Pen Holland, Professor and Deputy Head (Teaching), Department of Biology
Pen is an ecologist who uses game-based learning to help people understand complex systems.
She started out as a mathematician at York, moved sideways into a PhD in ecological modelling and then spent six years in New Zealand as a research scientist working in pest and conservation management.
She returned to York in 2014 as a Teaching and Scholarship focused academic.
email: pen.holland@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Pen:
Could you please tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?
I use game-based and playful pedagogy to build safe spaces for students. We learn best when we have a supportive community, and when we know that it is safe to fail. Games provide an opportunity for students to make friends in the transition to university, and to feel engaged with their learning – and sometimes the game itself provides some knowledge and food for thought as well.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
The best part of teaching with games and play is when laughter spontaneously breaks out in a workshop of over 100 students, and then they follow it up with really insightful questions about the work or their own learning processes.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
Convincing adults that play does not (necessarily) equate to frivolity. A game can be a joyful experience and at the same time stimulate serious conversations or reflection.
What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?
When people give themselves permission to play, amazing things can happen. I hope that some of my games will help people to learn new ideas, but more importantly that they will appreciate and benefit from the community that we build by playing games and learning together.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
I like the maxim: 'If you feel like you hate everyone, eat something. If you feel like everyone hates you, get some sleep'.