Simple Explanation (ELI5)

Imagine studying for an exam: instead of writing pages of notes, you're handed LEGO bricks and must build with your hands what 'glasses' or 'the environment' means. Just like when you explained a movie as a kid by building the scene with toys — same idea, but the movie is your study subject!

Key Advantages & Current Limits

🟢 Pros: It unlocks hidden knowledge that traditional lectures can't reach and gets students from different fields (optics and environmental) talking to each other, creating unexpected bridges. 🔴 Cons: The study is small (only 48 students at one school in Lisbon) and doesn't verify whether the effects truly last over time or improve actual professional work.

Future Outlook & Takeaways

In the next 3-5 years we may see LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® adopted across many technical and scientific faculties, with larger studies measuring whether those who 'play seriously' become more creative and collaborative professionals.

What if glasses were designed with LEGO bricks?

Article

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Imagine walking into a classroom and finding piles of LEGO bricks instead of textbooks. That's exactly what happened to 48 Optics, Optometry, and Renewable Energy students at ISEC Lisboa. Researchers tested the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) method: using hands to build 3D metaphors of abstract concepts rather than just writing them down.

The results? When the theme was optics, future optometrists built models focused on visual correction and clinical roles (nearly 47% of cases). Environmental students, however, focused on perception and light. Two worlds that, thanks to bricks, started talking to each other.

On sustainability, constructions told stories of recycling, biodegradable materials, and ecological footprint. Interestingly, older students proposed concrete actions, while younger ones stopped at problem analysis.

The study, published in *Education Sciences*, shows that "playing seriously" unlocks deep reflections on ethics, professional identity, and environmental impact. It's not just fun: it's a way to surface tacit knowledge that lectures struggle to reach. The next challenge? Understanding if these effects last over time and truly improve professional practice.

Bonus

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The study adopts a qualitative interpretative-phenomenological design, analyzing data via Grounded Theory. Forty-eight students (24 Optics/Optometry, 24 Renewable Energies) participated in two distinct LSP workshops: one on optics, one on sustainability. The LSP procedure follows four steps: challenge, building, sharing (storytelling), and reflection. Physical models act as "boundary objects" mediating interdisciplinary dialogue.

Statistical analysis (Chi-square test) revealed significant differences (p < 0.001) in emerged categories by academic background in the optics module: optometry students produced 68% of models on "professional roles" vs 12% of environmental peers; the latter dominated the "perception" category (65% vs 8%). In the sustainability module, age showed association with action-oriented responses (p = 0.038): over-22s proposed technical solutions (e.g., biodegradable lenses, circular economy) in 58% of cases vs 31% of under-22s.

Limitations include convenience sampling, single-center design (only ISEC Lisboa), and lack of longitudinal follow-up. Literature suggests LSP fosters "embodied cognition" and psychological safety, prerequisites for transformative learning. Future studies should measure transferability to real clinical settings and impact on transversal skills (critical thinking, communication).