University building on research capability, brick, by LEGO brick

LEGO Serious Play (LSP) can strengthen research skills and enhance the creativity of postgraduate students, according to a new study by University of Northampton (UON).

The study, published in Nature last month, one of the world’s most influential academic journals, highlights how LEGO bricks can transform the way students approach research and problem-solving.

Introduced in 2009 by academics from Denmark, academic research has been carried out on LSP, but the Northampton study is the first to look at the application of LSP to enhance research capability.

The UON study started in May 2022 and involved more than 120 students from the University’s Faculty of Business and Law including: Business, Marketing and Project Management postgraduates.

Led by a trained LSP facilitator, the students followed a structured four-step process: defining a challenge, building a model using LEGO bricks, storytelling to explain the creation, and engaging in peer discussion.

Dr Patrice Seuwou, UON’s Associate Professor in Learning & Teaching who conducted the study said the approach boosted their confidence, encouraged innovative thinking, and improved their ability to articulate ideas.

He added “Many students find research daunting, viewing it as rigid and highly technical. LSP enables them to approach ideas in a more dynamic and visual way, making research more accessible and engaging.

“While some students were initially sceptical, many found the approach helped them think more critically and creatively about their research.”

Dr Seuwou is also co-lead for UON’s Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality and said the study found that LSP also helped overcome some of the barriers to international students succeeding at UK universities.

He said: “Teaching can be of high quality around the world, but teaching styles can be very different to the UK with a much more hierarchical relationship between student and teacher and a more formal way of learning.

“Even in the world of smartphones and games consoles, LEGO is ubiquitous throughout the world, so wherever students are from, they arrive in Northampton knowing the language of creativity. We’ve been able to demonstrate that LSP can unlock skills they possess but have struggled to express.”

Following the success of this research, Dr Seuwou is seeking funding for more LSP training and resources to rollout the approach across the University.

To find out more, read the full study via Nature’s Humanities and Social Sciences Communications Journal.