That was very helpful to discuss my intervention with my colleagues. I received valuable feedback from my group, tutor, and course leader on the course I’m teaching.
In Our Shoes: “Birthday Scenario” set of cards. Illustrator: Oksana Drachkovska
My intervention involves designing a lesson plan that uses a Live Action Role Play (LARP)-inspired card game to facilitate student engagement with social justice issues related to intersectional diversity, specifically focusing on neurodiversity and cultural adjustment challenges faced by international students. This builds on a pre-existing card game format but adapts it with scenarios based on real student narratives to encourage empathy and self-reflection in a higher education setting.
The very first public presentation of the live action role-playing game “In Our Shoes”, we’ve been working on with Leland Masek since spring 2024, happened almoust a year after, in May 2025 in two-day workshop “Ukrainian Scholars and Artists at War” in Berlin. Here is the article with a report on the matters in art and science during the war time we discussed:
https://lnkd.in/erxSYy7T
The activity begins with students selecting character cards that represent different backgrounds and challenges (e.g., a neurodiverse student navigating peer pressure or an international student facing cultural isolation). Students then improvise interactions based on these scenarios, guided by prompts on the cards. Following gameplay, there is a structured discussion where students reflect on the emotional and social dynamics encountered, fostering awareness of inequality and inclusive practices.
Ethical guidelines include ensuring privacy, defined as students’ right to disclose only what they feel comfortable sharing without coercion or peer pressure. To manage emotional impact, a pastoral support professional will be present to provide immediate assistance if needed, in line with advice from my line manager.
This intervention aims to address inequities by enabling marginalised voices to be explored through play, shifting the learning environment toward social justice awareness and empathy-building. I plan to evaluate the activity using Frania Hall’s Positive Evaluation framework, which focuses on peer interaction and cultural understanding (Hall, 2025).
In response to tutor’s feedback about grounding the activity in relevant literature, I draw on Campbell’s (2019) definition of ludic practice of ludic practice as “object-led play with spontaneous involvement”, situating my work within this framework, while considering Allport’s (1954) Contact Hypothesis to frame the potential of intergroup empathy through structured interaction.
Questions for further development:
- How can I balance educational and therapeutic boundaries in this activity?
- Which specific evaluation metrics best capture changes in student empathy and understanding?
- How might the lesson plan be adapted for different social justice issues beyond neurodiversity and cultural identity?
In developing a ludic practice-inspired activity for university-level teaching, I have been reflecting on how playful methods can deepen student engagement and surface hidden experiences.
A valuable pieces of feedback came from Lucy Parker, who recommended an article from Spark Journal on Ludic Practice (https://sparkjournal.arts.ac.uk/index.php/spark/article/view/124). It prompted me to consider how I might better contextualise my method for others unfamiliar with it and to think more deeply about the specific student experiences it aims to support.
Lucy asked several useful questions regarding the format I proposed — a Live Action Role Play (LARP)-inspired deck of cards that supports students in exploring emotional or institutional scenarios. I realised that a clearer explanation of what LARP entails would be helpful. In my context, LARP involves students inhabiting fictionalised characters and scenarios that reflect real-life academic or personal challenges. They are invited to act out these scenarios through improvisation, drawing both from their own experiences and the shared narrative created through the cards. This blend of fiction and reality helps participants explore difficult situations at a safe distance while offering the opportunity for self-reflection and peer empathy.
Lucy also asked whether I had considered which student groups might benefit most from this approach. In response, I am planning to trial the activity with international students adjusting to UK academic culture, as well as neurodiverse students who might struggle with conventional forms of expression. I believe this method could offer an alternative language of communication — through play, empathy, and role-play — for those whose concerns often go unspoken.
Following advice from our Course Leader, Luca, I have also considered the emotional impact such activities may have. As such, I will ensure that a counsellor or pastoral support staff member is present during the session to help students process any difficult emotions that arise. This safeguard recognises that while games can be powerful tools for learning, they also require a framework of care and support.
