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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Play assessment (Child psychology)

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    Exploring the phygital : an assessment of modern play objects : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) McManus, Chaz
    The rise in household electronics, video games and computers - coupled with a parental perception that unguided outdoor play is unsafe - has led to an increase in children playing alone indoors (Gray, 2011). The result of this is a decrease in time spent engaging in spontaneous, unstructured play. Play theorists Burdette and Whitaker, (2006) find this concerning, as the decrease of unstructured playtime can present serious issues for the cognitive, emotional, physical and social development of children. This change in the way children are playing is a result of the industry creating new types of play-objects and experiences; integrating physical and digital elements known as phygital play-objects (Trautman, 2014). Through my observation, the resulting play experiences for children lack balance. I have conceived the term balanced play to reflect my goal for Phygital play experiences, where the benefits of that play are spread equally across the areas of cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. This investigation explores the benefits of play. Then uses this to form a guideline for balanced play experiences. It identifies the developmental stage of six to nine year olds and the ways a decline in play potentially affects their development. From this research, I produce a framework for assessing balanced play experiences when children use phygital play-objects. This is achieved via the presentation of a design assessment tool and a balanced phygital play-object of my design created using this tool.
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    Playing in the zone : a Vygotskian interpretation of young children's television-inspired play and talk : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters Degree of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Brennan, Margaret
    Children's 'representational play' has been extensively acknowledged as contributing to early learning and development. This qualitative case study examined a specialised form of representational play prompted by children's television watching. Participants involved children over the age of 3 years attending a community based childcare centre in a city in New Zealand. The study was carried out over a period of 2 weeks and employed 'naturalistic, observational' and 'stimulated recall' techniques during data collection. Children's 'television play' and talk became both the focus of the investigation and the unit of analysis. The original focus of Superhero play was extended to include other forms of television play that emerged as dominant themes within the studied centre. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of learning was used as a theoretical tool for analysis with special attention given to Vygotsky's concepts of 'intersubjectivity' and 'cultural tools.' Intersubjectivity was defined and discussed in relation to children's appropriation of 'cultural tools' during representational play. A Vygotskian focus necessitated embedding these concepts within Vygotsky's wider theory of learning and development. Vygotsky's concept of the 'zone-of-proximal development' therefore was also considered in regard to 'television related play and talk'. Nelson's (1986) concept of 'scripts' was examined as Vygotsky viewed language as a primary 'mediating tool' that significantly contributed to children's intersubjective understandings. This study concluded that 'Superhero play' and other forms of television play are the outcome of children's appropriation of sociocultural influences. The study's conclusion supported Vygotsky's theory of development that sees learning as occurring as the result of children's 'internalization' and 'appropriation of cultural tools'.