2007 Innovation in Teaching Award
Simulated Crime Scene on Campus
J.K. Pringle
School of Physical Sciences & Geography
The Problem
• 2006-7 teaching, in particular CHE-30013 (Forensic Science
specialisms) & ESC-10026 (Environmental Geophysics),
suffered from lack of outdoor ‘field laboratory’
• Crucial when student-led, outdoor practicals need a ‘realistic’
& course-relevant problem-solving task to complete
• Group-led student task to create campus soil map not a
satisfactory forensic application
– As noted in student feedback forms & reflection
Staffordshire Uni.
comparison
• Ongoing collaboration with
Forensic Scientists at
Staffs Uni.
• Observed customdesigned ‘Crime Scene
House’ & associated
facilities
• Wanted to use & apply to
Keele
– Would enhance student
experience
– Gain employability skills
Award Aim
• Create simulated outdoor campus crime scene facility
– Allows taught students to gain practical experience on a
variety of simulated forensic case studies
– Allow students to practice forensic observational, data
collection, processing & interpreting transferable skills
– Allow student-led, group problem-solved practicals
• Provide test site for field-based student under-/postgraduate research projects
• Use for out-reach & widening participation
– Used for Mid-Cheshire College HNC/HND student visit
• External observers will validate scientific ‘realism’
– Retired Police Service officers on ex-CSI teams
December 2007
• Reduced budget so primary objective:
– Use pig carcasses as ‘human proxies’ to create
simulated clandestine graves
• Similar skin, hair coverage & tissue:fat ratio
• Approved through appropriate Keele Uni. & DEFRA H&S
& Ethical Committees
Dec
2007
CHE-30013 Jan-Feb
2008 Practicals
• Reports of individual acting suspiciously on campus at night
• Witnesses state wide tracked, loaded vehicle & carrying spade
• Preliminary investigations found surface tyre tracks over a
specific area on campus
• Split into 4 groups, you will lead non-invasive investigations,
decide upon appropriate techniques (use newly acquired
knowledge from lectures) & divide project tasks
• Limited numbers onsite & overalls to prevent contamination
• Use SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
– Each group member assigned task, signed in & out of site
• Process & interpret results & compile scientific report for Senior
Investigative Officer (submit via WebCT)
Students
in action
• GPR
• Resistivity
• Surveying
• Groups in action
CHE-30013
Reports & Feedback
• Group submitted reports of high standard
• Most correctly identified position & prioritised targets for
subsequent intrusive investigations
• Active learning by practicals encouraged deep learning
• Student group-led, problem solving activity enhanced
student experience
• Improved employability skills through multi-disciplinary
investigation of crime scene
• Significantly improved student feedback (out of 10)
– Content & lectures 7.04 -> 7.21
– Practicals 7.07 -> 7.38
– Assessment 5.96 -> 6.52
“practicals very enjoyable & gave great insight into CSH work”
“provided impetus for background reading”
ESC-10026 Environmental Geophysics
• 2006-7 practicals either demonstrated equipment or created
posters on student-led topic
– Useful but not enhancing student environmental geophysics experience
– Keele has one of strongest research groups in near-surface geophysics
• Important to provide practical-based geophysical challenge
• Therefore used site to assist students to
both collect geophysical data, process &
identify prioritised targets
• Showed results in poster format
• Good student feedback
“really enjoyed forensic topic”
“learnt a lot of new skills in short time”
“want to do geophysics as a career!”
Student Research Projects
• 2007-8 ESC-40009 M.Geoscience Project
– Tested magnetics as clandestine burial location method
• 2008-9 CHE-30011 Forensic Team Projects
– Will use collected leachate fluid from control carcass to
assess biochemical changes over time
Conductivity over pig carcass
25000
Conductivity (μS/cm)
20000
15000
10000
Pig Carcass
Control
5000
0
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Time since burial (weeks)
20
22
PG Student Research Projects
• Site surveyed every 2 weeks using GPR
& resistivity geophysical techniques
• Project aims (John Jervis) is to assess:
– If optimal ‘time window’ to survey for
clandestine burial & if changes over time
– Quantitatively monitor site to relate to
geophysical surveys
– Optimum geophysical location workflows
– Assist UK Police Service investigative teams
• Assisting Staffs/Metropolitan Police Service &
Forensic Science Service
• Project Output
– Student feedback shows significantly enhanced experience
– Web resource to be made available to area-specific students
• Project vod-casts to be available
• Future Plans
– Will build experience for next year’s UG cohorts
• Change to 6 students per group & individually submit reports
– Will emplace metallic targets to complicate site
– Will add another carcass to test students ability to differentiate
different aged burials
Acknowledgements
• 2007 Keele University £1k
Innovation in Teaching Award
• 2007-8 CHE-30013 & ESC10026 student cohorts
• Respective course lecturers
• John Jervis, Victoria Lane,
Tim Millington & Malcolm
Wright for site set-up and
practical’s assistance
• See website for more info:
• www.esci.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/
Research/forensic/