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modes of thinking: the discovery, integration, application and sharing of knowledge. (Boyer
and Mitgang
1996
)
However, the main weakness of Boyer and Mitgang's thesis is that it is pitched
at the level of educational metatheory, leaving individual development, motivations
and relationships amongst people in real learning environments relatively unexam-
ined. In designing the BCT curriculum, we sought to develop new 'modes of think-
ing' that shift the traditional focus from teaching by transmission to a more socialised
engagement with learning through creativity, collaboration and play. More specifi -
cally, we came to identify a playful approach to 'discovering, integrating, applying
and sharing' different kinds of knowledge - whether theoretical, technical, intuitive,
practical, emotional or organisational - within cross-disciplinary learning environ-
ments. Whilst there is an emphasis on playfulness as an approach to create curious
learners, this is balanced through a combination of structured and semi-structured
learning. The fi rst year of the degree purposefully selects students from different
backgrounds and introduces basic programming, electronics, digital media and
artistic practices in parallel to guided projects that integrate this knowledge across
the diverse student body. This pattern is modelled throughout the degree, with the
expectation that skills and knowledge developed in more formal components will be
integrated into the studio projects undertaken.
We adopt an approach that embeds the spirit of play as defi ned by Millar (
1968
)
who argues that play is characterised as the shifting of the frame of activity from
one domain to another; in particular the concept of play shifts activities from 'real-
ity' to a new 'play-specifi c space-time' with its own protocols. We also consider the
defi nition of play given by Gordon and Esbjörn-Hargens (
2007
) who expand this to
include playfulness, the attitude that shakes off constraints and enables any activity
to become play. The removing of such constraints allows students to learn in the
play-specifi c space-time in a free and explorative manner, before then translating
the knowledge and skills back to reality.
The ability to think and act outside of everyday constraints is pivotal in the devel-
opment of Creative Technologists, who are required to fi nd solutions to problems in
a given reality and may fi nd these solutions through a process of projecting their
knowledge into a unique space through a similar shift from reality.
3.2
The Spectrum of Play(fulness)
Play has historically been a considerable focus of research in terms of understand-
ing early education and childhood development, particularly as a means of develop-
ing creativity (Vygotsky
1967
; Russ
1998
). Russ argues that 'Play skills and creative
abilities help lay the foundation for a child's cognitive and emotional functioning
and for a happy and meaningful adult life' (Russ
2003
), yet this begs the question
why the focus on play in early childhood education is not continued into secondary
and post-secondary education.
