By Erica Woekel, College of Health and OSU Extension
Take a moment to think back on your childhood and what your favorite game or activity was to play. Some of my favorites were playing with dolls, cars, dressing up, cards and board games, playing ‘school’, and being outside creating inventive stories for hours. Playing is something kids regularly do as it helps build our imagination, creativity, joy, and sense of wonder.
Play is often talked about as a way to build emotional intelligence and resilience in children and yet, what about with college aged students (or their professors)? The benefits of play for adults are extensive: improved creativity, productivity, work quality, brain functioning, connections, and overall wellbeing (Des Marais, 2022). Additionally, play reduces our stress levels, which is something we could all benefit from. Play is a building block to resilience. Knowing these positive aspects, how can we prioritize play within the college classroom?
In examining learning preferences for our Gen Z students (ages 12-22), 51% would prefer to learn by doing, 38% through reading, and only 12% through listening (Barnes and Noble College, 2018). This doesn’t seem to jive with the current lecture-based learning that consistently occurs in a higher education classroom. Gen Z is curious about self-learning while also focused on practical, personal, and social impacts. “Learning by doing” within the classroom can come in many forms: experiments, discussions, working through problems, role-playing scenarios, games, in-class activities, and play.
As a behavior scientist, health coach, and exercise psychology specialist, I examine the behavior of others while providing insights to help them work towards a healthier life that aligns with their personal vision and values. My faculty role is to train future health care professionals to use empathy along with their listening, inquiry, affirmation, and reflection skills to assist with the behavior changes the clients or patients are seeking. When teaching students on goal setting, behavior change, and implementation of new and/or healthier habits, role-playing is essential for practice. Play allows students to train for the unexpected scenarios they may encounter in a safe and constructive way. Students learn what to do and how before going out into the workforce. Playing within our classrooms assist to develop skills, train future professionals, and build relationships with others.
According to Harvard University professor and child health and development specialist Dr. Jack Shonkoff, resilience is a skill that we actively build in the context of relationships and in an environment where we learn to cope with challenges, stress, and hardships. Ultimately, we need to fail and learn from our mistakes in a manageable setting to continue to build resilience. Play allows students to benefit from thinking about concepts from a unique and diverse perspective. Within kinesiology, we can implement play through cooperative or competitive games, situation-based dramatizations, and role-playing interactions that students may encounter in their future professions. These “learn by doing” activities help with implementing behavior change principles at the individual level. The goal is to build compassionate and thoughtful health care professionals that listen to their patients, come up with meaningful and personal solutions, and empower them towards healthier lives.
In closing, one of my most beloved TV personalities as a child, Mr. Fred Rogers, stated that “It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.” I challenge you to do two things, one professional and one personal. Imagine or dream how you can bring play into your classroom to encourage “learning by doing” to make a difference in the lives of our OSU students. This can be through group activities, imaginative solutions, brainstorming, competitive/cooperative games, physical activities, or dramatic role-playing. Secondly, when was the last time you played? Try adding play to your “to-do” list this week to spark personal creativity, awe, curiosity, and resilience.
About the author: Erica Woekel is a Clinical Associate Professor in Kinesiology and a Physical Activity and Active Living Specialist within OSU Extension. Erica incorporates play into her life by being in nature, dancing, being active, and card games.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of guest posts about resilience and teaching strategies by members of the Fall ’24 Resilient Teaching Faculty Learning Community facilitated by CTL. The opinions expressed in guest posts are solely those of the authors.
Top image generated with Microsoft Copilot
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