Why The World Needs Playposium. Urgently.
Playposium 2024 is an event focused on playful teaching, course design and curriculum design in the higher education classroom. We invite all playful (and play-curious) professors, department chairs, deans, instructional design staff and teaching and learning professionals to join us. If you’re passionate about improving student learning and success, join us to discover why play is the new student success superpower.
Reason #1: The Mental Health Crisis is quietly - and profoundly - affecting higher education students.
34.2% of students with a mental health condition said their college did not know about their crisis.
64% of students are no longer pursuing their college degree due to mental health issues.
21.6% of college students said depression impacted their studies.
95% of college counselors report that mental health concern is growing on their campus.
41% of college counselors reported anxiety disorders as the most frequent disorder they treat.
50% of college students reported their mental health to be below average or poor.
(Chardon State College, ActiveMinds, American Psychological Association, CollegeStats.org, Higher Ed Today)
Reason #2: Playful learning promotes social connection.
World Economic Forum: Global Risks Report 2023
"Erosion of social cohesion and societal polarization" is listed as the #5 global risk over the next two years, and #7 global risk over the next ten years.
“The benefits of social connection extend beyond the well-being of individuals’ health to quality of life, education, employment, and economic outcomes. Just as with health, those who lack sufficient social connection, whether because they are isolated, lonely, or in poor-quality relationships, seem to be at higher risk for poorer outcomes in these aspects of life as well.” (U.S. Surgeon General)
U.S. Surgeon General: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
In a new Surgeon General’s Advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warns about the public health crisis that loneliness, isolation, and disconnection pose to the American public. Loneliness and isolation are widespread, with approximately half of U.S. adults experiencing loneliness. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Strengthening the social fabric of our communities is essential in order to improve the health of people and communities and must be a national priority.
Reason #3: Educators need playful pedagogy just as much as students.
Brookings Institute: Are we at a crisis point with the public teacher workforce?
51,000 U.S. educators left the profession in June 2023. (Statistica)
More than half of U.S. teachers – regardless of age or years in the classroom – say they're thinking about leaving the profession. (National Education Association, 2023)
35% of U.S. college or university teachers said they very often or always feel burned out at work. (Gallup, 2022)
