PedaLEGOgy – Building forensic concepts brick by brick

Dawnay, Nick ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4002-0966, Dawnay, Louise, Dawson, Lorna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8125-2458, Brown, Katherine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7432-9800 and Macaulay, Iain ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6761-757X (2025) PedaLEGOgy – Building forensic concepts brick by brick. [Data Collection]

Abstract

Since Francis Glessner Lee created the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death in the 1940s, the use of miniature crime scene representations has become an accepted and reliable method of allowing students and practitioners to explore, interact, and learn from representations of crime scenes without risk of contamination. Although Lee’s dioramas are still utilised in teaching and training within the forensic sciences these realistic models are expensive and time consuming to create. This research explores an alternative approach to creating miniature crime scenes through the use of Lego® in a workshop developed primarily for undergraduate students. The workshop was developed to align with the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences CSI Component Standard Matrix and can be easily altered, augmented and re-set to generate new crime scenes to explore different case contexts. The workshop compared two activities: 1) a 30-minute Lego® model activity, and 2) a 30-minute paper-based (non-Lego®) descriptive activity. Questionnaire data collected from 76 students explored demographics, prior experience of Lego® and their engagement in each of the two activities (Lego® verses descriptive).

Additional Information:	Depositing user's licence comment:
Creators:	Dawnay, Nick ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4002-0966, Dawnay, Louise, Dawson, Lorna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8125-2458, Brown, Katherine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7432-9800 and Macaulay, Iain ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6761-757X
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Crime Scene Investigation; Education; Forensic Science; Lego; Education; Forensic Science
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.24377/LJMU.d.00000264
Division:	Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences
Field of Research:	Education ?? Forensic Science ??
Date Deposited:	04 Mar 2026 14:03
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2026 11:43
Related resources:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2025.06... https://members.csofs.org/events/6824ad1... https://members.csofs.org/articles
URI:	https://opendata.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/264
Data collection method:	The workshop was developed to align with the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences CSI Component Standard Matrix and can be easily altered, augmented and re-set to generate new crime scenes to explore different case contexts. The workshop compared two activities: 1) a 30-minute Lego® model activity, and 2) a 30-minute paper-based (non-Lego®) descriptive activity. Questionnaire data collected from 76 students explored demographics, prior experience of Lego® and their engagement in each of the two activities (Lego® verses descriptive).
Grant number:	ES/Y010655/1
Resource language:	English
Metadata language:	English
Statement on legal, ethical and access issues:	CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Attribution-Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International. You are free to share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. Non-Commercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. No Derivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Collection period:	From To 2024 2026