About

I teach on the Forensic Science programmes and my key area of expertise is Molecular Biology with a specialism in Wildlife Crime & Wildlife Forensics.

My forensic research interests lie within the areas of species identification and the factors affecting the pupation times of wandering larvae. However, in recent years, I have focused on pedagogic studies and am currently looking into barriers which may hinder deaf students from entering into Higher Education.

I gained AdvanceHE Senior Fellowship in 2018, being an advocate of game-based education within universities and leading national workshops on gamification.  I gained my undergraduate degree in Forensic Biology from the University of Liverpool, and I received a PhD from the University of Chester in the field of Molecular Biology, looking at genetic identification and classification of a critically endangered species.

Teaching responsibilities

My teaching focuses on Molecular Biology content within modules such as Clinical Genetics, Human and Non-Human Identification, and Forensic Biology. I also supervise a range of research projects at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Professional interests

After joining the University of Derby in 2012, I became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2013 and a Senior Fellow in 2018. Throughout my time at Derby, I have been eager to identify alternate methods of delivery in both lecture theatres and laboratories, which have seen the use of interactive software, real-world learning experiences, and gamification. This has more recently taken a broader approach around inclusivity and adapting teaching styles to promote equity in learning.

Research interests

I am eager to collaborate with local authorities and national agencies in order to identify key issues faced by Rural and Wildlife Crime Officers and how they may be overcome. I also have an interest in Forensic Entomology, specifically factors which affect entomological (maggot) growth within an indoor environment, and how this may affect estimations of time since death.

My pedagogic interests fall within the area of gamification and how games can be implemented within a teaching environment to improve engagement and retention of material. I have developed a number of in-class exercises and a tabletop game, which are currently used within my teaching.

More recently, I have begun exploring the barriers which may prevent D/deaf students from entering university or undertaking certain subjects, such as those which are STEM-focused.

Membership of professional bodies

• Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE (Higher Education Academy)

Qualifications

Undergraduate qualification

• BSc (Hons) Forensic Biology, University of Liverpool (awarded 2006)

Research qualification

• PhD in Molecular Biology, University of Chester (awarded 2012)

Recent conferences

Pedagogic events

• AdvanceHE Learning & Teaching Conference (July 2024) Workshop: Don’t turn your back on D/deaf students: awareness for inclusive and universal design for programmes
• Dry Labs Real Science (June 2020) Webinar: Game Based Learning - Playfulness in HE 
• Playful Learning Conference (July 2019) Workshop: Level 47 Half Academic Researcher
• Heads of University Bioscience event at York University (July 2017) Keynote talk: The Convergent Evolution of Games & Education & Workshop: Park Life: A conservation game for HE
• Oxford Brookes University (July 2017) Workshop: Gamification in HE
• The Physiology Society (May 2017) Presentation: Gamification in HE teaching
• Oxford Brookes University (February 2017) Workshop: Gamification in HE
• University of East Anglia (November 2016) Workshop: Gamification in HE
• Annual National Teaching Fellow Symposium (March 2016) Workshop: Park Life
• HEA STEM (January 2016) Workshop: Making Learning Fun, not making Fun of Learning
  
• Heads of University Biosciences (Spring 2014) Poster: Tri-Hard Pipetting

In the media

I was involved in the Wildlife and Countryside Link report on the recording of Wildlife Crime.

Recent publications

Turner, I.J. & Robinson, L.A. Game Theory. Laboratory News. (rolling column since 2019) 

Turner, I., & Robinson, L. A. (2023). A Table-Top Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) for Developing Higher Education Employability Skills. Innovative Practice in Higher Education, 5(1). 

Robinson, L.A. (2019). Gamification. In: A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 5th Edition. Routledge. 

Robinson, L.A. & Turner, I.J. (2019). Table Top Gaming in Wildlife Conservation: Park Life. The Power of Play in Higher Education: Creativity in Tertiary Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-95780-7 

Robinson, L.A., Turner, I. J., & Sweet, M. J. (2018). The use of gamification in the teaching of disease epidemics and pandemics. Microbiology Letters, 365, (11)

Robinson, L. A., Bryson, D., Bulling, M. T., Sparks, N., Wellard, K. S. (2018). Post feeding activity of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on common domestic indoor surfaces and its effect on development. Forensic Science International, 286, 177-184. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.03.010

Robinson, L. A. (2018). Tri-Hard Pipetting: Demonstrating pipetting accuracy using Die Hard with a Vengeance. Journal of Academic Development and Education, 9, 25-32 

Robinson, L. (2016). The Application of Games in Higher Education. Journal of Academic Development and Education, 6, 5-8. 

Robinson, L. A. Genetic Methodologies in Wildlife Investigations (2013) In J. E. Cooper & M. E. Cooper (Eds.), Wildlife Forensic Investigation – Principles and Practice. London, CRC Press.