Unlocking Potential: How LEGO® Serious Play® Enhances Nursing Education

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting or classroom, yearning for something to occupy your hands, or wishing to contribute your ideas but feeling unheard? Alison Buttenheim PHD MBA, the Patricia Bleznak Silverstein and Howard A. Silverstein Term Endowed Professor in Global Women’s Health at Penn Nursing, offers an innovative solution: LEGO® Serious Play®. As a trained facilitator, she conducts workshops designed to create dynamic, participatory learning environments that encourage input from every participant.

The Essence of LEGO® Serious Play®

LEGO® Serious Play® is a facilitated thinking, communication and problem-solving technique for organizations, teams and individuals. It draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organizational development, psychology and learning, and is based on the concept of “hand knowledge.”

The workshops begin with upbeat music, setting a positive tone. Participants are reminded of the core nursing values they selected earlier in the year, in collaboration with course instructor and Assistant Professor Alicia Kachmar PHD RN Nu’15 GR’19. Buttenheim initiates the session by asking, “Is there anyone here who has never used LEGO before?” This inclusive approach immediately puts everyone at ease.

Experiential Learning in Action

A student, Anne Ishimwe, a now second-year undergrad, quickly assembled five bricks. Following Buttenheim’s instructions, she explained to her group what she had built. The seemingly random combination of colors and the prompt word “cooking” led Ishimwe to associate the bricks with seasonings: paprika for red, turmeric for yellow, and black pepper. This sparked a memory of pilau, a vibrant East African rice dish reminiscent of her Rwandan heritage.

Ishimwe reflected, “I didn’t even think I would be able to come up with something that quickly, but using the LEGO pieces actually made the thinking process easier. Plus, I got to know what my group members valued.” This encapsulates the essence of “serious play”-a method that fosters creativity, collaboration, and deeper understanding.

Benefits of LEGO® Serious Play® in Nursing Education

Research on LEGO® Serious Play® highlights its ability to break down hierarchies and amplify quieter voices. The spontaneous nature of building and meaning-making creates a level playing field, where everyone is on equally clueless footing, fostering inclusivity and encouraging diverse perspectives.

Buttenheim notes, “In nursing education, we’re finding it particularly useful for reflective practice.” The method provides a unique avenue for students to explore and articulate their experiences in a tangible and engaging way.

Reflective Practice

One exercise involves students constructing a model that represents a patient care experience from a recent clinical encounter that has left a lasting impression. This reflective process allows students to delve deeper into their experiences, identify key learnings, and develop a more nuanced understanding of patient care.

Achieving Flow State

Buttenheim aims for participants to enter a flow state during these workshops. This state is characterized by a task that is challenging enough to be engaging, but not overwhelming. In this optimal zone, participants are fully immersed in the activity, fostering creativity and deeper learning.

Applications Beyond the Classroom

The effectiveness of LEGO® Serious Play® extends beyond the traditional classroom setting. In a workshop conducted for Penn Nursing’s Board of Advisors, members were tasked with building a model that represented a time when they felt proud of Penn Nursing. Participants reflected on the significant impact of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and the successful construction of Penn Nursing’s simulation lab as moments of immense pride.

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In the concluding exercise of the NURS 1020 workshop, students created models illustrating a time when their top value made a difference in their lives. For Ishimwe, the combination of building with her core value (kindness) in mind and the unexpected associations with pilau rekindled her initial motivation for pursuing a career in nursing.

Buttenheim explains, “I learned about LEGO® Serious Play® in a design thinking course about innovation in research, and it’s fabulous for that. But I pursued training as a facilitator to become a better educator. And-wow!”

Core Principles

LEGO® Serious Play® is more than just playing with LEGO bricks. It's a structured methodology built on several core principles:

Hands-on Thinking: The act of physically building models activates different parts of the brain, leading to deeper insights and more creative solutions.
Storytelling: Participants share the stories behind their models, fostering communication and understanding within the group.
Metaphor: LEGO models serve as metaphors for complex ideas and concepts, making them easier to grasp and discuss.
Shared Understanding: The process of building and sharing models helps to create a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities at hand.

The Benefits of Play in Education

The integration of play into educational settings, particularly in professional fields like nursing, offers several benefits:

Enhanced Engagement: Playful activities can increase student engagement and motivation, making learning more enjoyable and effective.
Improved Communication: LEGO® Serious Play® encourages active listening and clear communication, essential skills for nurses.
Increased Creativity: The open-ended nature of the method fosters creative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Stronger Teamwork: Collaborative building exercises promote teamwork and cooperation among students.
Reduced Stress: Play can help to reduce stress and anxiety, creating a more relaxed and supportive learning environment.

Implementation Strategies

To effectively integrate LEGO® Serious Play® into nursing education, consider the following strategies:

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Facilitator Training: Ensure that facilitators are properly trained in the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology.
Clear Objectives: Define clear learning objectives for each workshop or activity.
Relevant Scenarios: Use scenarios that are relevant to the nursing profession and the students' experiences.
Debriefing: Allocate time for debriefing and reflection after each exercise.
Integration with Curriculum: Integrate LEGO® Serious Play® activities into the existing nursing curriculum.

Broader Applications in Healthcare

Beyond nursing education, LEGO® Serious Play® has a wide range of applications in the healthcare sector:

Team Building: Improving communication and collaboration among healthcare teams.
Strategic Planning: Developing strategic plans for hospitals and healthcare organizations.
Process Improvement: Identifying and addressing inefficiencies in healthcare processes.
Patient Experience: Designing better patient experiences.
Innovation: Fostering innovation in healthcare delivery.

Addressing Potential Challenges

While LEGO® Serious Play® offers numerous benefits, it's important to be aware of potential challenges and how to address them:

Skepticism: Some participants may be skeptical of the method at first. It's important to explain the underlying principles and benefits of LEGO® Serious Play®.
Time Constraints: LEGO® Serious Play® workshops can be time-consuming. It's important to allocate sufficient time for each activity.
Accessibility: Ensure that the LEGO bricks and other materials are accessible to all participants, including those with disabilities.
Group Dynamics: Be mindful of group dynamics and ensure that all participants have an opportunity to contribute.

The Future of Nursing Education

As nursing education continues to evolve, innovative methods like LEGO® Serious Play® will play an increasingly important role in preparing future nurses for the challenges of the profession. By fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, this playful approach can help to unlock the full potential of nursing students and improve patient care outcomes.

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