LEGO Education Innovation Studio
About this good practice
On May 29, 2018, a cooperation agreement was signed between the University of Nyíregyháza and the LEGO Education International in Belgium. After the signing ceremony, on October 17, 2018, the first LEGO Education Innovation Studio in Central and Eastern Europe was established at the University of Nyíregyháza.
One of the great benefits of experiential learning is that it can be used to highlight STEM knowledge (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) which is often presented ineffectively – in a boring way – during "regular" instruction. The Studio aims to familiarize prospective and practicing educators with the methodology of implementing LEGO tools in education – besides mathematics, science, robotics and IT, they can also be used in native or foreign language lessons, comprehension and storytelling tasks. A LEGO classroom was established in the university's own primary school in 2019 where students can learn with the help of LEGO tools, and more and more teachers can gain insight into the methodology. The centre also serves as a community space for students, teachers and parents.
LEGO Education kits can be beneficial not only for schoolchildren – LEGO Duplo elements may be interesting tools for young children even from the age of 1.5 years.
Resources needed
The Hungarian plant of the LEGO Manufacturing Ltd is located in Nyíregyháza and has made a large contribution to the establishment of the Studio. They have also received professional help from external experts abroad on how to start the first stage of implementation.
Evidence of success
The Studio has successfully trained more than 600 practicing educators so far. Teaching not just kids, but also teachers, is a sure-fire way to achieve long term results by guaranteeing a ready pool of educators who are able to “carry on” the methodology (teaching them how to fish, not just giving them a fish, so to speak).
Potential for learning or transfer
Benefits of the good practice:
- The experiential learning the studio provides inspires interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and encourages students to think creatively, reason systematically and realize their potential for innovation.
- Creating a “stable” pool of innovative and creative workforce is an important pre-requisite of regional growth – providing high-quality education is one of the ways to attract and/or keep talent in the city.
- By passing on the methodology, they help create a new pedagogical culture and improve the participants’ digital and methodological competences.
- Besides conveying the methodology, the Studio has a research function too, as the experts working there strive to elaborate on the theoretical and practical aspects of the applicability of LEGO methods in education in general.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
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