Uppsala University welcomes you to the fifth ENLIGHT Teaching & Learning Conference on the theme of Playfulness for the Future of Higher Education. Over two and a half days we will share experiences on various playful teaching methodologies, promoting spontaneity and open-ended conversations. Whether it be through collaboration or competition, board games or role play, puzzles or treasure hunts, playful approaches to teaching and learning aim to inspire participants to imagine and explore new topics in a playful environment, sparking joy and engagement while developing highly sought after competencies such as curiosity, creativity, a flexible mindset and ingenuity. We particularly invite submissions under the following sub-themes whereby educators adopt them during class time. 

Sub-themes

1. Collaboration: Working together with peers to achieve deep learning and stronger results than would be achieved alone. Focusing skills on fostering constructive relationships for effective team efforts.

2. Discovery & Experimentation: Imagine meeting a new challenge by brainstorming with classmates, discussing potential ways forward, trying out approaches, discussing the outcomes and refining your approach. Unveil clues and test your theories as you proceed!

3. Futuring: Combine exploration, data collection and analytical skills to shine a light on the range of possible futures for societal changes. Creative approaches representing the future of society (e.g. artistry, music, theatre etc.) are also welcomed.

4. Gameplay: Applying game design theories to educational activities to promote engagement and active participation.

5. Toys & Tools: How to use physical and digital tools to encouraging playful and active learning. 

The conference will take place on 8–10 October 2025. The programme starts in the morning of October 8 and finishes at noon on October 10.

ENLIGHT Educational principles 

We particularly welcome contributions that also promote the development of skills through the ENLIGHT educational principles: 

• Transdisciplinarity – Courses involve collaboration with teachers of different subjects. Students gather and apply knowledge and perspectives from different disciplines and expertise in order to investigate a defined challenge. 

• Collaboration with external stakeholders – Collaboration with external stakeholders to tackle current challenges. 

• Research oriented teaching - Teaching students to raise scientific questions, formulating problems and finding solutions to research questions drawing upon a wide range or research skills. 

• Intercultural and international learning – Interaction with students from various countries with different cultural backgrounds and academic knowledge. 

• Versatility – Scientific knowledge is united with transversal skills such as intercultural awareness, inclusive leadership, and multilingualism. 

• Challenge-based education – Students work on real-life challenges that can be provided by academics, external stakeholders or students. The aim is to develop, implement and test solutions in authentic, real-world contexts. 

You can read more about how ENLIGHT promotes the development of skills required to shape and thrive in our future societies in the ENLIGHT Competence Framework.