Information Technology Reference
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In this sense, playfulness also develops qualities of perception, differentiation and
judgement that often transcend limits set by formal and, for some, somewhat artifi -
cial or extrinsic curriculum requirements.
Students are encouraged to take individual and collective responsibility for their
own learning as an emergent process of experimentation, exploration and discovery.
Learning and play are initiated by tutors but realised and managed by students
themselves. We suggest that a playful approach affords the freedom for learners to
take a greater degree of ownership and control over their own learning. The projects
above illustrate how this playful methodology has been applied to learning in the
emerging, as yet 'undisciplined', fi eld of Creative Technologies.
The remaining questions relate to the future of the degree and the ongoing nature
of play and playfulness in post-secondary education. Whilst this chapter outlines
anecdotal evidence to support that play is indeed a useful mechanism in assisting
students develop as individuals, there is a pressing need to maintain momentum and
keep abreast of a changing educational arena. Whilst post-secondary play has seen
little research activity to date, recent publications suggest that there will be a greater
focus in the future. For example, in a recently published volume (Tierney et al.
2014
), various authors consider the role of games and social media in aspects of
post-secondary education such as the need to maintain or increase enrolments,
ensuring the transition from school to college is successful and the ongoing question
of the role of technology in the classroom to name but a few. Our experiences sup-
port the outcomes of the contributors to this volume that whilst play and games can
be powerful tools for encouraging students to develop, quality projects, the more
important focus is ensuring the ability to develop skills whilst engaging in the game.
It is this engagement that is essential in the effective use of games and playful
approaches in teaching and learning. In a manner of speaking, educators are faced
with a challenge of designing a game that students want to play - the game of learn-
ing. In that regard, maintaining playfulness as an educator is as important as pro-
moting playfulness in the students themselves.
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