Ludic Pedagogy: A Seriously Fun Way to Teach and Learn outlines why and how having fun and positive experiences in college and university classes (and not just at social events or parties) leads to increased student success in face-to-face, hybrid, hyflex, or online environments. It provides readers with the Ludic Pedagogy model, together with how instructors can employ the elements of the model – play, playfulness, and positivity – in the courses that they teach.
This book is grounded in empirical research so that readers can appreciate why each element of the Ludic Pedagogy model contributes to increased learning and student wellbeing. It also offers examples, practical advice, and guidance on how faculty can employ activities and attitudes so that students have more memorable, meaningful, and valuable educational experiences in college/university. In order to win over the elbow-patched-blazer-wearing professoriate, we specifically address why the ludic mindset, and having fun, is compatible with “serious” academic work.
Sharon Lauricella is the inaugural Teaching Scholar in Residence at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. She holds a position as Full Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities and is a scholar of Communication and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Sharon holds a doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BA from Wheaton College (Massachusetts). T. Keith Edmunds has degrees in Psychology, Rural Development, Rural Studies, and Business. After being awarded a PhD from University of Guelph and an MBA. from Laurentian University, both in Canada, he found himself as an assistant professor at Brandon University, also in Canada.
This book is a seriously fun way to learn about making learning fun for students. Its filled with useful case studies, ideas, and examples. Even the footnotes are fun!" — Karen Schrier, Associate Professor & Director, Games & Emerging Media program, Marist College
As a comedian I know that humour can make difficult topics easier to discuss, but Sharon Lauricella and T. Keith Edmunds take it to a whole new level! Curiosity, silliness, and playfulness are traits we tend to put away as "grown ups", and Lauricella and Edmunds show how to reignite these qualities in order to improve higher education, both in function and experience, and why they are essential to learning. If I had gone to their university, maybe I wouldnt have dropped out! — Allison Dore, Founder Howl & Roar Records Inc, and Host of The Breakdown on Sirius XM
As we emerge from a global pandemic where fun was seemingly lost, Ludic Pedagogy offers a scholarly and evidence-based framework on how to bring playfulness back into the classroom. Lauricella and Edmunds’s volume is simply a tour de force as it is both engaging and liberating all at once. — David J. Hornsby, PhD, Associate Vice-President, Teaching and Learning Professor, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs Carleton University
Sharon Lauricella and T. Keith Edmonds show us the truth behind the adage, "if youre not having fun, its not worth doing," even and especially in higher education. Now more than ever, we need to remember that teaching and learning can be, at their aspirational best, joyful endeavors. Fun and meaningful learning are not mutually exclusive, but interdependent. This inspirational and liberating book shows us how to (re)discover that connection, and gives us a fun ride along the way. — Kevin Gannon, Director, Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence, Professor of History Queens University of Charlotte
