Katie Piatt pictured at the Playful Learning Conference 2024

The University of Sussex is joining universities across the UK to launch a research project which could lead to changes in how higher education is taught – with a move away from traditional lectures in favour of a more interactive and playful approach to learning. Katie Piatt, Head of Educational Enhancement in the Student Experience Division at Sussex, is part of the research group, which aims to evidence the value of different approaches to learning.

Led by Professor Nic Whitton of Northumbria University, the £1 million RE:PLAY project (Researching the Effectiveness of Playful Learning in Higher Education) has been granted almost £800,000 of funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), with the remainder funded by the collaborating institutions. The research will be carried out as a three-year study by a collaboration of academics at Northumbria University, Durham University, Anglia Ruskin University, University of Sussex, Coventry University, and University of the Arts London.

Employers are increasingly looking for more than just academic knowledge from university graduates, with problem-solving abilities, resilience, creativity, and teamwork skills all now highly valued. The research project will examine how universities can improve the way experiential and interactive skills are taught – enhancing student learning and providing graduates with the skills needed to tackle the complex challenges faced by future societies.

The project is the first large-scale, systematic study into the effectiveness of the playful learning approach – which encourages students to play an active role in their learning, through processes such as role play, interactive simulations, games, digital toys, quests and challenges. It will develop a deep understanding of the types of playful learning that are effective in different contexts, and why. The project aims to change attitudes towards play in universities by encouraging leaders to be more confident in endorsing play, developing academics’ skills and confidence to use playful learning approaches, and supporting students to learn from play.

Katie Piatt is co-Chair of the Playful Learning Association, which recently won a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence award (led by the University of Sussex and Northumbria University). Sussex is hosting the Playful Learning conference from 2-4 July 2025 for the second year - find out more on the Playful Learning Association website.