Jisc Change Agents' Network Conference 2024

This presentation reflects on a series of LEGO Serious Play (LSP) workshops with level 4 Project Management and Chartered Manager degree apprentices. Part of the challenge teaching degree apprentices is that they join the course with varying levels of knowledge, skills and experience. Our apprentices come from a wide range of organisations, including public and private sector, multinationals and SMEs. Some join straight from school, others may have spent decades in the workplace and previously not considered higher education. Consequently the induction period is spent getting to know each cohort, and using this information to adjust the module content to meet the needs of the learners and their employers.

One strategy that we have used this year is to use LSP to encourage apprentices to apply the theory and models taught in the classroom in an interactive and hands-on manner. In each session, individual builds allow apprentices to achieve an independent goal, group builds require teamwork and problem solving, and the periods of reflection between each build assist with the development of critical analysis and evaluation skills. 

Using LSP with these two groups had several benefits. The apprentices with greater work experience helped to mentor their peers, and teams quickly self-organised to make best use of their individual skills, mirroring the real-world challenges of working in diverse project teams. The LSP activities encouraged learners to think creatively, which translated into a more innovative approach to problem-solving within the work-integrated learning context.

Above all, the apprentices demonstrated increased engagement and enthusiasm, transforming the learning experience into an interactive and enjoyable process. Apprentices who, during induction, had confessed to feelings of impostor syndrome in the university setting, were relaxed, and more willing and able to contribute to the discussion in the room. Overall feedback was positive, emphasising the effectiveness of the LEGO-based approach in making project management education more memorable and impactful.