Exploring Participation and Play in Higher Education Jj
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TOTAL PLAY! EXPLORING PARTICIPATION AND PLAY IN HIGHER EDUCATION J J LEAN PhD 2019 TOTAL PLAY! EXPLORING PARTICIPATION AND PLAY IN HIGHER EDUCATION JOHN JAMES LEAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Manchester Metropolitan University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education and Social Research Institute Manchester Metropolitan University 2019 Abstract This thesis connects the concepts of participation and play in higher education (HE), both of which are familiar themes in education literature. The former is typically seen as a ‘problem’ to be solved (i.e. widening participation), and the latter as a potential ‘solution’ (i.e. games-based learning). I challenge this conception by arguing that the logic of problems and solutions is a symptom of a flawed neoliberal discourse that overlooks much of what happens in universities. Education is often treated as a game, and this metaphor can be developed further by asking how participants actually play it. To do this, I conceptualise play and participation as situated social processes that must be understood in qualitative terms rather than on the basis of impact or results. Using a novel model of the ‘magic circle’ drawn from Huizinga (1949) and Lave and Wenger (1991), and a playful pragmatist methodology influenced by Dewey (1929), I explore the question of how play and participation can influence each other to transform HE. My research data comes from my work with a typical ‘widening participation’ cohort on a foundation degree in Education Studies. Twelve students took part in ten group interviews on the topics of play and educational participation, and I engaged in critical reflective teaching and research practice as I designed playful learning activities for a cohort of eighty students, producing field notes from observations and a reflective teaching journal. Critical thematic and autoethnographic analysis of data suggests that the way in which students and educators respond to the ‘rules of the game’ affects their participation. This thesis makes a contribution to theory through my use of ideas drawn from play (the magic circle, playstyles, Total Play) in the philosophy of HE. It also contributes practically; I argue that play is useful not because it improves results, but because it unlocks new ways of experiencing and thinking about HE. My key conclusion is that if HE really is a game that we all play, we should also play with it. 2 For Mum and Dad, who wisely started this whole thing by buying me a Super Nintendo and sending me to a comprehensive school. 3 Acknowledgements This thesis was only possible thanks to the participation of the fantastic students and colleagues on the foundation year in Education at Manchester Metropolitan. I hope that it does justice to the ways that we participated together. Sam Illingworth, Kay Lalor and Paul Wake provided frequent coffees, games, critical academic friendship and opportunities to think about something other than this thesis for a few hours. My supervisors Cathy Lewin, Mark Peace and Nicola Whitton gave me invaluable guidance throughout the process, enabling me to rediscover myself as an educational philosopher while keeping my utopianism grounded. I am grateful that such a dedicated group of people were so invested in my work. Most importantly, Cordelia Mackay spent three years providing the support and love I needed to indulge in this project, without which none of this would have happened. I’m excited to see what the next three years brings us. 4 Contents List of abbreviations .......................................................................................................... 9 List of figures & image credits ......................................................................................... 10 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................... 11 1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11 1.2 My participation in games and education ................................................................ 13 1.3 The research question .............................................................................................. 16 1.4 My contribution to the field ..................................................................................... 18 1.5 Thesis overview ......................................................................................................... 21 1.6 A note on writing style: Dancing about architecture ................................................ 24 1.7 Conclusion: It’s a game ............................................................................................. 26 2 – Literature review: Participation and play in higher education ................................. 28 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 28 2.2 A problem: Participation in higher education ........................................................... 29 2.3 A solution?: Games- and play-based learning .......................................................... 32 2.3.1 Games-based learning .............................................................................. 32 2.3.2 Games and constructivism ........................................................................ 34 2.3.3 Play-based learning ................................................................................... 36 2.3.4 Games and play in HE ............................................................................... 37 2.4 The context: Neoliberalism in higher education ....................................................... 40 2.5 Exploring participation .............................................................................................. 43 2.5.1 Engagement .............................................................................................. 44 2.5.2 Transition .................................................................................................. 46 2.5.3 Educational participation beyond HE ....................................................... 47 2.5.4 Reclaiming participation ........................................................................... 50 2.6 Exploring play ............................................................................................................ 51 2.6.1 The psychology of play .............................................................................. 52 2.6.2 The philosophy of play .............................................................................. 53 2.6.3 The culture of play .................................................................................... 55 2.6.4 Defining play? ........................................................................................... 58 2.7 Play* and participation* in HE .................................................................................. 60 2.7.1 Participatory culture and games ............................................................... 60 2.7.2 Academic and political play ...................................................................... 62 2.8 Conclusion: ‘Finding the fun’ in the literature review ............................................. 64 3 – Conceptual model: The magic circle of participation ............................................... 68 3.1 Pandemic Legacy ....................................................................................................... 68 5 3.2 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 70 3.3 Legitimate peripheral participation .......................................................................... 71 3.4 The magic circle ........................................................................................................ 73 3.5 Drawing the models together: Rules, circles, edges, magic ..................................... 75 3.5.1 Rules .......................................................................................................... 76 3.5.2 Circles ........................................................................................................ 78 3.5.3 Edges ......................................................................................................... 79 3.5.4 Magic ......................................................................................................... 80 3.6 The magic circle of participation ............................................................................... 82 3.7 Conclusion: Pushing at the boundaries .................................................................... 84 4 – Methodology: Playful pragmatism ............................................................................ 87 4.1 Mysterium ................................................................................................................. 87 4.2 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 89 4.3 Dewey’s pragmatism: Experience, communication, democracy (and play?) ........... 90 4.3.1 Experience ................................................................................................. 91 4.3.2 Communication ......................................................................................... 93 4.3.3 Democracy ...............................................................................................