Abstract:

Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) is an innovative educational tool that can contribute to bringing innovation and improve the performance of work groups and thus, companies and organizations.

The LSP process is based on four key steps:
a) The facilitator proposes a challenge.
b) Participants build their answers using the Lego pieces.
c) Participants share their answers with other participants.
d) Participants reflect on what they have seen and heard.

The facilitator's role is crucial to follow well the process and steps that determines this methodology.

We compare two groups: Bachelor students (Albors et al, 2014a) and Master students (Albors et al, 2014b).
For the first group, this study was relied on empirical data that we have from a sample of 99 students of 3rd year Bachelor. Students were asked to write a free report on their experience in using the tool. With these reports, we performed a content analysis (Berg and Lune, 2012; Bernard, 2000; Weber, 1990), searching for words or phrases that LSP method underlines are acquired after its use.

These were:
• Exchange ideas.
• Be entertained / different.
• Enriching.
• Reconcile / consensus.
• Interact / participate.
• Learning skills / apply.
• Creativity.

The most valued by the Bachelor students were: to exchange ideas, to be a different and entertaining tool and to provide greater opportunity for team members to interact and participate.

For the second group, we collected opinions of about 60 Master Level students. The group was multidisciplinary and multicultural because they come from different degrees and nationalities. We conducted a survey with twelve questions in a Likert scale.

The questions that have a high or relatively high score are those relating to the characteristics of LSP that reinforce teamwork, achievement of generating ideas, sharing common ideas and team communication, as well as the generation of innovative ideas.

So, as we can compare, the two groups gave importance to exchange ideas and to provide greater opportunity for team members to interact and participate. However, Master students are more focused to generating innovative and creative ideas while Bachelor students appreciate more the use of a different and entertaining tool.

The tool requires an appropriate approach. In this step is essential to have the support of a certified expert to provide training to those who subsequently will act as facilitators in the specific subject. The planning sessions to perform must be considered and designed in advance, with the clear learning resources that we want the students will cover up to the stage of reflection and conclusion. The number of students participating is also crucial for the creation of working groups. Each group should be of around 5-6 people and we need one facilitator for each 2-3 groups.

We have observed that it is better not to abuse and use it in all subjects, but alternate it with other tools that foster teamwork, as the Canvas or learning games. Experience has concluded that, indeed, greater efficiency is achieved in the learning objectives and the management of communication and group innovation, while you can evaluate other skills in students, such as the ability to be creative and to communicate.

Keywords:

Business game, Lego Serious Play, creativity, learning process, communication.