Building and Narration with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®: A Universal Design Perspective for Inclusion

Abstract

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP), developed in the late 1990s as a device for strategic facilitation, has progressively consolidated as a participatory and creative methodology, grounded in constructivism, constructionism, and the use of metaphors as tools of embodied cognition (thinking by hands). Although it is not an educational method per se, LSP resonates with pedagogical traditions that emphasize concreteness and manual activity: from Montessori it inherits the idea of “thinking with the hands,” while Papert’s constructionism highlights the role of cognitive artefacts as mediators of knowledge-building and narration. This conceptual paper explores how LSP can be reframed through a UDL-informed perspective on inclusion, without altering its methodological structure, but by introducing adjustments consistent with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Drawing on theoretical analysis and exploratory observations from accessibility-oriented adaptations of LSP sessions, it does not aim to report a systematic empirical evaluation, but rather to propose a design framework for making LSP environments more accessible, predictable, and participatory. In this perspective, UDL provides the theoretical framework guiding the design of accessible environments and practices through multiple means of representation (multimodal prompts, high-contrast visual supports), multiple means of action and expression (inclusive facilitation, alternative narrative formats), and multiple means of engagement (flexible timing, safe settings, recognition of diverse contributions). The contribution aims to enrich the international debate on the relationship between participatory methodologies and universal design principles, highlighting how LSP, when properly adapted, may serve as an inclusive device capable of enabling the participation of all learners and workers in educational, academic, and organisational contexts, thereby democratizing the construction and sharing of meaning.