Nicola Whitton is Director of the Durham Centre for Academic Development and Professor of Education at Durham University. Her research focuses on play in adulthood, in particular games and learning in the context of Higher Education, and the potential of play in teaching, research, and academic practice. Her most recent projects have focused on the potential of escape room design for learning.

Approaches such as serious games and gamification for learning are now well established in education and business. In this talk, Nicola will consider the benefits and limitations of these methods, and discuss the concept of playful learning as both series of tools, techniques, and tactics, and as a philosophy of learning to support innovation.