Tuesday 17 January 2017

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The Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, regularly ranked in the top five in the world, is currently looking to appoint a LEGO Professor of Play in Education, Development and Learning. The new position is financed through a £4 million endowment to the university from the LEGO Foundation, which owns 25 per cent of the Lego business. The endowment will also go towards funding a new Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development and Learning (Pedal) at Cambridge. The Guardian has reported that the role includes a salary of around £83,000, which should ensure that it attracts plenty of interest prior to the application deadline on January 20, 2017. The successful applicant will be responsible for spearheading Pedal as the university increases its focus on play, an area that it believes is under researched. Prof Anna Vignoles, interim director of Pedal, spoke to the Guardian about the idea that play enhances learning and its benefits to children’s wellbeing. “All of that might be true, but actually there’s remarkably little evidence for that. The aim of the Pedal centre is to conduct rigorous research into the importance of play and how playful learning can be used to improve students’ outcomes,” she said. Pedal will examine the importance of play and playfulness in education globally with an aim to produce research which supports excellence in education so that children are equipped with 21st Century skills like problem solving, team work and self-control. Applications, consisting of a letter of application, a statement of current and future research plans, a curriculum vitae and a publications list, along with details of three referees should be made online no later than 20 January 2017.