2024/25 Chairs: Katie Piatt and Andrew Walsh
Anyone with an interest in playful learning for adults who shares our values is invited to be a member of the Playful Learning Association. New members can join by signing up to our email list. That’s all you have to do! Although many members work in UK Higher Education we welcome members from around the world and from private companies, public sector training or whoever you are!
The aims of the Playful Learning Association are:
- To share research evidence and experiential practice in the area of play, games and learning.
- To provide a forum for discussion and collaboration to support the development of outputs such as journal articles, practitioner guidance, seminars, and research proposals.
- To create a supportive community for new practitioners and researchers in the field as well as those who are more established.
What does the PLA do?
Case Studies – Please view and contribute to our developing Playful Learning Activity Library (contact: Lead for Impact: Emma Gillaspy)
Publications – The PLA is aligned with the Journal of Play in Adulthood. PLA members are encouraged to submit articles to this journal and articles will be featured in monthly PLA news round-ups. (contact Lead for Publication: Andy Walsh)
Research – The PLA is actively supporting the RE:PLAY project evidencing the value of Play in HE. (contact Lead for Research: Nic Whitton)
UK Games Expo – contact Lead for External Engagement: Liz Cable
Inclusivity Framework – contact Lead for Inclusivity: Elliott Spaeth
2024/25 Committee
Co-Chairs: Katie Piatt and Andy Walsh
Lead for Impact: Emma Gillaspy
Lead for Publication: Andy Walsh
Lead for Research: Nic Whitton
Lead for External Engagement: Liz Cable
Conference co-Chairs: John Lean, Rosie Jones, Katie Piatt
Lead for Inclusivity: Elliott Spaeth
Committee members: Alex Moseley, Giskin Day, Jane Mooney, Simon Grey, Mark Childs, Alison James
Chairs: Every two years, one of the two association chairs will be rotated (after serving a four year term)
At that point (next time is October 2025 as Andy Walsh was appointed from the October 2023 round), any committee member who has met the attendance requirements may nominate themselves to stand as the new Chair. The nominees will have a task (chosen by the two current chairs) which will typically involve producing some sort of playful pitch for the rest of the committee to then vote on, resulting in an announcement at the November face-to-face meeting.
Association Chairs are expected to undertake the following tasks:
- Manage the PLA website and monthly news round-ups
- Organise the annual meeting cycle ensuring two face to face meetings (November and March)
- Liaise with colleagues hosting the face to face meetings
- Ensure governance for the PLA is in place and upheld.
- At least one of the Chairs must attend each face to face event (including the conference).
History of the Association
This group began back in 2010 as the ALT Games and Learning Special Interest Group, later becoming the Playful Learning Special Interest Group (PLSIG). In the summer of 2019 members of the group recognised that the group had grown beyond the remit of ALT and agreed to become a separate body to allow a broader range of members and interests as part of this new association. We would like to thank ALT for all the support they showed this group over the past 10 years.
The primary areas of interest of the Playful Learning Association are:
- The use of all types of games, digital and traditional, online and real world.
- The practice, as well as the theory, of play and learning.
- The use of playful approaches with adults, in formal and informal contexts.