Child’s play enters higher education as Lego takes hold

Having invaded companies and consulting firms, Lego now has a bridgehead in higher education.

Bond University student Bianca Licina said Lego helped her find her true passions and motivations.

Lego, now the latest fad for companies and consulting firms trying to instil creativity into their staff, has entered higher education.

Bond University teaching fellow Sasha Goodwin said she used Lego Serious Play, a product made by the company for adult use, to help final year communications students choose a capstone project for their course.

“This is really about tapping into passions and creativity,” Ms Goodwin said.

“A lot of the process is about reflecting. ‘Why did you build that? Why did you choose that colour’?”

Lego Serious Play is becoming a significant driver of sales for the Lego company, which touts it for use in guided workshops to “prompt dialogue and encourage reflection, as well as develop problem-solving skills and use of imagination”.

It “helps participants open up through the approachable medium of play,” the company says on its website.

Certification is available to become a “serious play facilitator” and a kits with Lego Serious Play pieces cost hundreds of dollars.

The most expensive, 2808 piece identity and landscape kit, costs $849. It supports a workshop lasting for longer than 3-5 hours for 10-12 participants.

Bond University teaching and learning enhancement co-ordinator, Anne Trethewey, said that using Lego Serious Play to build things helped start conversations.

“When we talk about a model, we’re talking about something external to ourselves,” Ms Trethewey said. “It’s fascinating to watch how deep the conversations go from there.”

She said an increasing number of Bond academics were taking training in using the Lego to boost student engagement.

Communications student Bianca Licina said that she had noticed, in a Lego session, that the things they were creating revealed things about themselves.

“I realised what my true passions and driving motivations were, which were important to understand when embarking on the semester project,” Ms Licina said.