Section 05 — Play as Learning (LAB 101)

Section 05 — Play as Learning

Course: LAB 101 – Creative Intelligence Lab I

Learning Session

Explore These Materials: 1. Read (45 min) — Piaget on play (short excerpt); Seymour Papert, Mindstorms (intro on learning through making).
2. Watch (45 min) — Playful learning: MIT Media Lab projects; Game design and flow (short talk).
3. Listen (30 min) — Jane McGonigal on games and motivation (podcast clip).
4. Observe — Notice how you explore when stakes are low vs high; list behaviors that signal curiosity vs fear.

Key Quote Box

“_____________”

Practice

  1. Playground Prototyping — Build 3 tiny prototypes that encourage exploration (paper, tape, simple materials); test each for 5 minutes.
  2. Rule Twist — Take a familiar game; change one rule to emphasize learning a skill (memory, estimation, balance); test with a friend.
  3. Debrief Notes — Capture what participants did first, when they got stuck, and what made them laugh or try again.
  4. Reflection — Define “serious play” for your own practice; where will you use it this semester?

Hard Problem (Optional)

Design a 15‑minute classroom warm‑up that uses playful constraints to teach a core idea from one of your courses; write clear rules and success criteria.