As Luca noted, this method not only offers the potential to uncover students’ hidden worries but also serves as a powerful illustration of how games can address serious and complex topics within a structured academic environment. It aligns well with Campbell’s (2019) definition of ludic practice as “the use of games or play, adapted specifically for the university teaching collection environment… [which] must be object-led and involve spontaneous or undirected involvement from participants.” By grounding the activity in lived experience while allowing room for spontaneous interpretation, this approach aligns with that ethos — combining critical reflection with creative practice.
In response to recieved feedbacks, this intervention is designed to provide students with a dedicated, respectful space to engage with sensitive topics around identity, gender, and trans experiences, while fostering the practice of empathy and kindness toward diverse perspectives. Recognising the emotional weight these discussions may carry, it is vital to implement clear content warnings at the outset, so students are fully informed about the themes they will encounter. Students will also be explicitly encouraged to step away or take breaks at any time if they feel uncomfortable or triggered, with no expectation to justify their choice. To further safeguard emotional well-being, the presence of pastoral support or counselling professionals during sessions is crucial. This not only allows for immediate assistance if difficult emotions arise but also serves to connect students with ongoing support services beyond the intervention.
Building a foundation of trust is central to the success of this activity. To help students feel secure in sharing, we introduce strategies that allow for protective distancing from personal experience. For example, participants may reflect on the lives of public figures or anonymous stories rather than disclosing their own histories. This method respects individual boundaries while still allowing authentic engagement with the material. While the activity is rooted in bibliographical narratives—real stories drawn from lived experience—it does not require students to reveal their identities or any personal details. This balance between authenticity and confidentiality is a hallmark of bibliographical micro-LARP, a form first developed in Chicago during the 1920s.
For the context, Bibliographical micro-LARP builds on longstanding traditions of role-play and performative storytelling in education and therapy, with roots traceable to early 20th-century psychodrama techniques developed by Jacob L. Moreno. These methods combine authentic narratives with imaginative enactment to foster empathy and reflection, while protecting participant privacy through performative distance. It uses performative role-play grounded in real-life accounts to facilitate empathy and understanding, while safeguarding participants’ privacy and emotional safety. By adhering to these principles, the intervention aims to create a meaningful, inclusive learning environment where students can explore complex social justice issues confidently and compassionately.
To address another point raised, I am beginning to think about how to collect real-life stories that can inform the scenario cards. I aim to gather anonymised narratives through one-to-one conversations and feedback forms, ensuring the resulting game pack reflects genuine concerns and emotions. These stories will then be translated into scenarios that can be played out in a structured yet flexible way.
Overall, I see this as a promising avenue for enhancing student well-being, surfacing marginalised voices, and showcasing the versatility of game-based learning in higher education.
Looking ahead, I am also considering how technology might enhance this intervention, for example by integrating digital tools that allow remote participation or adaptive scenarios tailored to individual student needs. Exploring hybrid formats could increase accessibility for students who are unable to attend in person or who benefit from alternative modes of engagement. Additionally, collaborating with student support services and cultural organizations could enrich the content and ensure that the intervention remains relevant and responsive to evolving student demographics. This ongoing development will be crucial to sustaining the impact of the activity and expanding its application to other disciplines and social justice topics.
References:
Bowman, S. L. (2014) Play to Grow: Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Role-Playing Games. McFarland & Company, Inc.
Campbell, L. (2019) ‘Ludic Practices in Object-Based Learning’, Spark: UAL Creative Teaching and Learning Journal, 3(1). Available at: https://sparkjournal.arts.ac.uk/index.php/spark/article/view/124 (Accessed: 23 July 2025).
Whitton, N. (2014) Digital Games and Learning: Research and Theory. New York: Routledge.
Allport, G. W. (1954) The Nature of Prejudice. Addison-Wesley.
Hall, F. (2025) Positive Evaluation. Available at: https://positiveevaluation.myblog.arts.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 23 July 2025).
Moreno, J.L., 1953. Who Shall Survive? A New Approach to the Problem of Human Interrelations. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Beacon House.