abstract
- This study proposes a hands-on pedagogical approach for teaching Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) within Industrial Engineering courses through the assembly of a chair using LEGO® pieces. The activity simulates a production environment where students collect operational data on availability, performance, and quality to calculate OEE and identify improvement opportunities. Conducted with undergraduate students organized into teams, the exercise included eight assembly rounds: an initial baseline and second after implementing improvement actions. Statistical analysis using paired t-tests showed a significant increase in OEE mean of 39.52% mainly due to reduced downtime and defects. The activity enhanced student engagement and understanding of Operational Excellence principles. These results confirm that LEGO-based simulations are an effective, low-cost tool for teaching process efficiency, data analysis, and continuous improvement in industrial engineering education.