Students will be required to complete 3 pieces of summative assessment.

Two EXAMS length 2 x 1.5 HOURS both with equal weighting - Minimum Grade Point 2 required
These examinations will assess outcomes 1, 3 & 4

A PORTFOLIO weighted at 50%.
A portfolio of practical reports worth 50% of the available marks will be used to assess outcomes 1, 2 & 3.

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via;

Comments made on their work during practical sessions

This module builds on the level-one Introduction to Forensic Science module. It reinforces some of the fundamental principles, whilst introducing you to a number of key areas of forensic science which are not covered elsewhere in the course. The characterisation of hairs and other fibres as items of trace evidence will be explored as will the evidential value of objects made of textile fabric. An introduction to the interpretation of blood spatter patterns is given. The analysis and comparison of glass and paint by microscopic and other means will be discussed.
The comparison of tool marks (including those made by firearms on cartridge cases and projectiles) and their evidential value will be introduced. The individuality of fingerprints will be discussed, along with methods of fingerprint classification. The basic principles of visualisation and enhancement of latent fingerprints, and fingerprint analysis and identification will be outlined. The impressions made by footwear, bare feet will be described and their usefulness discussed. An overview will be given of the analysis of questioned documents, including examination of paper, writing implements and inks, banknotes, credit cards, cheques and wills, typewritten, printed and photocopied documents, handwriting and indented writing, fingerprint and DNA traces. The handling of questioned documents and the techniques for destructive and non-destructive testing will be discussed. This module also examines the increasingly important role of forensic science in the investigation of footwear analysis. This will include current protocols in footwear impression analysis including the search, retrieval and examination of footwear impressions found at crime scenes. The interpretation of footwear marks will be introduced including the use of databases for comparison purposes. The students will also be introduced to the Bayesian approach to the evaluation of evidence. This will require students to understand how to interconvert between probability and odds, and how to construct meaningful likelihood ratios and use these to convert prior odds into posterior odds. Time will also be spent on the common errors of thinking known as the prosecutor's fallacy and the defence attorney's fallacy.

THESE LEARNING STRATEGIES WILL OCCUPY YOUR TIME:

48 hours made up of tutor led lecture/tutorial/problem solving classes and some sessions of distance learning will be used to deliver the core material. Here you will not only be introduced to the theory, but by means of suitable case studies, you will gain an understanding of how criminalistic techniques can be applied to crime solving. 48 hours of practical/tutorial work (there will be eight, three hour sessions in the first teaching block and eight three hour sessions in the second teaching block) will introduce you to the analysis of clothing for fibres (including hairs) based on their microscopic characteristics, the practical investigation of documents, fingerprinting and footprinting techniques, ink analysis and the characterisation of glass.
222 hours of independent study will be used to research background information related to the delivery of the core material, to work on assignments and engage in informal teamwork.

YOU WILL NEED ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES:

Module handbook, standard lecture room facilities, appropriate laboratory facilities, access to library and to computers with www access
Blackboard VLE

YOU MUST SATISFY THESE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Progress to level 5 of a forensic award

AND REFER TO THESE TEXTS, TITLE, AUTHOR, PAGES:

A list of recommended reading is provided in the module handbook. A copy of the more highly recommended textbooks will be lodged either in the School LRC Suite or the Criminalistics Laboratory