Levelling Up Learning

Coaching and peer teaching are essential student skills that foster collaboration, leadership, and interpersonal communication while enhancing the quality and depth of individual learning and group dynamics. Despite their significance, innovative methods for cultivating these competencies remain underexplored in the Global South, particularly in resource-deficient educational contexts. This study examines gamification and concepts like LEGO Serious Play as engaging, flexible, and bespoke learning tools to foster coaching and peer teaching skills, emphasising their transformative impact on academic performance and personal growth. The research employs a secondary desktop study to analyse existing literature and case studies on experiential learning, gamified education, and hands-on approaches, such as LEGO-based learning. Data was collected using the PRISMA method and systematically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) framework to ensure methodological rigour and comprehensive evaluation. Findings are synthesised to identify effective strategies, enablers, and barriers to skill development. Results show that gamification, achieved through rewards, leaderboards, and interactive challenges, enhances student motivation, engagement, and collaboration. Similarly, Lego provides a tactile and creative medium for simulating real-world problem-solving and teamwork, enabling students to practice coaching and peer teaching dynamically and experientially. Participants engaging in these methods reported increased confidence, critical thinking, and facilitation skills. However, challenges such as unequal access to resources and initial scepticism towards unconventional methods were observed. This study highlights the importance of incorporating gamified learning and LEGO-based activities into higher education curricula. Institutions can nurture a culture of shared learning and mutual growth by preparing students for academic and professional success. The findings contribute to the growing literature on peer learning, offering practical recommendations for scalable and context-sensitive interventions to effectively cultivate coaching and peer teaching skills in diverse educational environments.