Network Session – A Quest for Interdisciplinarity

When first we came up with a Dungeons and Dragons inspired board game to form the basis of our network session, we were unsure how it would be received by the attendees to the conference. However, we were not the only game inspired session of the week, in fact, there were two other network session either based upon a game, or around the roles of gaming as scientific tool. We think this was an excellent opportunity to discuss alternative methods of science communication.

Before the event had started, our session was having an impact on the event. By providing character cards for each attendee to wear on their badge, people could easily identify each other’s disciplines, making impromptu networking easier, more light-hearted, and less daunting. The simple but effective designs were gender and age non-specific, ensuring they were relatable to as many people as possible.

Although some might think that a niche fantasy game would appeal mostly to one target group and leave out the majority, our ideas attract more than just those starting their scientific careers and role-playing game enthusiasts. Our network session was attended by a diverse audience of 72 people, over 10% of the total attendance list for the conference. Attendants fully engaged in the game and really took on the challenge of putting themselves in the shoes of researchers from a different discipline.

We have listed below the key aspects of the game and its benefits.