1. A taste of the LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) Method
for Higher Education (HE)
Building individual & shared models & stories
with Chrissi Nerantzi, certified LSP facilitator
email: c.nerantzi@mmu.ac.uk
Twitter: @chrissinerantzi

2. Intended learning outcomes
By the end of this workshop, participants will be
able to...
• explain the basics of the LSP Methodology
• Discuss advantages of using the LSP
Methodology
• Identify opportunities to use the LSP method
with their students/colleagues

3. What do we ask our students to do
in HE?

4. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
think
reflect
question
explore
discover
construct
share
learn
LSP is real life stuff

5. Let’s experience it!

6. Remember!
We trust our hands!
We trust the process!
We all build!
We all participate!

7. LSP warm-up

8. Task 1: Build a tower
Task 2: Build a model following the
instructions
Task 3: Modify your model to capture
the importance of learning for you.
When sharing introduce yourself to
the group.

9. LSP Method steps
1. Ask a question
2. Build
3. Share
4. Reflect

10. LSP: My identity as a teacher

11. Task 1: Build a model of who you
are as a teacher
Task 2: What is your main
strength? Mark on the model.
Task 3: Share with others.

12. The ideal teacher

13. Task 1: Build a model of your ideal teacher
Task 2: Identify 1 factor that matters most
to you? (red brick)
Task 3: Create a shared model of the ideal
teacher of the group
Task 4: Reflect on the ideal teacher you
created as a group

14. transformation of experiences
•
•
•
•
•
from passive to active
from the individual to the group
from domination to pan-participation
from construction to de-construction to re-construction
from replication to uniqueness

15. theoretical underpinning
“learning by making”
Constructionism
(Papert)
“In flow”
(Csikszentmihalyi)
LSP
“hard fun”
(Papert)
“new understanding
through metaphors”
(Schön)

16. Why? To increase...
• Insight
• Confidence
• Commitment
When?
Collective intelligence
•Goal (A->B)
•Complex process
•Sharing for a purpose
•Community feel, safe
place

17. • The builder owns the model
• Metaphors belong to the builder
• We talk about the model

18. Less bricks is more!
It is not about the bricks but what the bricks enable!

19. the role of the LSP facilitator
•
•
•
•
•
•
Active listening
Use low entry-high ceiling questions to surface unconscious insight
Remind participants to focus on the model, also to touch the model!
Avoid making judgement
Avoid imposing interpretations
Role: coach, facilitator, consultant, tech-support

20. Share ideas how you could use it with
your students/colleagues
learner
relationships
ground rules
teacher
working in teams
working practices
reflection
Interview
evaluation
values
research method
module/programme
development
beliefs
support requirements
Induction activities

21. Reflect
• Are there
opportunities to use
LSP in your context?
• What is your desired
outcome?
• What could you try?
• What are you going
to try?

22. LSP applications
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Building individual models and stories
Building shared models and stories
Creating a landscape
Making connections
Building a system
Playing emergence and decision
Extracting simple guiding principles

23. A taste of the LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP) Method
for Higher Education (HE)
Building individual & shared models & stories
with Chrissi Nerantzi, certified LSP facilitator
email: c.nerantzi@mmu.ac.uk
Twitter: @chrissinerantzi