LEGO Education is the division of LEGO Company that is dedicated to the field of teaching and learning. LEGO Education develops learning concepts that inspire students to use their creativity and innate curiosity through experiencing things themselves. LEGO Education’s learning concepts include teacher’s guides and student materials that help you adapt your teaching to meet official curricula. All LEGO Education learning concepts are based on comprehensive scientific research.

Below are some frequently asked questions about LEGO Education :

For which age groups is LEGO Education most relevant?

LEGO Education is relevant for all children six months and up. There are two main categories of product – pre-school products and school products.

Why can’t LEGO Education’s learning concepts be purchased in shops?

Our aim is to ensure that teachers receive the best support and guidance possible when they choose to use our products in class. This is why LEGO Education’s learning concepts can only be purchased from dealers that specialise in learning materials.

How do LEGO bricks help children to develop their skills?

We remember things we learn as part of an active, creative process better than things we are told passively. We call this learning by making. It is – quite simply – the best way to acquire and improve skills. When children work with products from LEGO Education, they also add to their own “knowledge bank”, which corresponds to their particular level of development.

What advantages do LEGO Education’s learning concepts provide for teachers?

The teacher’s materials included in both the school products and some of the pre-school products provide teachers with inspiration and ideas for projects that fit into the framework of national curriculae. The student materials provide flexible guidelines that help students progress on an individual basis. What teachers achieve is higher levels of motivation and involvement on the part of their students – who learn more as a result.

What do LEGO Education’s learning concepts give students that other materials cannot?

LEGO Education gives students a unique combination of challenges and practical experiences that are adapted to their particular level. When students are challenged at just the right level, they become involved in a step-by-step development process, in which each step encourages them to continue to the next. This is how children are motivated. When they create meaningful/recognisable “works” with their own hands, they build up experiences that they remember. LEGO Education’s learning concepts give students motivation and lasting experiences – which are the fundamental elements in a good learning environment.

What is the main difference between LEGO Education’s learning concepts and “ordinary” LEGO products?

LEGO Education’s products have been developed specifically for learning, and the classroom sets contain materials for teachers and students. The teacher’s guides establish a framework for structured class sessions and ensure that the class keeps to the set curriculum. The materials give students a starting point from which they can explore the creative learning process. LEGO Education provides plenty of room for variation in learning. The teacher’s guides and the student materials do not contain rigid solutions – they allow instruction to be adapted to meet the needs of individual students.

Do the teacher’s guides and the student materials really make a difference?

They certainly do. The teacher and student materials contained in LEGO Education’s unique learning concepts enable students to acquire knowledge individually and help the teacher to adapt instruction to meet the different developmental levels of individual students. In this way, all children are presented with specially adapted challenges that fit their own level of skills at any given time.

Can LEGO Education’s learning concepts be used for all subjects?

Yes. Our products are best suited to maths, science, technology, and computer-related subjects, but they can also be used to help teach biology, geography and languages. One of the great strengths of our products is that they can be used for different subjects. In fact, studies have shown that even if our learning concepts are only used in one subject, their effects have an impact on the way students learn in others.

Are LEGO Education’s learning concepts primarily for “gifted” students?

LEGO Education’s learning concepts can be used by all students. In fact, one of the problems that is most important to us is how best to reduce the distance between the top and bottom of the class. This distance is often the result of differences in the intellectual skills of different students. For example, a student might do very well in computer class, but find geography rather difficult. We aim to make all students winners as a result of using our learning concepts, which can be adapted to meet the needs of individual students.

How can LEGO Education be certain that the concepts promote effective teaching?

Our common sense tells us that children learn best when they are engaged, motivated, having fun and actively involved in solving problems through play. Common sense, however, is not enough. We develop our products in collaboration with teachers – for teachers and students. All product development in the LEGO Group is based on extensive research conducted by us and by others – including Chicago University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other prestigious research institutes working in the areas of children’s motivation, cognitive abilities and creativity.

Why is it so important that students are sufficiently challenged?

If children solve problems that are too easy, they are not challenged and will not learn anything. If children are asked to solve problems that are beyond their abilities, they give up and will again not learn anything. Yet, if the challenges and chances of solving problems are at the right level – i.e. if the students can only arrive at a solution by working hard and exploring different possibilities – the boundaries of their understanding will be extended, and they will enter a positive learning cycle of challenges and successes.

What does “hard fun” mean?

When students are challenged enough to feel success or satisfaction – but not so much that they risk failing every time – then learning is fun, but the kind of fun that you have to work for.

What do teachers think about LEGO Education’s learning concepts?

The reports we have received from our international dealers indicate that the teachers who have used LEGO Education’s materials in class are enthusiastic and view them positively. LEGO Education’s learning concepts are developed in close collaboration with teachers and children alike, and we are convinced that our complete solutions make class interesting and motivating.

What do students think about LEGO Education’s learning concepts?

They’re crazy about them! Most children know LEGO from playing at home, and although LEGO Education’s products are different from LEGO products sold in shops – in that the focused learning process demands more of the students – the fact that most children already know LEGO is an advantage. Children are subconsciously aware that this kind of learning knows no limits, and this makes them motivated even before they begin.

How do LEGO Education’s learning concepts relate to the curriculum?

The teacher’s guide and the student materials relate LEGO Education’s products directly to national curriculae and standards. The general nature of the class sets makes them useful in many different teaching situations, and the student materials ensure that every class session is used to its full potential. This means that LEGO Education materials can be used across grades and subjects. The sets can be combined, thereby lending inspiration and ideas to countless projects.

Are LEGO Education’s learning concepts just toys?

No – and that is why they are not sold in shops. LEGO Education sells professional learning concepts that can only be used to the full by trained teachers.

Are LEGO Education’s learning concepts primarily for boys?

A student’s gender has no bearing on learning – what’s most important is that students are stimulated in the right way. In fact, experience shows that girls understand better and become more interested in themes once thought of as “boy subjects” – such as physics and computer science – when LEGO Education materials are used in the class.

How much time do LEGO Education’s learning concepts take?

This varies considerably according to the specific product. LEGO Educational Division’s learning concepts were developed to be used in individual class sessions and should be used as such. However, some of the more complicated class sets require two sessions. The teacher’s guides, which provide suggestions for how much time to spend, are structured to fill a class session – they include background information, assignments and ideas for additional work.

What effect will using LEGO Education’s learning concepts have on teachers and their methods?

The educational approach is based on a dialogue between teacher and students. This means that instead of the teacher just giving the answers, the students are allowed to experience success by using their abilities to explore a number of different solution models. As a result, they acquire a deeper understanding of the theory by gaining their own practical experience.

What does “teaching materials without fixed solution models” mean?

Most problems have more than one solution. LEGO Education’s learning concepts encourage students to find their own creative solutions that develop their natural curiosity.