LEGO® Learning System (LLS) is STEAM Learning for Ages 4 to 16 - Fun for Students, Relief for Teachers

 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avM8MtcxmI0

 

What is the LEGO^® Learning System?

The LEGO® Learning System is an adaptable educational system built around the iconic LEGO brick, designed to be intuitive, inclusive, and flexible. Discover how it's revolutionizing teaching methods and enhancing children's learning experiences.

Preparing students with STEAM and 21st Century Skills

By engaging in hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities, students develop confidence and a lifelong passion for learning, equipping them with essential skills for the future.

Adapts to Student's Development

From simple explorations to tackling complex real-world challenges, the system evolves alongside students, providing tangible experiences that help them grasp abstract concepts as they progress through different academic levels.

Simple Implementation

With its scalable design, the LEGO® Learning System can be seamlessly integrated into classrooms, schools, or entire districts, offering a straightforward implementation process for educators..

The Hurdles of Hands-on STEM Education

From Duck Learning's 10 years of experience providing various STEAM Education-based solutions (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) for schools and organisations, we have found these to be the greatest hurdles for educators and administrators.

• Low Quality Tools

• Leads to frequent technical issues (hardware & software)
• Unforeseen replacement costs
• Discouraged students and educators due to tools' unreliability
• Little to no way to assess students' abilities and learning
  
  

 

• Lack of Continuity & Proven Pedagogy

• One-off sets that do not allow students to build upon what they have learnt previously (Every new tool requires more resource investment in teaching from scratch)
• Longer time spent to convince stakeholders of investment (little to no resources or evidence to back up solutions' benefits)
• Solutions cannot keep up with ever-changing computer/mobile operating systems and new coding languages
  
  

 

• Lack of Autonomy by Staff

• Over-reliance on vendor organisations to run programmes
• Teachers are lagging behind students' knowledge and real-world application context as they are not equipped to conduct high quality hands-on STEM lessons themselves

 

 

Lucky for us, LEGO® Education has found a comprehensive way to solve all these issues all at once!

 

Holy Grail STEAM Solution: The LEGO® Education Learning System

You probably would have heard of LEGO® but have you heard of LEGO® Education?

LEGO® Education combines the best of LEGO® toys and hands-on pedagogy to create impactful STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) learning experiences for students around the world.

 

 

Combining decades of experience in STEAM education, they recently launched their proudest work thus far...

 

Introducing The LEGO® Learning System (LLS), a playful approach to STEAM learning!

The system consists a variety of interconnected and robust solutions: 

1. Curriculum - Engaging, standards-aligned curriculum
2. Bricks - Wide range of basic and specialised LEGO® Bricks
3. Programming - One platform for different levels of ability
4. Hardware - High quality robotics hardware
5. Professional Development - Developing educator confidence & competence
   
   

 

 

This intuitive, inclusive, and highly adaptable system meets every student wherever they are in their learning journey.

Its progression of standards-aligned learning units, LEGO® bricks, intuitive hardware, and programming languages caters to students of all ages to develop essential skills like creativity and critical thinking. 

• A premium, technology-enhanced STEAM Solution
  
  
  
• Students apply their learning and can go deep into coding, technology, and digital integration.
• Develops computational thinking skills using a progression of block-based and text-based coding.
• Includes comprehensive STEAM curriculum units (20-40 lessons per product).
• Featured Tools:
• LEGO® Education SPIKE Essential Set
• LEGO® Education SPIKE Prime Set

 

• An analog solution with a focus on physical sciences
• Students build a foundational understanding of physical science concepts (e.g. forces, motion, interactions).
• Develops analog foundations for computational thinking (e.g. cause and effect, data analysis and synthesis)
• Includes physical science-focused curriculum units (8 - 16 lessons per product).
• Featured Tools:
• LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Interactions & Energy Set (Essential)
• LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Forces & Energy Set (Prime)

1. The Curriculum Aspect 

The LLS provides high quality Curriculum Units for students aged 5 - 16 years old.

Engage students in meaningful STEAM challenges using playful lessons with clear intentionality and grade progression, scaffolded to support teachers and students build essential skills.

