Enhancing student engagement and experience in Forensic Science and policing by collaborative practice and experiential learning

Dr John Wheeler l Associate Dean (Students) Dr Claire Gwinnett l Associate Professor School of Law, Policing and Forensics Staffordshire University

Major Factors Influencing Learning and Teaching Approaches

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• Enact skills and knowledge of the

professional

• Highly employable • Transferrable • Graduate level

• Hands-on • Learning by doing • Competence • New innovations

•Policing and Criminal Investigation

•Forensic Investigation •Forensic Science

Subject Knowledge

Subject Skills

Professional Employability

Placement and Experiential Learning

Real World Learning Experiences to Enhance Knowledge and Employability Skills

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Achieved through:

Implementing relevant embedded and extracurricular student placements

Developing some of the first Graduate internships in this field

Facilitating research projects that investigate and propose solutions to questions posed by police forces

Identify and implement other experiential learning opportunities that enhance the student experience

Staffordshire Forensic Partnership

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Formal agreement between Staffordshire University and Staffordshire Police for joint working in forensic science launched in 2016

Expanded to other areas of policing and other forces A model for HE–Police collaborative working e.g. national Forensic

Science Innovation and Technology – Information Network (FIT-IN) initiative

HEA Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence 2017

Experiential Learning through Collaborations with UK Police Forces

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Getting Students Involved in Real Police Work

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Experiential Learning in Forensic Science and Policing….how times have changed

10 years ago

Working in silos

Difficult to set-up

Low trust in undergraduate work

Conflict between ‘real-life’ problems and blue sky research

Now

Strong relationships between academia and forensic/policing stakeholders

Formal police force/ university partnerships

Combined problem solving approaches

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Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Approach

Collaboration

Innovation

• Police forces • Forensic providers • Equipment manufacturers

Stud

ent I

nvol

vem

ent

• Product development • New approaches • Undergraduate work

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Student Learning Examples

Learning Activities

Creation of prototypes

Product testing

Validation studies

Analysis of crime scene

samples

New procedures

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Requirements for Great Student Experience

Hands-on Contact with practitioners Allows for creativity

Directly influences CJS Tangible outputs

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Why Students want to do Experiential Learning….

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Overall Approach….

Student engagement

High quality tangible outputs

FSP and Police trust

in Undergradu

ate work

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Example: Integrating fibres screening into Police forces

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Screening for fibres at Herts, Beds and Cambs Police

3 police forces with one central scientific support unit uniquely utilising fibres in volume crime scenes

Problem with prolific offenders leaving no DNA or fingermarks

Initially screening for fibres from Points of Entry (POEs) and car seats by colour

Success led to 30% reduction in burglaries in one area.

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Aim of Project:

To set up a system where undergraduate

students screen Easylift tapes for fibres to aid

Police investigations and improve student

experience and employability

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Screening for Volume Crime Scenes by Students

Easylift used at point of entries from burglaries

Samples sent to Staffs

Initial intelligence information gathered by colour, morphology and fluorescent properties in order to potentially link scenes

Identify potentially evidential fibres for further analysis

Report sent to lead coordinator

Used in questioning/policing strategy

After 3 months – evidence bags opened and tapes analysed using PLM – report sent

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Student Preparation

Before

Introduction to Police coordinator

Recap on continuity and integrity of evidence

Contemporaneous notes examples and practice

Contamination prevention

H&S

Space and equipment

Analysis prep - colour of fibres (subjective but categories used to reduce this)

During

Checking of;

Notes

Continuity (incl. sign in sheets)

Packaging

Reports

Problem solving with samples

Liaising with Police

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Student Preparation

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Student Experience….. Overall

$%&^!

$%&^!

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Benefits for Undergraduate Students

Real life experience during degree programme Networking opportunities with Police and FSPs Lab skills increased Related modules improved, e.g. Investigating and reporting

crime scenes All students graduated before 2016 now work within forensic

science/police Improved student experience

“ Pretty much the best experience I had whilst at University. I really feel lucky to have had the chance to work with real police samples. This has really helped me with my future career”

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Other Feedback from Students

Areas they particularly enjoyed

“meeting with the Forensic Investigators to see how they operate”

“Enjoyed knowing that my results could have a big impact on how the police operate in the future”

“Able to understand how the police work”

Main benefits

“Receiving real world experience from the police”

“Getting to meet with potential employers”

“Opens new doors and career options”

“Boosts confidence”

“The police offered work experience in return”

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Perceptions of Police Contact

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Top Tips

1. Be clear with student expectations

2. Create a strong relationship with Police and communicate regularly

3. Create strict boundaries with the project and evidence

4. Provide regular feedback with students

5. Ensure students realise the benefits of this work

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Thank you to: Beds, Cambs and HertsPolice, Staffordshire Police, RCMP, Netherlands Forensic Institute, Tom Schotman, Priscilla Kuijt, Joachim Gotink, Sanne Leers, Max Grundhill, Celine Segers, Nina Stuer.

Thank you for listening

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