Lego® Serious Play® and higher education: encouraging creative learning in the academic library

Abstract

Instructing students in how to utilize resources in an academic library is often considered a dry subject. Library induction is still primarily dominated by a didactic approach to learning, where the librarian shows the student how to do something correctly. In contrast, this article explores the methodology of Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) and its potential as an engaging and imaginative technique to explore student learning subjectively. In LSP workshops, participants are encouraged to build models of thoughts, issues or ideas, in an attempt to view a problem from a new perspective. In higher education, LSP is employed as a playful methodology in a wide range of educational scenarios, including group dynamics, assignment writing, academic integrity and dissertation planning. This article details how the author became an LSP facilitator and follows the subsequent development of a strategy to incorporate playful learning into his practice.