Author: Alex Moseley

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#PlayLearn February roundup

It’s been a couple of months since our last update, but we figured everyone had enough to digest over Dec/Jan. We hope you all managed to have a good rest, and a chance to relax and play, over the festive period.

PlayDay

The lockdown continues for most of us, of course, but in November we blew away isolation with a great online PlayDay: see our report of the Trials and Tribulations of Playing Online.

Events

Many events, Playful Learning included, are waiting to see how the world is looking later this year, but there are two conferences you might be interested in submitting a paper to, or joining:

  • 23-25 June: iGBL2021 is the Irish Games Based Learning conference, normally hosted in Ireland by Patrick Felicia; but this year – as last – it will be entirely online. 23-25th June, see the iGBL site. [note: Call for Papers closes Feb 5th!]
  • 23-24 Sept: ECGBL (the European Conference on Games Based Learning) which shifted online last October, is returning to Brighton this year with the promise of a blended approach. See details and call for papers at https://www.academic-conferences.org/conferences/ecgbl/
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New Co-Chair Appointed

As anyone who has hosted a dinner party knows, one chair is not enough. So we have two guiding the PLA along (helped, of course, by our wonderful members).

When the PLA was formed in July 2019, Alex Moseley and Nic Whitton – the co-Chairs for the previous interest group – moved smoothly across and have been guiding the association as it gained over 100 members and hosted the largest meeting earlier this month in Manchester.

In the spirit of communal openness, however, we wanted the Association to be continually fresh and inclusive – and so we have moved to a system of overlapping Chairs, with each serving for four years.

Nic duly stepped down from her Chairing role on 21st November*, with heartfelt thanks ringing out for all her commitment to holding up the banner of play over the various groups and societies leading to the PLA.

After a close fought duel with the sinister and mist-shrouded Dark Bot (see Voting page), we were delighted to appoint long-serving core member Katie Piatt to the vacated Chair. Katie has been involved in the online presence and numerous live events and publications of the PLA/PLSIG/GLSIG for many years, and so we’re delighted (and slightly worried) that she’ll now be able to wield her power at a strategic level.

Congratulations and welcome, Katie!
(And thanks for all the fun and focus, Nic! – though no thanks for the Karaoke).

*Alex Moseley will continue as co-Chair until November 2021, when a new election for Chair will be held.