitive Domain, 2nd edition. New York: Longman.
Brookfield, S. (2017) Creative approaches to stimulate classroom discussions, in: Watts, L.S. & Blessinger, P. (2017) Creative learning in higher
education. International perspectives and approaches, London: Routledge, pp. 159-176
Brown, S. (2010) Play. How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul, New York: Penguin.
Harris, R. (1998) Introduction to creative thinking, Visual Salt, available at https://www.virtualsalt.com/crebook1.htm
Jackson( 2015) TOWARDS CREATIVITY 3.0:A Narrative for Creativity & Learning Ecologiesin Higher Education, in: Finding our Element, Creative
Academic Magazine, Issue 1, February 2015, pp. 32-37, available at http://www.creativeacademic.uk/magazine.html
James, A. & Brookfield S. (2014) Engaging Imagination. Helping Students become creative and reflective thinkers, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
Kessels, E. (2016) Failed it! How to turn mistakes into ideas and other advice for successfully screwing up, London: Phaidon press.
Nerantzi, C. (2015) The Playground Model for Creative Professional Development, In: Nerantzi, C. & James, A. (eds.) (2015) Exploring Play in
Higher Education, Creative Academic Magazine, Issue 2A, June 2015, pp. 40-50, available at http://www.creativeacademic.uk/
Nerantzi, C. (2013) “Sell your bargains” Playing a mixed-reality game with academics to spice-up teaching in HE, in: Baek, Y and Whitton, N.
(Eds.) Cases on Digital Game-Based Learning: Methods, Models and Strategies, Information Science Reference, Hershey: IGI Global, pp. 131-
144.
Project Zero (2016) Towards a pedagogy of play. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Accessed from
http://pz.harvard.edu/resources/towards-a-pedagogy-of-play
Ramsden, P. (2008) The future of higher education: Teaching and the student experience. London: Department for Innovation, Universities
and Skills.
Resnick, M. (2017) Lifelong kindergarten. Cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play. Cambridge (MA): MIT Press
Stefani, L. (2017) Realizing the potential for creativity in teaching and learning, in: Blessinger, P. & Watts, L. S. (eds.) (2017) Creative Learning
in higher education. International perspectives and approaches, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 196-209
Whitton, N. & Moseley, A. (2012) Designing low-cost games for learning, in:Whitton, N. & Moseley, A. (eds.) Using games to enhance learning
and teaching. A beginner’s guide, Oxon: Routledge
52. “If you don’t feel like an idiot at least once a day, you need to work less and play more.
Dumb errors force us to learn, progress and innovate.” (Kessels, 2016, 129)
The university as a playground
London School of Economics, 6 February 2018
http://ancientrome.ru/art/artwork/ceramics/gr/c0084.jpg
Dr Chrissi Nerantzi (FSEDA, PFHEA, CMALT, NTF) @chrissinerantzi