Course aims:

To become familiarised with the specifics of the game as an anthropological and historical-social phenomenon in the instructive-educational process and in spare time
To know the most important theories about the game and the didactics of the game in the instructive-educational process in kindergarten and primary school
To have the most important of didactic-methodical playful competences (in role play, puppet theater, animation, etc.)

Course Entry Requirements:

Fundamentals of pedagogy, Developmental psychology, Early education

Course contents:

1.Game theories. Features and functions of the game 
2.The role of the game in the development of the child's personality 
3.Types of games in the evolution of the child (J. Piaget) 
4.Toy: features, functions, types. Current guidelines in approaching the game and the toy
5.Didactic game: specific, classifications, examples. U6 Techniques for supporting children in play
6. Requirements for organizing the game in the instructive-educational process in primary and kindergarten

Teaching methods:

Lecture, Examples, Conversation, Exercise, Algorithmization, Academic controversy, Case study

Learning outcomes:

- Develop a design of didactic project (theme of your choice) in which to use the method of the didactic game; -Make a presentation of the stages of human development up to the age of 18; - Write an essay on the topic: "The relationship between childhood games and the future profession chosen by the adult"

Learning outcomes verification and assessment criteria:

Develop a portfolio of tools and applications in accordance with the specified requirements as outcomes. 100%

Recommended reading:

Nicola Whitton Pauline Rooney, Game-Based Learning and the Power of Play, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, New Castle, 2016, 5-80.
Thomas M. Connolly, Psychology, Pedagogy, and Assessment in Serious Games, IGI Global, New York, 2013, 5-120.
David Seelow, Teaching in the Game-Based Classroom, Eye on Education, New York, 2021, 1-200.