Integrating LEGO Serious Play to Marketing Education Pedagogy: A Mixed-Methods Study of Undergraduate Level Students

Higher education curricula increasingly incorporate playful pedagogical tools such as board games, digital games, simulations, and role-playing to enhance student engagement and learning experiences. Lego Serious Play (LSP) has emerged as a useful tool for improving teaching and learning and student engagement, knowledge co-creation, and retention. Existing research on integrating LSP into curricula is limited, often constrained by small sample sizes and the lack of quantitative studies. This research aims to fill these gaps by employing a mixed-methods approach involving qualitative and quantitative methods, to provide a nuanced understanding of how LSP-based pedagogy can support students’ learning in an undergraduate marketing program. LSP is a facilitated process where participants use Lego pieces to create 3D models representing thoughts and ideas, grounded in constructivism and constructionism theories. In this study, students built metaphorical models on omnichannel marketing topics individually and in groups during the workshops. The study involved over 100 final-year business students at an Australian university, who participated in two two-hour LSP workshops during the semester. Data collection included in-class observations, post-workshop student reflections, a QR code-linked survey with a 5-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions for qualitative insights. Additionally, a comparative analysis of student engagement metrics on the Blackboard virtual learning platform, compared with previous semesters’ metrics, provides insights into LSP’s effectiveness. Key findings from this research will be presented at the conference.