Abstract

In this webinar I will be making the case for play as a valid and essential means of exploring what we know and how we know it. To do so, I will be drawing on my experiences of supporting playful and creative learning throughout my university career, and also from the raw data of my research project, The Value of Play in HE, which I am undertaking currently. From this the importance of play as a means of connection, not just in an educational context but across every part of our lives, emerges strongly. Whatever our individual experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have collectively made us reappraise how we connect with each other socially, for work and in learning. Everything is up for modification. How we have played to date, how we played during periods of lockdown and how we expect to play in the future are matters for reflection and redirection. We already know that they do not simply consist of transposing what we have done before into a digital domain, as not everything can or should be transferred. What we are now asking ourselves is where are the new forms of connection and opportunity and how differently can we play to safeguard the gains that playful university learning have brought us to date. In the webinar we will also get the opportunity to try out playful activities from my Play as Survival webinar along with playful prompts for intercultural dialogue, connection and exchange

About Alison James

Alison James is a National Teaching Fellow, former Associate Dean Learning & Teaching at the University of the Arts, London: London College of Fashion, and Professor Emerita of the University of Winchester.

Her main area of research interest is her funded scholarship into the use and value of play in HE, supported by the Imagination Foundation Laboratory. She is currently involved in a range of independent roles which include academic advising, educational development and professional coaching.

You can find out more about Alison James at https://engagingimagination.com. 
Email: engagingimaginationdotcom@gmail.com 

Please register for the webinar here  

The webinar is organised by the Centre for Higher Education Futures (CHEF) at Aarhus University.