Play and Learning in Adulthood (eBook)

Acknowledgments 6
Contents 7
List of Figures 10
List of Tables 11
Introducing Adult Play 12
The Importance of Play 16
My Perspectives on Play 17
Wider Perspectives on Play 19
Play and Child Development 20
The Biology of Play 21
The Psychology of Playfulness 21
Play and Culture 22
Game Studies 22
Play and Learning 22
How to Read This Book 25
Conclusion 28
References 28
Games, Play, and Playfulness 32
The Landscape of Play 33
Games 33
Playfulness 40
Play 41
Play and the Magic Circle 45
Different Possibilities of Play 49
Conclusion 57
References 57
Play in Post-Compulsory Education 60
Fifty Years of Play and Learning in Adulthood 61
Exploring the Literature on Play and Learning in Adult Education 61
A Brief History of Play and Learning in Adulthood 66
Role Play 68
Simulation Games 70
Traditional Play: Game-Based Learning 72
Digital Play: Serious Games and Digital Game-Based Learning 73
Game Making 75
Gamification 76
Post-Digital Play 78
Conclusion 82
References 83
A Manifesto for Playful Learning 97
What Is Playful Learning? 100
Games and Learning 104
The Magic Circle of Playful Learning 107
Playful Learning as Tools, Tactics, and Techniques 111
Playful Learning as a Signature Pedagogy 113
The Role of Assessment in Playful Learning 118
Playful Universities 127
Conclusion 130
References 130
The Playful Educator 135
Benefits of Playfulness 136
Deconstructing Playfulness 139
Measuring Playfulness 143
Teacher Playfulness 145
Playfulness in the Population 150
Sample Baselines 151
Playfulness and Demographic Characteristics 152
Playful Profiles 156
Playfulness and Pedagogy 158
Conclusion 160
Development and Validation of a Playfulness Scale 161
References 163
A Critical Exploration of Play 168
Permission to Play 169
Decolonising Play 175
Play Is a Feminist Issue 177
Play, Inclusivity, and Social Justice 179
Designing Inclusively 181
Problematic Play 185
Negative Discourses of Play 188
The Myth of the Games Generation 188
Moral Panics 189
The Language of Play 192
Conclusion 194
References 195
Play for a Better World 199
Learning to Fail 201
Play Is Critical 202
Higher Education Is Not Designed for Play 203
Conclusion 204
Index 206