When Research Meets Role-Play
Enter Moonshot: a clever hybrid of board game and research tool that's turning academic collaboration from a gamble into a game. This project tackles a thorny question: how do we help researchers succeed when working across disciplines and distances?
The brainchild of Associate Professor Helen Marshall with the support of Dr Madonna Duffy from UQ’s Major Initiatives team, Moonshot emerged as a fresh take on research planning. It combines Marshall's expertise in storytelling and gamification with Devaney's mission to build better collaborative tools. Drawing on Whatif Lab's core approaches - Participatory Futures, Story Thinking, and Creative Process - the project signals an innovative direction for creative initiatives at UQ.
Think Dungeons & Dragons meets research planning. Teams role-play through potential scenarios they might face during their project, from funding crunches to collaboration hurdles. Players map out their project's ecosystem, identifying key "Factions," "Conditions," and "Resources" that could impact their work. As a facilitator introduces various challenges, researchers practice spotting problems and crafting solutions before they become real-world headaches.
But Moonshot isn't just about avoiding pitfalls - it's about building stronger teams. Through gameplay, researchers develop a shared understanding of their project's purpose and potential, turning abstract challenges into concrete strategies. Moonshot proves that sometimes the best way to solve serious problems is through play.