Business leaders are among the most important agents in advancing sustainable development for the world. In the wake of a global pandemic, rising inequalities, and environmental disasters, it’s become increasingly clear that leaders with a holistic skillset are in scarce supply.
Today, there’s an urgent need for business leaders who can leverage interconnected, dynamic, and holistic skills to tackle global challenges. However, this breadth of skills hasn’t been adopted by business schools due to pedagogies that focus exclusively on the development of cognitive skillsets.
Through a partnership with the LEGO Foundation and Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), a United Nations initiative with a mission to transform business education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow, developed the “Impactful Five’ (i5) project (i5PRME).
The i5PRME develops methods to combine cognitive skillset training with creative, emotional, social, and physical skillset training. It draws on knowledge and experiences with “playful learning’ to integrate the i5 characteristics of making learning meaningful, joyful, iterative, socially interactive, and actively engaging.
One unconventional yet highly effective approach to achieving the i5PRME is the use of LEGO bricks. On 27 September, the PRME Chapter ASEAN+ i5PRME LEGO Workshop, titled “LEGO as a Tool for Learning and Teaching in the Classroom”, was hosted by PRME Champion, School of Business, at Monash University Malaysia.
The workshop, which included educators from PRME signatory schools from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, explored in depth the “hands-on, minds-on” approach of LEGO as a tool to achieve the i5 characteristics for various business disciplines, including accounting, finance, marketing, management, economics, and law.
Meaningful learning
LEGO bricks provide a tangible and interactive way for students to connect with the Sustainable Development Goals concepts. Through hands-on activities, students can construct models that represent SDG practices, and visualise the impact of their decisions on the environment and society.
This tangible connection transforms abstract ideas into concrete, memorable lessons, making the learning experience more meaningful.
For example, students can build models illustrating the life cycle of a product, showcasing how sustainable sourcing, production, and disposal practices contribute to a circular economy under the SDGs. This activity reinforces theoretical knowledge and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Joyful learning
Traditional lectures and textbooks often struggle to capture and sustain students’ attention. LEGO introduces an element of play and fun into the learning process, making it a joyful experience.
LEGO-based games and challenges can make the classroom dynamic and lively. For instance, a sustainable business simulation game using LEGO can immerse students in real-world scenarios, where they must navigate the SDG ethical dilemmas, resource constraints, and societal impacts. This approach enhances comprehension and fosters a positive attitude toward learning.
Iterative learning
The iterative nature of LEGO play aligns with the concept of continuous improvement in sustainability and SDG practices. Students can build, modify, and rebuild their models, reflecting the iterative process of refining sustainable solutions over time.
This iterative approach encourages resilience and adaptability, essential qualities for future leaders in a rapidly changing world.
Through iterative LEGO projects, students can explore various aspects of the SDGs, such as renewable energy, waste reduction, and social responsibility. This hands-on experimentation allows them to understand the complexities and trade-offs involved in sustainable and ethical decision-making.
Social interaction
LEGO’s inherent social nature makes it an ideal tool for promoting collaborative learning. Group projects involving LEGO construction require students to communicate, negotiate, and work together to achieve a shared goal.
These collaborative efforts mirror the interdisciplinary and interconnected nature of SDG challenges.
LEGO-based group activities also foster a sense of shared responsibility, encouraging students to think beyond individual interests and consider the broader impact of their decisions. This social aspect aligns with the collaborative efforts required to address global sustainability and SDG issues.
Active engagement
LEGO turns the classroom into a playground of possibilities, where students absorb knowledge and actively participate in creating solutions. It focuses on building a mindset of responsibility, creativity, and awareness.
LEGO’s versatility also extends beyond the confines of the classroom, offering opportunities for active engagement with external stakeholders.
Collaborative projects where students work with businesses to address specific sustainability and SDG challenges can provide valuable hands-on experience, and create a bridge between academic learning and real-world applications.
Overall, the PRME ASEAN+ i5PRME LEGO workshop offered significant reflections and insights. It demonstrated how LEGO can be used as an effective tool for achieving the i5PRME in the classroom, bringing novelty to SDG leadership education.
Building LEGO models is not a mere playtime diversion, but a strategic move inspired by the i5PRME framework.
In the feedback, one participant remarked:
“It was a great session of learning and re-learning about teaching. Especially, the i5 framework. It helped me visualise what needed to be done.”
Another partner said:
“The workshop was engaging and entertaining. I had no idea teaching with LEGO could be so significant, interactive, and enjoyable.”
A third participant said:
“It was one of the most interesting workshops. I love how learning can be seriously played, and yet help the students to reflect better in teaching and learning. If possible, I will definitely apply this technique in my teaching and learning. Thank you for this!”
As the world grapples with pressing sustainability and SDG challenges, it becomes imperative to equip future business leaders with the knowledge and skills to address these issues creatively and responsibly.
Incorporating LEGO to achieve the i5PRME framework enables educators to enhance the learning experience, and empowers students to think critically and collaborate effectively, inadvertently building a foundation for a generation that will shape a more sustainable and resilient world.