 

The LEGO® Learning System - Students' Learning Journey

STEAM Education is more than students scoring well during standardised examinations.

It is a well-rounded approach in developing your students' confidence, competence and skills in STEAM topics and application year-over-year.

 

There are 3 areas of the intentional learning progression:

• STEAM Knowledge & Application - Students expand, apply and deepen their knowledge of STEAM concepts
  
  
• Academic STEAM Practices - Students build increasing sophistication, independence, and fluency in approaching problems hands-on
  
  
• 21st Century Skills - Students cultivate effective habits of systematic creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication

 

There are various curriculum units to cater to various student levels and needs.

Check out the free curriculum units on the LEGO® Education official website.
Hybrid and home-based learning lessons are also available!

Each curriculum unit also comes with assessment tools, worksheets and checklist for teachers to keep track of the children's abilities.

Not up to your students' abilities?

Duck Learning provides customised programmes to meet your schools' needs and requirements.
Contact us at learn@ducklearning.com for a free consultation.

 

2. The Bricks Aspect 

Build, tinker, and experiment with a system of LEGO® elements delivered in classroom sets designed to match students’ fine motor skills—progressing from simple creations to complex structures and mechanisms.

 

A System of Bricks

The bricks scale in complexity, and works seamlessly together

Note: The parts featured in the image above are highlights of the different sets. There are many more specialised and general brick elements that enable effect STEAM-based models.

Fun Facts:

• We offer the Personal Learning Kits for each student for home-based learning modules.
• All the sets in the LLS come with a bag of spare bricks for fast and quick replacements in class.

 

Proper Children-Friendly Bricks

While there are many other building elements that are cheaper in the market (including fake LEGO® bricks), they may not always be the best for long-term use and frequent handling by children. Why?

• Lack of adherence to international safety standards e.g. Use of toxic colouring, microplastic shedding over time etc.
• Low manufacturing quality e.g. Breaks into pieces easily, parts do not always fit properly, colours fade over time, disintegrates into harmful microplastics quickly
• Unethical supply chains e.g. Cheap prices due to unethical labour practices, unvetted sources of plastics

 

Investing in bricks that lasts decades and are guaranteed safe for the users is the way to go for schools.

With reliable sets that require little to no replacements over the years, vendors like us can focus on creating fresh programmes and lesson plans for the sets to be used repeatedly for enrichment, learning and even play!

 

 

3. The Programming Aspect 

Learn and apply coding principles in a STEAM context that challenges students at all grade levels with a coding progression from simple icon blocks to text-based programming using recognized coding languages.

 

 

In Singapore, more and more students are becoming exposed to coding at younger ages, as young as 4 even!

Hence, it is important for the solutions used to school to be able to tailor to the students' abilities.

 

LEGO® Education's Coding Software on the SPIKE App has a low floor BUT high ceiling.

This means that students can start off with:

1. Icon-based block programing, then move on to...

2. Text-based block programming (similar to Scratch 3.0) and finally...

3. Syntax programming like Python (which is used in the working world)

 

Here is an overview of what the SPIKE App looks like.

The SPIKE App can be downloaded for free here.

Have a look and explore the units AND the coding platform! 

The app is available on Android, Apple and Windows devices.

You can contact our educational consultants Murtaza (9752 5201) / Tong Yien (9728 2981) for a demo session.

 

4. The Intelligent Hardware Aspect 

Expand the learning opportunities at all grade levels with a system of LEGO® hardware elements that are easy to build with and seamlessly integrate as a natural part of students’ STEAM creations.

 

 

 

5. The Professional Development Aspect 

Develop teacher confidence and competence to deliver effective STEAM learning at every level through a progressive, competency-based professional development program.

Keywords: Pedagogy, Classroom Management, 21st Century Skills, STEAM Concepts

 

Competency-Based Professional Development 
A framework of competencies to drive students’ learning.

 

A personalized learning program that inspires teachers to learn, practice, and master competencies to facilitate playful, hands-on STEAM learning.

