Towards a New Learning: Play and Game-Based Approaches to Education

This position paper introduces the idea of a 'new learning' which brings together elements of play and game-based learning approaches into education. The paper argues for a better understanding of the division between structured and unstructured play time in how one designs and delivers learning at all levels from primary to tertiary. Play and game-based approaches are not just for having a rest but according to new research have a critical component in how people learn, as they give the player a chance to reflect upon and reorganize their learning experiences. The position paper puts forward an idea of future learning and provides an example from the Quest to Learn Schools in New York and Chicago as possible models for how future learning may look. The paper concludes that new learning expects a more rigorous and pervasive focus upon the learner, rehearsal, reflection and feedback, highlighting the role of play and game-bases approaches as being central.