Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum
Defining play has plagued researchers and philosophers for years. From describing play as an inaccessible concept due to its complexity, to providing checklists of features, the field has struggled with how to conceptualize and operationalize “play.” This theoretical piece reviews the literature abo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124/full |
| _version_ | 1818543309359939584 |
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| author | Jennifer M. Zosh Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Emily J. Hopkins Hanne Jensen Claire Liu Dave Neale S. Lynneth Solis David Whitebread |
| author_facet | Jennifer M. Zosh Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Emily J. Hopkins Hanne Jensen Claire Liu Dave Neale S. Lynneth Solis David Whitebread |
| author_sort | Jennifer M. Zosh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Defining play has plagued researchers and philosophers for years. From describing play as an inaccessible concept due to its complexity, to providing checklists of features, the field has struggled with how to conceptualize and operationalize “play.” This theoretical piece reviews the literature about both play and learning and suggests that by viewing play as a spectrum – that ranges from free play (no guidance or support) to guided play and games (including purposeful adult support while maintaining playful elements), we better capture the true essence of play and explain its relationship to learning. Insights from the Science of Learning allow us to better understand why play supports learning across social and academic domains. By changing the lens through which we conceptualize play, we account for previous findings in a cohesive way while also proposing new avenues of exploration for the field to study the role of learning through play across age and context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:33:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2ac5ca44d2f648738c62df3860b36209 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T22:33:41Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2ac5ca44d2f648738c62df3860b362092022-12-22T00:48:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-08-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124382140Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a SpectrumJennifer M. Zosh0Kathy Hirsh-Pasek1Kathy Hirsh-Pasek2Emily J. Hopkins3Hanne Jensen4Claire Liu5Dave Neale6S. Lynneth Solis7David Whitebread8The Pennsylvania State University Brandywine, Media, PA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesThe Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesThe LEGO Foundation, Billund, DenmarkGraduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesSchool of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United StatesGraduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesHomerton College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomDefining play has plagued researchers and philosophers for years. From describing play as an inaccessible concept due to its complexity, to providing checklists of features, the field has struggled with how to conceptualize and operationalize “play.” This theoretical piece reviews the literature about both play and learning and suggests that by viewing play as a spectrum – that ranges from free play (no guidance or support) to guided play and games (including purposeful adult support while maintaining playful elements), we better capture the true essence of play and explain its relationship to learning. Insights from the Science of Learning allow us to better understand why play supports learning across social and academic domains. By changing the lens through which we conceptualize play, we account for previous findings in a cohesive way while also proposing new avenues of exploration for the field to study the role of learning through play across age and context.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124/fullplayplayful learningcognitive developmentchildrengamespedagogy |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer M. Zosh Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Emily J. Hopkins Hanne Jensen Claire Liu Dave Neale S. Lynneth Solis David Whitebread Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum Frontiers in Psychology play playful learning cognitive development children games pedagogy |
| title | Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum |
| title_full | Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum |
| title_fullStr | Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum |
| title_short | Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum |
| title_sort | accessing the inaccessible redefining play as a spectrum |
| topic | play playful learning cognitive development children games pedagogy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124/full |
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