Playful Learning as a Robust, Adaptable, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy to Foster Children’s 21st Century Skills

• In Event: Leveraging mass media for playful learning: The development and evaluation of Sesame Street’s playful problem-solving curriculum

Abstract

A recent resurgence of play research has led to mounting evidence suggesting play should feature centrally in education approaches, both in and out of school. Children can learn and develop social, cognitive, executive functioning, and language skills from play, especially when learning goals are intentionally integrated into play from the start (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2009; Skene et al., 2022). Grounded in developmental theory and recent evidence, we present a whole-child pedagogical approach known as Playful Learning. Defined broadly, Playful Learning is a context where children learn content or skills through play. Playful Learning encompasses what skills children need to learn (i.e., the 6Cs) and how children learn best (i.e., the pillars of learning). We describe the 6Cs of “what” children need to learn: collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence, and “how” children learn best: through learning that is active, engaging, meaningful, socially interactive, iterative, and joyful (Zosh et al., 2018). The Playful Learning approach applies the science of learning by enhancing the environment and activating interactions with parents, teachers, and peers to foster learning.

Drawing upon Vygotskian and Piagetian learning theories, recent research reveals children's learning can be maximized through a specific Playful Learning approach called guided play. The deepest and most engaging learning happens during guided play - when children get to direct their own play, when adults or the environment guide this play, and when there is a specific learning goal in mind (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2009; Skene et al., 2022). Guided play fosters math skills, shape knowledge, task switching, spatial vocabulary, literacy, language, social interaction, and physical activity (Skene et al., 2022). Indeed, the intersection of play and guidance holds great potential for children’s learning and development (Hopkins et al., 2019; Weisberg et al., 2016; Fisher et al., 2011). And adult guidance can take many forms: a play partner, a curated environment, or an intentionally designed digital or media experience.

Playful Learning pedagogy has been infused successfully into digital learning platforms, classroom curricula, early childcare centers, public parks, and more. It appears in pedagogical models, such as project-based learning, thematic learning, and flipped classrooms (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2020; Rice, 2009). Most recently, research on screen use demonstrates that Playful Learning principles can also be adapted for television, eBooks, and mobile applications (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2015; Etta & Kirkorian, 2019; Hassinger-Das et al., 2022). Building off existing research on educational television, the Playful Learning model can be adapted in culturally relevant ways to evaluate children’s learning. On the horizon for the Playful Learning movement is an advancement of the methodology used to develop and evaluate innovative Playful Learning curricula for television. An investigation of outcomes such as comprehension, knowledge transfer, creativity, and task persistence, using measurement tools designed for both in-person and virtual settings, offers a promising avenue for evaluating children’s learning from Playful Learning pedagogy.

Authors

• Katelyn Fletcher, Temple University
  Presenting Author

• Annelise Pesch, Temple University

• Charlotte Wright

• Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova, University of Maryland - College Park

• Kathy A Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University