Center for Teaching and Learning

A Teaching Minute

A Teaching Minute brings you teaching tips from the CTL.

The Role of Joy and Play in Higher Education

Friday, 1/30/2026

We're sending this slightly revised version of a fall Teaching Minute BECAUSE we're excited to let you know about a new series we've just launched, Play as Pedagogy. Each session explores ways instructors can intentionally spark joy and play in learning through gamification, visual representation, and storytelling. Workshops are offered in two formats—30-minutes remotely or 60-minutes in-person—running between Feb 3rd and April 14th. Read more on our website.

Consider taking a moment to reflect: When was the last time you felt a spark of joy or playfulness in your teaching? Maybe it was a lively class discussion or one of those “aha” moments when everything clicked for both you and your students. What conditions made those moments possible?

Why Joy & Play Matter in Higher Ed

As educators, we strive to create meaningful learning experiences that engage students cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. While lecture remains a common and valuable teaching method in higher education, research shows that incorporating active learning—where students engage directly through discussion, problem-solving, or hands-on activities—leads to increased understanding and improved outcomes.

Play, often associated with early childhood, can also be a powerful component of adult learning. Stephen Brookfield, a leader in adult education and metacognition, notes that almost every textbook on adult education practice affirms the importance of experiential methods such as games, simulation, case studies, psychodrama, role play, and internships.

When joy and play are a part of teaching, students become more motivated, take intellectual risks, and engage with ideas more openly. As Eugen Korsunskiy, associate professor at Dartmouth College, observes, “students who are having the most fun produce their best work.”

Practical Ideas to Try

While integrating joy and play into higher education offers many benefits, it’s understandable that time constraints and uncertainty might make these approaches feel challenging to implement.  If you’re looking for ways to bring more joy and play into your course design, consider these strategies:

  • Incorporate storytelling to provide context and help students connect on a personal level.
  • Introduce puzzles, physical objects, games, or even surveys to facilitate hands-on learning. One idea is to revisit previous material through a quiz show format, with students paired up to play against each other at the same time.
  • Try quick “Joy Card” activities (developed by Professor Eugene Korsunskiy at Dartmouth College) to prompt reflection.
  • Problem-Solving Activities: Use escape-room style activities to encourage collaboration and critical thinking.
  • Choice-Based Learning: Inspired by the creativity of our own UVM colleagues (see embedded link), use choose-your-own adventure activities to allow students to explore topics non-linearly and at their own pace.

And we recommend that you explore Professors at Play, a community of practice full of activities, examples, and supportive ideas for infusing joy into your teaching, including online and AI-integrated settings!

Dig Deeper

Looking for more? These resources expand on play and engagement through UDL:

Want to talk through how UDL and play might look in your own course? The CTL is here to brainstorm ideas, share strategies, or connect you with upcoming workshops. We’d also love to hear how you think about joy and play in your own context.  

Schedule a consultation with us to keep the conversation going!

Center for Teaching & Learning 
www.uvm.edu/ctl
ctl@uvm.edu