Cotlands emphasises play-based learning

THE critical need for training and the implementation of play-based learning were highlighted at a three-day conference held in Johannesburg from July 12 to 14.

The Department of Basic Education, early childhood experts Cotlands and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported by The LEGO Foundation, hosted the PLAY conference to address the need for play-based learning, particularly in early childhood, focusing on children from birth to nine years.

“Teachers, practitioners, and toy librarians shared their experiences and challenges in pursuing play-based learning which highlights, for us, the crucial need for training in play-based learning practices,” said Monica Stach, chief operations officer of Cotlands.

At the conference, organisers announced a multi-year partnership between Cotlands, UNICEF and the Department of Basic Education that will see 150 000 teachers and Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners being trained nationally in play-based learning. The in-service training module will eventually be incorporated into an accredited early childhood development degree that will be offered by higher education institutions.

Cotlands, which developed the content for this training, will be using top trending training modalities such as web-based training, gamification and social media such as Facebook. Implementing training which is web-based in the early childhood development sector is ground-breaking and has never been done before in a South African context. The project will create a platform that will increase computer literacy, enabling access to information, which is critical in the 21st century. Communities formed via Facebook will be a powerful tool to sustain and support the implementation of play-based learning.

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