Nic Whitton
@nicwhitton.bsky.social
Professor of Digital Learning and Play at Northumbria University. Likes video games, cryptic crosswords, and otters. All views my own. She/her.
Delighted to welcome 32 RE:PLAY Fellows to the RE:PLAY project. research.northumbria.ac.uk/replay/repla... They will be working with our learning design fellows over the next year to redevelop their modules and evidence the impacts. Watch this space.
RE:PLAY Fellows - RE:PLAY
Prashant AgrawalDr Prashant Agrawal is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics at Northumbria University, Newcastle […]
research.northumbria.ac.uk
October 16, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Delighted to welcome 32 RE:PLAY Fellows to the RE:PLAY project. research.northumbria.ac.uk/replay/repla... They will be working with our learning design fellows over the next year to redevelop their modules and evidence the impacts. Watch this space.
My inaugural lecture for Northumbria University, State of Play: A History of Playful Learning in Ten Video Games, will be on 15 October 2025 online and in-person. All welcome.
Guest appearance by everyone's favourite badger and drinks somewhere afterwards.
www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Guest appearance by everyone's favourite badger and drinks somewhere afterwards.
www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
State of Play: A history of Playful Learning in 10 Video Games
State of Play: A history of Playful Learning in 10 Video Games
www.northumbria.ac.uk
September 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM
My inaugural lecture for Northumbria University, State of Play: A History of Playful Learning in Ten Video Games, will be on 15 October 2025 online and in-person. All welcome.
Guest appearance by everyone's favourite badger and drinks somewhere afterwards.
www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Guest appearance by everyone's favourite badger and drinks somewhere afterwards.
www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Reposted by Nic Whitton
Mine and @nicwhitton.bsky.social 's 'unconventional' case for playfulness in HE leadership: wonkhe.com/blogs/the-ca...
The case for playful leadership
Openness, creativity, honesty, humility - Nic Whitton and Alex Moseley make the counterintuitive case for playfulness in higher education leadership
wonkhe.com
May 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Mine and @nicwhitton.bsky.social 's 'unconventional' case for playfulness in HE leadership: wonkhe.com/blogs/the-ca...
Really excited to have been awarded a significant grant from the ESRC to investigate playful learning in higher education.
Three years to explore play with amazing people. Happy days 😀
Three years to explore play with amazing people. Happy days 😀
Northumbria’s Professor @nicwhitton.bsky.social is working with universities across the UK to lead an ESRC-funded research project exploring the benefits of more interactive and playful approaches to learning in higher education.
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
New research could enhance the future of teaching in higher education
Academics from universities across the UK are about to launch a research project which could lead to changes in how higher education is taught – with a move away from traditional lectures in favour of...
www.northumbria.ac.uk
May 14, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Really excited to have been awarded a significant grant from the ESRC to investigate playful learning in higher education.
Three years to explore play with amazing people. Happy days 😀
Three years to explore play with amazing people. Happy days 😀
Reposted by Nic Whitton
Northumbria’s Professor @nicwhitton.bsky.social is working with universities across the UK to lead an ESRC-funded research project exploring the benefits of more interactive and playful approaches to learning in higher education.
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
New research could enhance the future of teaching in higher education
Academics from universities across the UK are about to launch a research project which could lead to changes in how higher education is taught – with a move away from traditional lectures in favour of...
www.northumbria.ac.uk
May 14, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Northumbria’s Professor @nicwhitton.bsky.social is working with universities across the UK to lead an ESRC-funded research project exploring the benefits of more interactive and playful approaches to learning in higher education.
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Full story here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...
Today I managed to co-ordinate the diaries of senior colleagues at six different universities to schedule a two-day workshop less than six months in the future.
I think I might just have reached the pinnacle of academic achievement.
I think I might just have reached the pinnacle of academic achievement.
May 9, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Today I managed to co-ordinate the diaries of senior colleagues at six different universities to schedule a two-day workshop less than six months in the future.
I think I might just have reached the pinnacle of academic achievement.
I think I might just have reached the pinnacle of academic achievement.
I just found this image in my ChatGPT image creation history. I have no memory of creating it, and no idea what I asked for, or more crucially why.
April 30, 2025 at 1:11 PM
I just found this image in my ChatGPT image creation history. I have no memory of creating it, and no idea what I asked for, or more crucially why.
We have a programme and two awesome keynotes 😀🎈.
The Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference is open for bookings.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Come and join us in Newcastle 3-4 September 2025.
Early bird closes 1 May 2025. Please share.
The Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference is open for bookings.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Come and join us in Newcastle 3-4 September 2025.
Early bird closes 1 May 2025. Please share.
RIDLHE Conference -
Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education is a new conference, launching on 3rd-4th September 2025 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk
April 1, 2025 at 2:25 PM
We have a programme and two awesome keynotes 😀🎈.
The Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference is open for bookings.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Come and join us in Newcastle 3-4 September 2025.
Early bird closes 1 May 2025. Please share.
The Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference is open for bookings.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Come and join us in Newcastle 3-4 September 2025.
Early bird closes 1 May 2025. Please share.
Reposted by Nic Whitton
Journal of Play in Adulthood is now on Bluesky, follow to (mainly) see our lovely articles!
It might be a little while before we start posting, but hello all! We're the Journal of Play in Adulthood, a diamond open access journal. More to follow soon... www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
The Journal of Play in Adulthood
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
March 31, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Journal of Play in Adulthood is now on Bluesky, follow to (mainly) see our lovely articles!
