65342 Crime Scene Investigation
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Subject handbook information prior to 2020 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 65242 Principles of Forensic Science AND 65312 Forensic Imaging
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
This subject provides students with an in-depth knowledge of the ideas underlying forensic science at the crime scene. It is designed to introduce the principles and concepts peculiar to a crime scene, focusing on the concept of the trace and its uses. Practical skills are taught alongside the concepts of scene examination. Lectures are complemented by online tutorials and practical sessions in the Crime Scene Simulation facility.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand and apply principles and techniques seen in the lectures to the examination of physical evidence at a crime scene |
|---|---|
| 2. | Develop a hypothesis about a crime scene based on available evidence, and be able to modify that hypothesis as new evidence becomes available |
| 3. | Systematically document a crime scene and locate the relevant evidence |
| 4. | Recognise the types of evidence available at a crime scene |
| 5. | Assess the relevance and significance of the types of evidence available at a crime scene |
| 6. | Collect the relevant evidence at a crime scene without contamination or destruction |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Apply: Demonstrate a command of forensic science practice, including the detection, collection, and analysis of traces using current, appropriate, and emerging processes and technologies. (1.1)
- Analyse: Evaluate the collection of traces and interpret the results of analyses through the use of propositions, hypotheses, and statistical methods. (1.2)
- Apply: Employ investigative and problem-solving skills to evaluate forensic science problems. (2.1)
- Analyse: Critically analyse and evaluate data, experimental results, and academic literature. (2.2)
- Apply: Practice safe, responsible, and professional conduct in laboratory and practical settings. (3.1)
- Analyse: Practise professional ethical conduct through work-integrated learning. (3.2)
- Apply: Apply forensic science and professional skills with a high degree of personal autonomy and reflection. (4.1)
- Apply: Demonstrate skills in case documentation. (5.1)
- Analyse: Combine various methods to record and communicate observations and evaluation of traces throughout all stages of an investigation. (5.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject is intended to develop the following graduate attributes:
1. Disciplinary knowledge.
Students will develop a working knowledge of forensic science practice, collection of traces and integration of the derived information with the legal system in lectures and the practical sessions. Students will be introduced to the forensic investigative process of crime scene analysis and interpretation in the formative practical exercises. Students will be assessed on their knowledge of these disciplines in the final exam. Students will be assessed on their application of their knowledge in the practical sessions.
2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking.
Students will develop their investigative and problem-solving skills through the exercises presented during the practical sessions. Students will apply the scientific method through the crime scene sessions, where students are required to develop a hypothesis and then test that hypothesis using the techniques of crime scene searching and documentation and to modify their hypothesis as new information becomes available. Students will be assessed on their ability to use problem solving skills and to develop a hypothesis in the crime scene sessions. .
3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility.
Students are assisted through the formative practical exercises to learn to ask the right questions on the basis of context. Students are provided the opportunity to collect and report forensic traces using scientific instrumentation and procedures that translate directly to professional practice. Students are also taught the theory of scientific instrumentation relevant to crime scene investigation. These procedures are assessed in the practical sessions, while the student's understanding of the theoretical basis for these practices is assessed in the final examination.
Students will learn to collect and validate the results of crime scene analysis through the practical sessions. The student's ability to work both independently and as part of a team is developed through the practical sessions. Students will be assessed on their ability to analyse a crime scene, as well as on their teamwork and individual efficiency in a crime scene in the crime scene sessions.
Students will gain an understanding of appropriate workplace health and safety practices through the formative practical exercises. Students are assessed in the practical exercises and in the crime scenes on their ability to identify both personal safety requirements and that of others during the process of crime scene investigation.
Providing timely, accurate and unbiased information to the criminal justice system is a core requirement of forensic science. Students will develop their ability to assist the justice system in the practical exercises. Students will be assessed on their accuracy and unbiased evidence interpretation in the crime scenes.
5. Communication skills.
Students will learn various methods of documenting and communicating crime scene observations in the lectures. Students will further develop effective written communication skills in the practical sessions, at an intermediate level. Students will develop their reasoning ability by working through the scenarios presented in the formative practical sessions and record their results from the practical sessions in contemporaneous notes. Knowledge of the theoretical basis of the documentation methods is assessed through the final examination, while application of documentation methods is assessed in the practical exercises and in the crime scenes.
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject will be delivered through lectures, practical classes and independent learning activities.
There will be 2 hours of lectures each week. These sessions introduce and explain key principles in crime scene investigation and relate them to modern professional practice. Lecture time also offers opportunities for questioning and clarification of the subject material. Attendance is recommended at all lectures to develop a complete understanding of the content. There are guest lectures included in the latter half of the semester, delivered by practising professionals. These are vital to the student's understanding of professional practice and industry expectations of graduates. The guest lectures build on and consolidate the theory content delivered in earlier lectures.
