LEGO® Education at Bett UK 2024

By Tom Hall, Head of LEGO Education International

What a fantastic way to kick off the year at Bett UK last month, with over 30,000 attendees from more than 130 countries visiting across the three days. The exhibition halls were buzzing and vibrant, packed with educators, ministries of education and vendors showcasing and discussing the latest in education technology and thinking.

One of the key trends being discussed was the future of AI and what this means for education. As we prepare for a fast-changing future that will bring automation into industry, we at LEGO Education believe passionately in our responsibility to prepare today’s students for a fast-changing future and workplace: and we think it will be critical to build teacher confidence around technology and its application, and so this is always a priority in any design concept we approach. The intuitive nature of our solutions - like LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime - fosters that confidence allowing teachers to feel comfortable with a variety of 21st century skills and STEAM concepts like engineering design, and coding. That foundational confidence is then easily transferable to new tools and technologies like AI, helping teachers keep pace as new trends emerge.

We helped to bring this to life at Bett by creating our very own LEGO Education classroom space. This provided an opportunity for over 100 teachers and Education Ministry delegations to participate in one of our hands-on workshops and experience first-hand how easy it is to get started with our learning solutions. For me, the best moment of the week by far was when a group of 28 pupils from a local primary school joined us for a workshop (after their teachers participated in a demo the previous day) and truly brought our classroom to life! The magic and excitement in the room was felt by all, as they reminded us of the true impact of learning through play.

Another special moment was seeing more than 300 people demonstrate the power of imagination as they each built a duck using just six LEGO® bricks, during the LEGO Education keynote presentation delivered by Andrew Sliwinski, our Head of Product Experience. Andrew discussed how learning through play engages both students and teachers, while providing the foundation for developing a holistic, future-ready skillset. He also lifted the lid on some of our product development processes, from our learning through play methodology, to the amount of work that goes into developing even the smallest of elements. One of the key messages he left the audience with was the importance of instilling in pupils a lifelong love of learning.

We were especially proud to be nominated for a Bett Award this year, in the Secondary Digital Learning Product category. What an honour for SPIKE Prime to continue to be recognised after 4 years in classrooms! Bett UK has been a hugely revitalising start to the year – from meeting with students, teachers, and ministries from many different countries, to reconnecting in person with members of the LEGO Education team from across our organisation. Thank you to all involved for a great event, and most importantly for helping to bring the joy of learning through play to even more students across the world.

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