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| Unit name |
Play and Creativity |
| Unit code |
SPOL22021 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
I/5
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Professor. Debbie Watson |
| Open unit status |
Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit explores the importance of play and creativity to children's learning, development and leisure experiences. Sociocultural, poststructural and psychological theories will be considered.
The contexts in which play and creativity occur for children will also be considered in respect of educational and wider play provisions. Attention will be paid to innovative theorists and curricula approaches and to contemporary theories of play, and the ways in which play is influenced by popular cultures, new media technologies, and forms of organised provision such as games and sports. The impact of government policy and contemporary curricula on children's play and creativity will be considered. Underpinning the unit will be a consideration of how we observe and assess children and engage in creative enterprises with children; as well as how we can respond to diversity, equity, quality and ethical practice in providing for children in these areas.
By the end of this unit students should be familiar with:
- Different theoretical understandings of play, its purposes and the forms it can take;
- Appreciate that play and creativity are lifelong pursuits;
- The role of creativity and play in children’s learning and leisure pursuits, including the impact of new technologies and gaming and organised games;
- Theories of learning and knowledge (ways of knowing) in the contexts of play & creativity;
- Ways of responding to diversity and working with children in respectful and ethical ways;
- The individuals and theoretical perspectives that have, and continue to, contribute to our understandings of the importance of play and creativity to children’s learning, wellbeing and development;
- A range of innovative educational and play provisions that focus on the importance of play and creativity in the UK and internationally;
- Methods and tools that practitioners can develop to observe, assess, enter into dialogue and document children’s play, creativity and learning.
- Models of play and creativity that are drawn from education and playwork.
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
- Articulate the importance of play and creativity from a range of theoretical perspectives;
- Engage in group discussions;
- Carry out observations of children and report this back to the group;
- Analyse their data in the light of theoretical insights;
- Engage in multimodal ways of learning
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
- Articulate the importance of play and creativity from a range of theoretical perspectives;
- Engage in group discussions;
- Carry out observations of children and report this back to the group;
- Analyse their data in the light of theoretical insights;
- Engage in multimodal ways of learning
Teaching Information
Lectures, seminars and creative workshops
Independent child observations.
Assessment Information
Formative assessment:
Independent child observations in an educational/ care/ play setting of the student’s choice. Results to be presented in group presentations and supported by 1,500 word theoretical summary.
Summative assessment:
3hr examination.
Reading and References
- Bragg, S. & Kehily, M.J. (2013) Children and Young People’s Cultural Worlds (2nd ed.) Policy Press.
- Broadhead, P., Howard, J. & Wood, E. (Eds.) (2010) Play and Learning in the Early Years, London, Sage.
- Brooker, L. & Edwards, S. (2010) Engaging Play, Maidenhead, Open University Press.
- Fawcett, M. (2009) Learning Through Child Observation, Jessica Kingsley.
- Rogers, S. (Ed.) (2011) Rethinking play and pedagogy in early childhood education, Routledge
- Wood, E. & Attfield, J. (2005) Play, Learning and the Early Childhood Curriculum (2nd Edition), Paul Chapman Publishing.
