Games as Teaching Tools

Eligibility

The TA Institute is open to undergraduate and graduate TAs, and all graduate students who are interested in teaching. This session is not open to staff, or faculty.

Event Description:

How can play transform learning? In this session, we will explore playful pedagogy; an approach that uses games, activities, and creative strategies to engage students, spark curiosity, and deepen understanding. Participants will learn how incorporating play can make challenging content more approachable, foster collaboration, and encourage active participation in any classroom setting.

We will use a concrete example of a playful exercise to illustrate how such activities can be implemented. Importantly, the session will guide participants in translating these playful strategies into their own TA roles, showing how they can adapt activities in ways that support learning and engagement. Participants will explore how to design playful learning experiences in their own teaching contexts. By the end of the session, TAs will gain practical ideas for using play to enhance student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes.