£1million project could transform higher education
ARU is part of new research to investigate the impact of ‘playful’ learning
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is playing a key role in a pioneering £1million research project which could completely transform how higher education is taught – with a move towards a more interactive approach to learning.
In an ever-changing world, employers are looking for more than just academic knowledge from university graduates, with problem-solving abilities, resilience, creativity, and teamwork skills all now highly valued.
Now a group of academics, led by Professor Nic Whitton of Northumbria University alongside Dr Alex Moseley at Anglia Ruskin University, will carry out a three-year study to evidence the value of different ‘playful’ approaches to learning.
The £1million RE:PLAY project (Researching the Effectiveness of Playful Learning in Higher Education) has been granted almost £800,000 of funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), with the remainder funded by the collaborating institutions.
It is the first large-scale study into the effectiveness of the playful learning approach – which encourages students to play an active role in their learning, through processes such as role play, interactive simulations and challenges. It will develop a deep understanding of the types of playful learning that are effective in different contexts, and why.
The project aims to change attitudes towards play in universities by encouraging leaders to be more confident in endorsing play, developing academics’ skills and confidence to use these approaches, and supporting students to learn.
“This project will build on our active and inclusive learning approach, and on the innovative and creative work already taking place across our disciplines. Building and evaluating our work in collaboration with the other project partners will allow us to form a strong evidence base for the value of play in learning.”
Dr Moseley, Head of Anglia Learning and Teaching at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)“The pandemic has forced universities to rethink how they teach, yet resistance to change remains strong due to sector-wide challenges such as funding constraints and increasing workloads.
“Playful learning is not about making education frivolous; it’s about creating environments where students feel safe to experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes.
“By demonstrating what works and why, we can challenge outdated teaching norms and better prepare graduates for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Professor Nic Whitton, Northumbria University
The first phase of the RE:PLAY project will explore how playful learning approaches are currently used and how they are perceived by senior leaders. The second will investigate experiences, benefits, drawbacks, and barriers associated with playful learning. The third will develop a research-backed framework and toolkit for designing effective playful learning experiences. And the fourth will research the effects of playful learning on students, including their learning, motivation, fear of failure, sense of belonging, and creativity.
One aspect of playful learning which has already been embraced by ARU is its active learning strategy – often described as ‘learning by doing’.
This style of learning forms a cornerstone of ARU’s mission to transform lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research: and is offered to every student on every course.
Dr Moseley and Professor Whitton are founding members of the Playful Learning Association – a group of educators, researchers, and university leaders who work together to promote playful learning in higher education.
The ESRC-funded research will be carried out by a collaboration of academics at Northumbria University, Durham University, Anglia Ruskin University, University of Sussex, Coventry University, and University of the Arts London.
In addition, six partner institutions – University of the Highlands and Islands, University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, University of Greater Manchester, City University of London and Teesside University – will support the research by carrying out surveys with their staff and students.