• Self-Guided Learning: Targets individual needs and learning preferences - Interactive competency-based modules, product video tutorials, LEGO® Education Learning Philosophy.
  
  
• Facilitated Learning: Provides full day product training courses led by certified LEGO® Education Trainer - Hands-on product training courses, A more extensive and interactive alternative to online self-guided product training.

You can enquire more about the professional development programmes throughout educational consultants:
9752 5201 (Murtaza) / 9728 2981 (Joshua)
 

FAQ 

Does the LEGO® Learning System include a pre-K to K solution? 

Though not a formal part of the LEGO® Learning System, the LEGO® Education Early Learning portfolio builds a strong foundation for learning through play. These solutions are specially  designed for children in pre-K and kindergarten to stimulate their curiosity and desire to explore, laying the foundation for STEAM learning, and preparing them for primary  school. 

Research shows that the earlier students begin to engage with STEAM subjects, the higher their confidence. LEGO® Education is ready to support that development with hands-on solutions for all ages and abilities. 

 

How many products comprise the LEGO® Learning System? 

The LEGO® Learning System offers 4 solutions for primary and secondary education. 

• 45345 LEGO® Education SPIKE Essential Set 
• 45678 LEGO® Education SPIKE Prime Set 
• 45401 LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Essential Set 
• 45400 LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Prime Set 

 

SPIKE Essential engages primary school students in playful, narrative-based problem-solving as they investigate simple solutions to increasingly complex challenges. This solution combines stackable LEGO® bricks, simple hardware, and an easy coding language based on Scratch to keep students exploring as they develop into independent STEAM thinkers. 

SPIKE Prime engages secondary school students in critical thinking, data analysis, and  prototype development as they refine creative hands-on solutions to real-world problems.  This solution combines robust LEGO® Technic elements, versatile and accurate hardware, and a 

BricQ Motion Essential and BricQ Motion Prime allow primary and secondary school students to discover forces, motion, and interactions in a sports-related context. They’ll set bricks in motion  as they explore physical science hands-on and without technology.  

 

How do I start using this material with my students?  

The “getting-started” material, grade-band structured units, and 45-minute standards-aligned lesson plans make it easy for teachers to start implementing these solutions in their classrooms, driving concrete learning outcomes right out of the gate. 

For more guidance, please contact learn@ducklearning.com.

 

How much learning content does the LEGO® Learning System offer?  

LEGO® Education SPIKE Essential offers 6 curriculum units in total; 2 for lower primary (primary 1 & 2) and 3 for upper primary (primary 3–5). The sixth unit is designed specifically for the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore competition.

SPIKE Prime offers 5 curriculum units for secondary school students, all mapped to grade 6–8 curriculum standards. 

BricQ Motion Essential offers 2 curriculum units; one for lower primary and one for upper  primary.  

BricQ Motion Prime offers one curriculum unit for secondary school students. 
 

Which educational standards are covered?

All of the LEGO® Learning System learning units are linked to national standards for primary and  secondary school. Each unit includes a learning promise that’s supported by a progression of  playful learning experiences designed to develop students’ STEAM knowledge, academic  practices, and 21st century skills. 

Can I run classes in another language?

Even in Singapore, your students are not bound to just English-based STEAM Lessons. Run your classes in their mother tongue or 3rd languages!

The LEGO® Learning System curriculum is available in 21 languages: English (US), English (UK),  English (AU), Chinese, Japanese, Russian, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French,  Italian, Korean, Portuguese (BR), Spanish, Spanish (MX), Polish, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

 

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Each school in Singapore is unique in its own way.

Contact us to find out how you can integrate the LEGO® Learning System into your schools.

Office: 6747 4236

Email: learn@ducklearning.com

Telephone: 9752 5201 (Murtaza) / 9728 2981 (Joshua)

Click here to request for example programme outline for customised programme for primary/secondary schools 

 

 

Duck Learning is an exclusive partner of LEGO® Education in Singapore.

LEGO®, the LEGO® group logo, the Minifigure, DUPLO and the SPIKE Logo are trademarks of the LEGO® Group. Used with permission.