Can Lego help students prepare for the workplace? Geoffrey Evans from Salford Business School believes it can.
At the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA) Conference in May 2026, Geoffrey presented his work using Lego® Serious Play (LSP) with Level 6 Accounting and Finance students. The approach encourages students to reflect on the skills needed for today’s workplace while considering how their personal values align with those of potential employers, alongside relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The presentation contributed to wider discussions with academics from other universities on innovative teaching practices.
From passive learning to active engagement
Moving away from traditional lecture-based approaches, students worked in groups of four to five to construct Lego models representing the skills they consider essential for transitioning into professional accounting roles, alongside the SDGs they find most meaningful.
Each group developed a narrative to accompany their model, with a designated representative presenting their interpretation to peers while the session was recorded by the tutor. A subsequent collaborative activity required pairs of groups to merge their ideas into a single model, combining elements from each initial construction. This process enabled students to develop a shared representation of the competencies and values they viewed as most important in the accounting profession.
Lego Serious Play, creativity, and the power of storytelling
The use of LSP across multiple levels of study significantly enhanced student engagement, teamwork, communication, and creative thinking. Participants consistently reported that Lego facilitated expression and storytelling in ways that encouraged deeper reflection on employability and organisational values.
As a formally trained LSP facilitator, Geoffrey has applied the methodology effectively across a variety of contexts. These include University Open Days, where it has been used to explore students’ perceptions of an “outstanding university experience”, and industry workshops – such as collaborations with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce – to articulate Manchester’s strengths to international investors. This demonstrates the versatility of LSP as a tool for metaphor-driven learning.
Why this matters
A European Commission report (2015) on The Changing Pedagogical Landscape highlights the growing need for innovative teaching methods and cultural shifts in education, particularly those emphasising experiential and team-based learning. LSP aligns strongly with these priorities, offering a dynamic and interactive approach that supports the development of creativity, reflective thinking, and storytelling – skills that are highly valued in interviews and assessment centres.
Social implications
By prompting students to consider both professional skillsets and the SDGs, this approach fosters ethical awareness and encourages critical reflection on how personal values align with those of prospective employers.
Overall, this work demonstrates that LSP provides a dynamic, engaging, and values-driven alternative to traditional pedagogical methods. It supports students in preparing for the workplace while enhancing awareness of their social, environmental, and cultural responsibilities.