Dublin City University (DCU) is partnering with Lego Education -- part of the well-known Lego toy-maker group -- to create an interactive learning hub to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education.

The Lego Education Innovation Studio will help DCU student teachers and Irish schools develop innovative and creative approaches to teaching STEM subjects in the classroom.

As a result of the initiative, the new Institute of Education (IoE) at DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra, will become the first centre of teacher education in Ireland to mainstream the Lego Education approaches across all its programmes.

A key aspect of the education approach is the use of Lego learning tools – which include the ubiquitous Lego building blocks and other materials.

It is envisaged that teachers graduating from DCU Institute of Education will be taught how to help schoolchildren develop skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, team-working and communication.

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Speaking about the partnership, Professor Brian MacCraith, president of DCU and chair of the STEM Education Working Group, said: “High-quality STEM education is of pivotal importance to a knowledge-based society and economy such as Ireland.

“This unique collaboration with Lego Education can play a key role in transforming the future of STEM learning in Ireland.”

The new studio will have the capacity to develop research projects through linkages with existing DCU research centres, as well as explore cross-faculty research possibilities.

Internationally, the Lego Education Innovation Studio at DCU will lead a European teacher education network to develop new teaching methods across Europe and exchange ideas and best practice. The network will include existing partners from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.

St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, regularly uses Lego materials for teaching and learning, particularly through its Empowering Minds community.

Developed by Dr Deirdre Butler, this programme has helped teachers and children from over 60 schools explore concepts of design, sensing and control by building their own Lego models.

Speaking at the announcement of the new initiative, Butler said: “This flagship innovation space is a wonderful example of a smart partnership, enabling the Institute of Education to be the first to mainstream the Lego Education principles across the full spectrum of teacher education.”

The new initiative commenced this week with a three-day workshop led by Rob Widger, a global trainer from Lego’s Education Academy, to upskill key Institute of Education staff in the areas of digital learning, maths, science, literacy and early childhood as well as IT services.

Outreach activities of the Lego Education Innovation Studio will include a range of continuing professional development for teachers; opportunities for teachers to bring their classes to use the resources in-studio; open days and evenings for schools and local community groups and hosting the first Lego and Junior Lego Leagues.