The Playfulness Experiment

This chapter delves into a study exploring playfulness through a brick building task called 'Ducks in a Box,' comparing conditions that encourage versus discourage play. It highlights the significance of micro-phenomenology and the creative potential of materials like Lego in fostering autonomy, unexpected outcomes, and intrinsic motivation in learning.

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Hello there!

We’re Dr. Jane Hession and Ronan Healy. We’re a husband and wife team and co-founders of the service design studio How Might We - www.howmightwe.design

We're passionate about Play and provide online, in-house training in the LEGO Serious Play method to teams worldwide.

We’re also training across Ireland and the UK www.howmightwe.design/lego-serious-play-ireland

Introduction

Have you ever visited a museum and felt like you had to tiptoe around, afraid to touch anything? Ever felt like education was about memorising facts rather than genuinely exploring ideas? Ever thought play was something you left behind in childhood when, in reality, it should stay with you into adulthood? Well, you’re not alone.

Dr. Katrin Heimann joins us to explore play as an act of listening, care, and creative reconstruction. As a researcher and educator, Katrin challenges the sometimes rigid structures of academia and museums, advocating for spaces that foster agency, interaction, and playfulness. From unpacking the emotional layers of learning to reimagining institutions as places of joy and experimentation, Katrin chats about why play is personal and political.

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LEGO Alert!

Around the 42-minute mark, Katrin answers a question using LEGO.

Katrin who?

Katrin Heimann is trained in philosophy and cognitive neuroscience and has specialised in exploring the richness of humans' subjective experience using qualitative methods.

She is one of the leading experts in the interview and analysis technique of micro-phenomenology, with which she has investigated an extensive range of experiences, especially those related to art, creativity, play, and learning.

Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Professor at the Center for Educational Development at Aarhus University, where she researches and develops facilitation tools and resources for engaging and inclusive classrooms within academia.

Katrin’s Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has led her to understand the value of designing neuroinclusive learning environments, and she is working on the project Developing Teacher Education for the Neuroinclusive University.

Contact Details

Email

katrinheimann@au.dk

Research

https://www.au.dk/en/katrinheimann@au.dk

How Playfulness Motivates: Putative Looping Effects of Autonomy and Surprise Revealed by Micro-Phenomenological Investigations

https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/how-playfulness-motivates-putative-looping-effects-of-autonomy-an

Developing Teacher Education for the Neuroinclusive University

https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/projects/developing-teacher-education-for-the-neuroinclusive-university

Book

Practicing Embodied Thinking in Research and Learninghttps://www.routledge.com/Practicing-Embodied-Thinking-in-Research-and-Learning/Schoeller-Thorgeirsdottir-Walkerden/p/book/9781032498720?srsltid=AfmBOoqkYjiEmlKoBDH8tQwPry_WE5PV6QiVJFPpTeUxqODJg6QH1XaJ

Additional Resources