The practical sessions and crime scenes are an essential part of the subject as they will consolidate a student’s understanding of theoretical concepts delivered in the lectures. Students will usually work in groups to develop important practical skills that are highly sought-after by future employers, including an understanding of teamwork in a pressured environment. Attendance for the practical sessions and crime scenes is compulsory.
Independent learning activities with structured feedback are employed in Crime Scene Investigation, accessed through UTSOnline. These include formative material in the early part of the semester as well as pre-laboratory tutorials and quizzes. The online activities are concentrated in the early part of the semester to provide students with learning opportunities and feedback prior to assessment activities. The completion of pre-laboratory exercises delivered online will be compulsory for all students before entering the laboratory sessions. ?
Content (topics)
1. Introduction
Definitions of a crime scene, concept of the Trace, hypothesis generation, use of the Trace, activity-level information, source-level information, operational concepts, what makes a good crime scene examiner.
2. Operations at the Scene
Intervention at the scene, safety, securing the scene, documenting the scene, processing the scene.
3. Theory of DNA at the Scene
Basic concepts of DNA, nuclear DNA profiles in forensic science, source-level traces – body fluids and large-scale DNA transfer, sub-source-level traces – touch DNA, complicating factors, other DNA methods, operational considerations.
4. Fingermarks at the Scene
Substrate and choice of techniques, eccrine and sebaceous deposits, moulded marks, visible marks, latent marks, degradation of marks with time, physical exploitation techniques at the scene, chemical exploitation techniques at the scene.
5. Physical traces
Fibres, toolmarks, gunshot residues and ballistics, other trace evidence.
6. Documents and Digital traces
Traditional documents at the scene, digital devices, specific digital traces at the primary crime scene, incidental digital traces in the wider context.
7. Clandestine laboratories
Controlled materials, safety, pre-planning, operations management, priorities in the scene, precursors and products, concluding a clandestine laboratory scene.
8. Blood patterrns
Activity-level information available from blood pattern analysis, hypothesis generation, physics of blood pattern generation, documenting blood patterns.
9. Mass disasters
Operations management, the DVI process, reconciliation of information.
Laboratory work including:
- Documenting the scene
- Imaging the scene; Processing the scene; types of evidence
- Fibres
- 3-Dimensional footwear impressions
- Fingerprints
- Complex scenes; multiple evidence types
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Practical Sessions
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Criteria: | - Application of theoretical knowledge developed in lectures |
Assessment task 2: Crime Scenes
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 5. Communication skills |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 45% |
| Criteria: | - Teamwork and efficiency |
Assessment task 3: Final Examination
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 3. Professional, ethical and social responsibility 5. Communication skills |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.2, 2.2 and 5.2 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Criteria: | Ability to show understanding of concepts introduced during the lectures and practical classes including: - Development of a hypothesis for a given scenario Accuracy and completeness of information provided by the students. Ability to communicate responses in a logical and concise manner |
Minimum requirements
Students are expected to attend all lectures during the semester, including the guest lectures.
Students are expected to attend each of the eight practical classes during the semester. There is no opportunity to catch up if a practical class is missed.
Failure to attend an assessed practical class or the practical examination will result in a mark of zero for the assessment task unless an acceptable reason for your absence, supported by relevant evidence, is provided to your teaching associate.
In addition, in order to pass this subject, students must achieve 40% in the final examination. If 40% is not reached, an X grade fail may be awarded for the subject, irrespective of an overall mark greater than 50.
Recommended texts
Criminalistics - An Introduction to Forensic Science, Saferstein R., 10th ed., Prentice-Hall, 2011, ISBN 0-13-504520-7.
Other resources
- The Practice of Crime Scene Investigation, Editor J.Horswell, CRC Press, 2004, ISBN 0-748-40609-3
- Forensic Science Handbook I, Saferstein R. (Ed.), 2nd ed, Prentice-Hall, 2001, ISBN 0-13-091058-9.
- Forensic Science Handbook II, Saferstein R. (Ed.), 2nd ed, Prentice-Hall, 2004, ISBN 978-0131124349.
- Forensic Science Handbook III, Saferstein R. (Ed.), 2nd ed, Prentice-Hall, 2009, ISBN 9780132207157.
- Interpreting Evidence - Evaluating Forensic Science in the Courtroom, Robertson R. & Vignaux G.A., John Wiley, 1995, ISBN 0471-96026-8.
- Footwear Impression Evidence, Bodziak W., Elsevier, 1990, ISBN 0-444-01542-6.
- Gunshot Wounds - Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and ForensicTechniques, Di Maio V.J.M., CRC Press, 1985, ISBN 0-8493-9504-6.
- Fingerprints and Other Ridge Skin Impressions, Champod C., Lennard C.,Margot P., Stoilovic M., CRC Press, 2004, ISBN 0-415-27175-4.