{"id":1758,"date":"2017-09-17T12:18:46","date_gmt":"2017-09-17T11:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/community-based-research\/?p=1758"},"modified":"2023-11-21T12:12:24","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T12:12:24","slug":"the-aspiration-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/community-based-research\/the-aspiration-game\/","title":{"rendered":"The Aspiration Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1759″ img_size=”medium”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]The Aspiration Game<\/a> is an interactive board game based on snakes and ladders that helped young people consider what factors hindered and supported their aspirations.<\/p>\n

The Aspiration Game was created as part of the Aspiration in Whitley research project (2017\u20132018)<\/a> by students at the John Madejski Academy. The students led key parts of the research, as the Young Whitley Researchers.<\/p>\n

The Young Researchers chose a range of symbols to add to the traditional snakes and ladders board. Players who landed on these symbols were invited to consider and discuss any factor \u2013 event, circumstance or incident \u2013 that had some impact on their aspirations.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Around 70 young people were involved with playing the game \u2013 with all games led and supervised by the Young Researchers. The game appeared to be a simple and effective way of getting people to talk things through, and think about where improvements could be made. It also helped students to express how they felt and \u2013 as some students put it \u2013 the process gave them a voice.<\/p>\n

An important part of this activity was to ensure that all players were prepared prior to starting the game, particularly around the idea of \u2018aspiration\u2019 \u2013 what does it mean and why is it important or useful, if at all? Group discussions about this took place before the games started and the Aspiration Game was played in the context of a careers or futures guidance programme.<\/p>\n

Posted as reminders, students\u2019 words \u2013 such as dreams, aims, goals or ambitions, were captured by researchers and displayed as prompts throughout the course of the game. The game can be played over a course of several years to help monitor students changing preferences.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”648″ img_size=”600×400″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”455″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”440″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<\/a>