Where’s the fun in that? Building an authentic, inclusive, serious-yet-playful learning development framework

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi32.1449

Keywords:

professional literacies, authenticity in experiential learning, playful pedagogies, self efficacy

Abstract

At the University of the West of Scotland, one of the ways in which first year students engage in exploring academic, personal, and professional literacies is through an embedded and contextualised credit-bearing module that runs alongside subject specific study. The module offers students opportunities to explore aspects of identity, values, and motivations as part of long, thin, scaffolded engagement running over two terms, and provides a mutable space for student-led discussion on a breadth of aspects of longitudinal transition support, becoming, as well, a space to engage with learning development principles and practices. In so doing, learning experiences within the module are at once guided and exploratory, presenting a risky safe space (Boyd, Wilson and Smith, 2023) for students to use in their transition towards increased autonomy and confidence.

This session considered how the flexibility of the learning and teaching spaces created in the module (physical and virtual) allows for both reinforcement of formal structures/ requirements such as assessment processes (the serious part) as well as the freedom to negotiate personalised, aspirational, agentic, experimental learning experiences (more playfully intended). The session shared examples of classroom activities and presented learner feedback. Delegates were invited to share reflection on their own experiences of designing and delivering similar experiences and contribute to a fuller understanding of the value of maintaining balance within the serious-play spectrum.

Author Biographies

Alexander MacDonald, University of the West of Scotland

Alex MacDonald is a Lecturer within the Learning Transformation Team at the University of the West of Scotland, teaching on ASPIRE, and with responsibility for facilitating distributed communities of practice around supporting dialogic learning spaces. His research and practice interests lie in the use of career coaching skills and techniques within the classroom to increase individual agency and optimise student success.

Fiona Gibson-Green, University of the West of Scotland

Fiona Gibson-Green is a Lecturer within the Learning Transformation Team at the University of the West of Scotland. Fiona draws on her previous experience of working with a careers focus to encourage students to co-create their learning journey, supporting them to explore ways of belonging and mattering at their institution. Fiona’s staff-facing work allows her to encourage wider appreciation of the importance of embedding academic literacies.

Caroline Fleeting, University of Cumbria

Caroline Fleeting is Senior Lecturer in Academic Development at the University of Cumbria. Caroline is committed to equipping students with the confidence to make meaningful connections in their learning within and beyond university.

Vic Boyd, University of the West of Scotland

Vic Boyd is Senior Lecturer in Academic, Personal and Professional Development at the University of the West of Scotland, leading the ASPIRE module as part of UWS’s curriculum framework. Vic’s research interests include mutability of student identity, technophenomenology and learner-led writing development initiatives.

References

Boyd, V., Wilson, C. and Smith, C. (2023) ‘Building a risky-safe-space: using reflective pedagogies and values to support writing development in work based learning’, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 20(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.4.06.

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Published

31-10-2024

How to Cite

MacDonald, A. (2024) “Where’s the fun in that? Building an authentic, inclusive, serious-yet-playful learning development framework”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (32). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi32.1449.