PLAYFUL LEARNING AND CITIZENSHIP IN EDUCATION

KP.DK/INTERNATIONAL

An international course at University College Copenhagen-KP, Copenhagen - Denmark

How can students develop playful learning en-vironments in their professional lives? How can playful learning approaches encourage children to form a sense of citizenship in institutions and schools?

This course encourages the student to explore and discover the values of playful learning and citizenship in education within arts-based, theoretical, creative and experiential learning approaches that focus on enlightened citizens participating in decisions that concern both society and their own lives.

This full-time course is both theoretical and creative and comprises a variety of academic, didactic and experiential hands-on subjects and study activities with an overall emphasis on developing unique and relevant playful com-petences and a citizenship mindset in educa-tion. The urban setting of University College Copenhagen- KP also invites the student to explore and incorporate the neighbourhood into his/her study activities.

AIM OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURSEOn completion, the student will have obtained professional competences in and knowledge about:

– Applying the playful skills and techniques acquired to his/her professional life.

– Working with an increased focus on citizen-ship in education

– Ways of combining playful learning and citizenship education in his/her own practice

COURSE CONTENT AND THEMES: – Citizenship in education and democratic citizenship – concepts and theories

– Play theory, history and culture – Drama, media, arts and play – Aesthetic learning and flow – Creative storytelling – Nordic pedagogical practice – Innovation and entrepreneurship

STUDY ACTIVITIES – Creative workshops, experiential learning and laboratory study activities

– Active and practical study group work – Playful presentations and productions through arts, theatre, music and media

– Theoretical approaches and lectures – Supervision in groups – Peer and group feedback – Practical placements in a unique Danish insti-tution or school.

– Trips to relevant museums and cultural institu-tions

– Subject-based three-day field trip

PART TWO – INNOVATION AND ENTRE-PRENEURSHIPThe course is completed with either 20 or 30 ECTS and is divided into two parts. Part one con-sists of 12 weeks (20 ECTS) and Part two consists of an optional six weeks (10 ECTS).

Part two (10 ECTS) consists of a concise period of lecturing and academic supervision with a thematic focus on didactic innovation and entre-preneurship. This part of the course aims to help students apply the skills they have developed throughout Part one to their own fields of prac-tice. The student concludes Part two by writing a paper as a distance-learning unit.

PLAYFUL LEARNING AND CITIZENSHIP IN EDUCATION

FURTHER LEARNING As a thematic didactic approach to the course, the student will experience and gain personal insight into the fields of both playful learning and citizenship. This will offer the students ways to help their future pupils and clients form a sense of cultural global citizenship.Furthermore, the course will examine the areas of ‘play for learning’ and ‘play for playing’ within multi-facetted play definitions, includ-ing role play, creative play, physical play, fantasy play, construction play and storytelling.

ORGANIZATION AND TARGET GROUP This course is designed as a fulltime study pro-gram for students of early childhood, primary and secondary school teacher education and so-cial education, but students from other relevant academic areas are also welcome. Students must have completed at least one year of their under-graduate degree studies at their home institution to be admitted to the course.

STUDY METHODSThe study methods on this course comprise a variety of well-documented quality learning situations in which aesthetic, experiential and cognitive approaches interact. Study methods in-clude group work, self-directed work in groups, experiential learning, text reading, field study, presentations and paper writing.

SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY ACTIVITIESAs a supplement to regular teaching, a number of relevant extra study activities will be planned.

– Excursions to relevant places in Copenhagen and Denmark

– Subject-based three-day field trip – Practical placements that focus on experi-menting with and developing playful learning activities with children in Danish institutions and schools

– Guest lectures by former course-students, professional educators and/or international lecturers

ASSESSMENT PART ONE: 20 ECTS: – A number of small group assignments graded ‘passed/not passed’.

– A number of small and larger artistic and creative group presentations graded ‘passed/not passed’.

– Active participation in planning and perform-ing a larger central aesthetic and playful project encompassing central elements of the entire course.

– An individual reflection report in combina-tion with a digital portfolio containing both theoretical and experiential learning perspec-tives from the theoretical and processual learn-ing through the course. Graded according to the ECTS grading scale.

PART TWO (OPTIONAL) 10 ECTS: – On the basis of a concise period of lectures and academic supervision with an underlying thematic focus on innovation and entrepre-neurship within the student’s future practice, a larger paper graded according to the ECTS grading scale will be produced individually. This paper must consist of a personal view on and a discussion about the dilemmas and potentials of transferring the accomplished didactic methods of playful learning and citizenship to the student’s own professional area and interest.

RE-ASSESSMENT If the student fails the assignments or is absent for the presentations, he/she is entitled to a re-assessment. The re-assessment will be arranged in the same way as the regular assessment.

University College Copenhagen (KP) offers bachelor degree programs in teacher education, social education and pedagogical work, nursing, physi-otherapy, psychomotor therapy, textile and handicraft design and sign language interpretation. For more than 20 years, KP has run international courses with participating students from around 30 different countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Latin America.

For more information, please see our website: www.ucc.dk/international

CONTACT INFORMATIONCourse coordinator: Mikkel Høgsbro, MH@kp.dk International coordinator: Annette Bruun, ANB4@kp.dkCourse administrator: International Office, study@kp.dk

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