In March 2021, the time was there to test our board game with a group of Irish managers. Piloting your materials always goes with a certain level of stress. This time, COVID had put another layer to that stress, as we were now obliged to test our board game – designed for offline use – in an online environment. However, we got there. The group were ready and eager to engage. The facilitator was excited to share the materials developed. The online dice was ready to be rolled. It was time to share our materials and get the critical feedback needed from the group.
After spending a few minutes introducing the game, the rules and some time for any questions, the group began playing the game. They were immediately excited by the chance of role play and enjoyed the competitive component to the game. However, this may be due to the fact that the participants knew each other well. After going through a number of scenarios, the group really began to get into character and share their experiences and opinions. Having the opportunity to watch the group engage as fully as they did was delightful and seeing the project come to life.
Afterward fully completing the game, the group concluded that the game provided a unique opportunity for them to take the time to listen to others and re-assess how they approach certain scenarios in their practice. The group were given time to reflect on the experience and share their perspective and learnings with others. The peer learning component of the pilot was a very important facet of the pilot experience.
This conclusion was exactly what we were hoping for as it is also the reason why we developed the game in the first place: to create a safe environment with peers to connect, share, learn, grow and… have fun! Now that the materials are finalised, we look forward to further disseminating the materials with others in County Meath.