Play-based learning is at the core of this initiative that will “explore and analyze the relative value of and relationships among three kinds of play – green play (outdoor), screen play (digital), and machine play (robotic/mechanical).” The collective expertise of all of these professors from the Faculty of Education will come together during this 18-month project and reach over a million students in multiple Canadian provinces.
In a press release from the University of Ottawa Newsroom, Professor Hargreaves elaborated the importance of play. He said “it’s a chance to deepen our understanding of how it relates to and is an integral part of great work and deep learning. It’s driven by a moral imperative to use play effectively as a vital resource that can advance learning and well-being in different populations and communities, especially those that have been most marginalized in our society. These include but are not restricted to First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities, the rural and urban underprivileged, recently arrived refugees, historic African Canadians, and students with a range of special needs.”
