Led by Dr Gustavo Espinoza-Ramos @tavoer8
Introduction
In recent years, higher education institutions have faced increasing pressure to enhance student progression, satisfaction and engagement. This situation and a very competitive environment have encouraged more universities to move away from teacher-centred approaches to teaching in accordance with student-centred initiatives, including technological tools, outdoor learning practices, and authentic assessment. One of these initiatives involves the development of fun activities in class.
However, there is not a clear definition of fun in learning. Instead, there have been different synonyms, such as entertainment, amusement and enjoyment (Lesser et al., 2013). Moreover, research has demonstrated that enjoyment positively contributes to student engagement and intrinsic motivation to study (Bond et al., 2020; Sharma, 2021) and for that reason, there are new teaching initiatives orientated to develop a fun learning environment. In this tweet chat, we will explore the extent of embedding fun in the learning environment.
Definition
The definition of fun in learning is still unclear, although some authors define it as an emotion that triggers student engagement and motivation in learning (Reeve, Cheon and Jang, 2020). For that reason, there is a need for further research on this concept, its definition and its impact on higher education.
Ludic pedagogy
Despite the lack of a consensus on the definition of fun in learning, some authors identify the overlap between the meaning of fun and play (Maier, 1980). This has led to the conceptualisation of Ludic pedagogy; a novel teaching and learning philosophy that promotes fun in higher education (Lauricella and Edmunds, 2023). This pedagogy relies on four principles: fun, play, playfulness and positivity when developing an effective learning environment (Lauricella and Edmunds, 2021), where:
- Fun: is the motivator factor that provides the stimulus to do the activity.
- Play: is the learning activity that is practised in class.
- Playfulness: is the attitude of the students and educators.
- Positivity: is the desired affect and feelings after carrying out the learning activity.
Benefits
Despite there not being a universally accepted definition of fun in education, some authors have identified the benefits of this as learning environment as including: student engagement and motivation due to strong positive emotions (Krashen, 1982); higher assessment grades and student retention (Klingbeil, 2023); and higher motivation and creativity in lecturers (Klingbeil, 2023).
Challenges
Despite the benefits of fun in learning, there are some barriers to its understanding and implementation in higher education including:
- A traditional view of education that is a hierarchical, serious, structured, and instructor-led approach that leads to prejudice towards the concept of fun in education (Meilleur, 2021), claiming that it lacks academic rigour.
- Lack of training programmes and limited resources to develop a fun learning environment (Cloke, 2023).
- Difficulties in building a sense of community in the classroom so that students will be able to take risks and learn from mistakes to promote learning (Meilleur, 2021).
- The perception of high workloads that hinder the development of fun learning activities (Lesser et al., 2013).
How we can embed fun in learning
Despite its detractors, increasing numbers of practitioners are embedding fun in teaching and learning through different initiatives including:
- Gamification: Implementing games in higher education can take different forms, including video / board games, quizzes, polls, and surveys on which students will gain points when answering the correct answers.
- Humour: Positively impacts on student anxiety and improves their retention of information and self-esteem (Lesser et al., 2013). It can take the forms of images, text and real stories in the learning content. However, the main challenges reside in finding the appropriate and relevant humour to the learning lesson and the different student responses to humour (Lauricella and Edmunds, 2021).
- Outdoor learning activities: Such as field trips can develop a fun, enriching and transformative learning experience. At the same time, they promote higher-order learning, increase the interpersonal skills of learners, and create a sense of ownership over work (Jones and Washko, 2022).
- Artificial intelligence (AI): Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are tools that can bring forth an environment of joy that encourages students to engage in the learning activity. For example, through VR, students can create and engage in virtual and safe learning environment simulations, where they get to practise their skills (Cloke, 2023).
- Develop social spaces: This can be done through the lecturer's personality, which can result in a strong bond with students, and the development of social spaces where students can interact with their peers. The primary purpose of such social spaces is to reduce the academic distance between lecturer and students and develop a safe space in which the latter can express themselves, develop creativity and take risks when learning.
Conclusion
Embedding fun in learning has grown in a number of adopters, and there are more studies on its positive impact on education. Despite challenges in its implementation, new teaching approaches, such as ludic pedagogy, endeavour to conceptualise it and establish a framework that guides its implementation in higher education. Finally, embedding fun in education can result in a learning environment that suits the new and challenging students learning preferences.
References
Bond, M. et al. (2020) 'Mapping research in student engagement and educational technology in higher education: a systematic evidence map', International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0176-8.
Cloke, H. (2023) Why Fun in Learning Works Better Than Dull Learning. Available at: https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/why-fun-in-learning-is-important/ (Accessed: 8 February 2024).
Jones, J.C. and Washko, S. (2022) 'More than fun in the sun: The pedagogy of field trips improves student learning in higher education', Journal of Geoscience Education. Routledge, pp. 292–305. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2021.1984176.
Klingbeil, C. (2023) The serious benefits of fun. Available at: https://universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/the-serious-benefits-of-fun/ (Accessed: 8 February 2024).
Krashen, S.D. (1982) Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Lauricella, S. and Edmunds, K. (2023) Ludic Pedagogy. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Lauricella, S. and Edmunds, T.K. (2021) A Serious Look at Fun in College Classrooms, A Serious Look at Fun in College Classrooms.
Lesser, L.M. et al. (2013) 'Using fun in the statistics classroom: An exploratory study of college instructors' hesitations and motivations', Journal of Statistics Education, 21(1), pp. 1–33. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.2013.11889659.
Maier, H.W. (1980) 'Play in the university classroom', Social Work With Groups, 3(1), pp. 7–16.
Meilleur, C. (2021) Is Having Fun in Higher Education the Way Forward? Available at: https://knowledgeone.ca/is-having-fun-in-higher-education-the-way-forward/ (Accessed: 8 February 2024).
Reeve, J., Cheon, S.H. and Jang, H. (2020) 'How and why students make academic progress: Reconceptualizing the student engagement construct to increase its explanatory power', Contemporary Educational Psychology, 62, pp. 1–12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101899.
Sharma, M.N. (2021) 'Motivational and Engagement Factors for Students in classrooms in Higher Education Sector', International Journal of Scientific Development and Research, 6(1), pp. 147–152. Available at: http://www.ijsdr.org.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dr. Gustavo Espinoza-Ramos is the module leader of Sustainable City Economies and Strategic Perspectives for Marketing modules, and the course leader for the MA Management (online) at the Westminster Business School. He is the CETI - Academic Professional Development Fellow 2023 (@WestminsterCETI - https://twitter.com/WestminsterCETI), a digital champion at the School of Management and Marketing and has an interest in active learning and the use of online tools and simulation games to promote student engagement. He is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). You can see his blogs and video presentations at the following link: https://linktr.ee/gustavoespinozaramos. You can connect with Gustavo on Twitter @tavoer8 (https://twitter.com/tavoer8), by email g.espinozaramos@westminster.ac.uk or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavoespinozaramos/)
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