Building Blocks: An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Design and Production of Stopmotion LEGO® Animations for University Mathematics

University mathematics is notoriously abstract, making it challenging for students to visualise concepts and build mental models. Traditional teaching methods often rely on two-dimensional diagrams coupled with arm waving from the lecturer to represent complicated three-dimensional systems. These techniques have limited success in face-to-face settings and even less effectiveness in online teaching and learning. During the extensive lockdowns of 2020-2021, a mathematician and aspiring animator used the time to create a series of stop-motion LEGO® animations. The animations aimed to help science and engineering students convert word problems into formal mathematics, to visualise abstract concepts and to illustrate complicated mathematical processes involving multiple steps, which are challenging to convey through static representations. Using an action research methodology, this paper examines how working in an interdisciplinary team with animation students affected the process, development and production quality of three new maths-focused LEGO® animations. Reflective examination was used to draw out insights, highlighting learnings from the animation processes, including the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on narrative focus and production quality. Key findings focus on the need to establish common goals and to find a bridging language that supports communication between experts in different disciplines.