Research for the Real World: S09E04
John Potter, Professor of Media in Education, UCL Knowledge Lab.
Professor John Potter credits his early career as an East London primary school teacher as a key influence in his research interest in digital media and play. It’s in no way a surprise for RFTRW host Dr Keri Wong to hear that play connects to children’s lives in a way that the statutory curriculum doesn’t.
We hear about the enchanting Ministry of Stories which provided literacy experiences instead of classes and consider how the parallels between imaginative play and augmented and virtual reality can help to construct immersive storytelling.
We think about how TikTok and social media are providing templates from which children construct all sorts of games, what this means, and whether parents should be wary of technology's role in modern play. We also expect to see ways the Covid-19 pandemic has influenced children’s games, which John is investigating via the Play Observatory project.
Listen to the podcast
You can also listen to the podcast on:
You can also read the podcast episode transcript here.
Images
Professor John Potter with the artefact and zine from the 'Location-based Virtual Reality experiences for children: Japan-UK knowledge exchange network' project.
Links
Better public health communication needed to address post-pandemic vaccine scepticism
Post-pandemic, a new type of vaccine scepticism has emerged online that claims certain vaccines are not “real vaccines” – finds research co-authored by Dr Zsófia Demjén with Lancaster University.
20 Mar 2025
Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025
Neurodiversity Celebration Week aims to recognise, support and celebrate the neurodiverse community by challenging misconceptions, raising awareness and promoting inclusion and understanding.
17 Mar 2025
QS rankings confirm IOE as world-leading for Education for 12th year
For the twelfth year running, IOE - UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society remains the top place in the world to study Education in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
12 Mar 2025