Lego® for engineers?

At the department of Mechatronics, Claudia Mair is working with Lego® Serious Play® to train young leaders of tomorrow

Lego® is one of the buzzwords when engineers are asked about their first point of contact with the world of technology. At some point, however, they outgrow even the most sophisticated Lego® Technic™ series, and then there are hardly any points of contact with the successful product - until now.

With Lego® Serious Play®, a new tool has been developed to promote creative thinking, improve communication and enhance problem-solving skills.

Use your hands to think is the leading idea behind it.

In moderated workshops, participants use specially assembled sets to develop models and metaphors of their view of a particular problem or question and present them to the other participants, or develop them further together. The process is led by certified LSP facilitators, such as Claudia Mair, who as a Certified Lego® Serious Play® Facilitator has already successfully applied the method in various courses such as Leadership Development and Personality & Teams.

"Awakening interest in business-oriented subjects among students of engineering programs can sometimes be very challenging," explains MMag. Claudia Mair, a lecturer at MCI's Department of Mechatronics, "so it is necessary to adopt an approach that is as application-oriented and hands-on as possible. Lego® Serious Play® offers an exciting opportunity to develop interactive courses with plenty of room and opportunity to actively participate and contribute your own ideas and perspectives."

The innovative method has been embraced by students with great enthusiasm. The solutions and models developed with the colorful bricks lead to stimulating discussions and remain in the memory of all participants long after the course - a promising new tool with countless application possibilities.