Only five days to go before the paper submission deadline for the first Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference on 9 Feb 2025.
lnkd.in/eGd7yPFW
Want to submit something but can't meet the deadline? We can be flexible - please talk to me before Sunday.
lnkd.in/eGd7yPFW
Want to submit something but can't meet the deadline? We can be flexible - please talk to me before Sunday.
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
February 4, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Only five days to go before the paper submission deadline for the first Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education Conference on 9 Feb 2025.
lnkd.in/eGd7yPFW
Want to submit something but can't meet the deadline? We can be flexible - please talk to me before Sunday.
lnkd.in/eGd7yPFW
Want to submit something but can't meet the deadline? We can be flexible - please talk to me before Sunday.
Me and @playbrarian.uk are looking to expand our existing pool of amazing reviewers for the Journal of Play in Adulthood. Please drop us a line if you're interested or want to know more. We offer support, infinite gratitude, and AI-generated haikus on request.
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
The Journal of Play in Adulthood
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
January 13, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Me and @playbrarian.uk are looking to expand our existing pool of amazing reviewers for the Journal of Play in Adulthood. Please drop us a line if you're interested or want to know more. We offer support, infinite gratitude, and AI-generated haikus on request.
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
www.journalofplayinadulthood.org.uk
Less than a month to go until the deadline for submissions for our new conference exploring critical perspectives on Research in Digital Learning. The submissions system is now open.
Please share 😀
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Please share 😀
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
RIDLHE Conference -
Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education is a new conference, launching on 3rd-4th September 2025 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk
January 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Less than a month to go until the deadline for submissions for our new conference exploring critical perspectives on Research in Digital Learning. The submissions system is now open.
Please share 😀
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Please share 😀
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk/ridlhe/
Come an join us to start some critical conversations about education and technology in universities in the North East. All welcome but places limited.
@nicwhitton.bsky.social and I will be hosting a CSET 2025 – Critical studies of education and technology meeting in Durham on the 21st February, 2025 (this event is globally organised by @neilselwyn.bsky.social ). Free registration is now open www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cset-2025-...
CSET 2025 – Critical studies of education and technology
Researchers from the NorthEast are invited to a local academic meeting focused on ‘Problematising education and digital technology'
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 13, 2024 at 1:22 PM
Come an join us to start some critical conversations about education and technology in universities in the North East. All welcome but places limited.
Ooooooh look at the exciting thing that arrived this morning
December 6, 2024 at 9:42 AM
Ooooooh look at the exciting thing that arrived this morning
There’s snur up north.
November 19, 2024 at 8:46 AM
There’s snur up north.
Kid’s school: “In this email we are thinking about effective communication…”
Kid’s school (15 minutes later): “We apologise for sending out the wrong link in our previous email…”
🤦♀️
Kid’s school (15 minutes later): “We apologise for sending out the wrong link in our previous email…”
🤦♀️
November 15, 2024 at 6:37 PM
Kid’s school: “In this email we are thinking about effective communication…”
Kid’s school (15 minutes later): “We apologise for sending out the wrong link in our previous email…”
🤦♀️
Kid’s school (15 minutes later): “We apologise for sending out the wrong link in our previous email…”
🤦♀️
Exciting read arrived yesterday. The growth of play in universities is inspiring 😀
November 13, 2024 at 8:12 AM
Exciting read arrived yesterday. The growth of play in universities is inspiring 😀
New conference alert 😀
Research In Digital Learning In Higher Education (RIDL:HE) will take place 3-4 September 2025 in Newcastle, UK.
Building on principles of inclusive and playful conference design, RIDL:HE has the research community at its heart.
Please join us. Please share.
Research In Digital Learning In Higher Education (RIDL:HE) will take place 3-4 September 2025 in Newcastle, UK.
Building on principles of inclusive and playful conference design, RIDL:HE has the research community at its heart.
Please join us. Please share.
Research in Digital Learning in Higher Education is a new conference, launching on 3rd-4th September 2025 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which will provide the Higher Education sector with a space to share and critically discuss evidenced-based research and practice in digital learning.
hosting2.northumbria.ac.uk
October 14, 2024 at 9:04 AM
New conference alert 😀
Research In Digital Learning In Higher Education (RIDL:HE) will take place 3-4 September 2025 in Newcastle, UK.
Building on principles of inclusive and playful conference design, RIDL:HE has the research community at its heart.
Please join us. Please share.
Research In Digital Learning In Higher Education (RIDL:HE) will take place 3-4 September 2025 in Newcastle, UK.
Building on principles of inclusive and playful conference design, RIDL:HE has the research community at its heart.
Please join us. Please share.
We're recruiting for an AHRC Northern Bridge PhD scholarship on digital tinkering, play, and learning to fail www.northernbridge.ac.uk/applyforastu... Happy to talk to anyone who might be interested in applying. Please share. #playresearch
November 16, 2023 at 3:19 PM
We're recruiting for an AHRC Northern Bridge PhD scholarship on digital tinkering, play, and learning to fail www.northernbridge.ac.uk/applyforastu... Happy to talk to anyone who might be interested in applying. Please share. #playresearch
Lovely impromptu trip to Darlington tonight thanks to being an adult who can’t work trains 🚂
October 24, 2023 at 5:06 PM
Lovely impromptu trip to Darlington tonight thanks to being an adult who can’t work trains 🚂