Team Name: Crime Scene InvestigationTeam Members: Brandon Smithson, Kathy Joy, Tiffany McMahan, Raymond Weber 1. Introductory Description

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe various methods for searching a crime scene for evidence.a. The learner will get detailed information through a multimedia animation that contains a

graphical and text representation that explains the different methods of processing a crime scene. The following list will be the different types of methods:

i. Circle/Spiralii. Strip/Line

iii. Line/Stripiv. Point-to-Pointv. Zone - Small

vi. Zone - Largevii. Wheel/Ray

2. Describe steps necessary to conduct a final assessment of the crime scene.a. The learner will be able to describe the necessary steps when conducting a final

assessment of the crime scene3. Conduct a final walk-through.

a. Describe steps necessary to conduct a final walk-through of the crime scene4. Discuss proper evidence transportation procedures.

a. After collecting the proper evidence, the learner will be able to discuss the proper transportation procedures when delivering it to the crime lab or to the police station pending the time of day when the evidence is collected.

Learner Characteristics:

Considering the instruction will be one hundred percent online, the learner can reside anywhere in the United States or Canada. As long as they are a working professional in the forensic field, they will be eligible to take the Virtual Crime Scene online course. Existing experience will help the learner refresh or learn additional information when processing a crime scene.

Learner Needs:

The need for continuing education is crucial for any working professional. However, it is difficult for forensic professionals to fund money for face-to-face training. An online version that exhibits multimedia aspects will benefit them at a fourth of the cost. This course can benefit new employees and could possibly be a prerequisite for a professional in the field before engaging in real life crime scenes.

Learning Context:

The physical environment for the learner and the teacher could very well be anywhere. With the technology of Iphones, Ipads, etc. the learner could be at work, home, or even at a bus stop while they engage in the content. Online learning allows the student to have full control of when and where they indulge in the content.

During the instruction the learner will need to have a login access username and password to the specific learning management system that the content will be displayed. To display the content, the user

will need a computer, laptop, phone, or Ipad. The multimedia aspects of the online course will be video (virtual crime scene), animation (search methods), html files (content uploaded with graphics and text).

2. Theoretical Framework

The development of our crime scene investigation instruction will enhance the learning process through active processing, generative cognitive processing, and knowledge construction.

We will use multimedia learning to construct knowledge. With the investigation of a crime scene there are always multiple possible outcomes, which is why it is vital that the learners are able to be presented with the same material and come away with different ideas. We agree with Mayer (2012) that the learner’s task should be to make sense of the information they are presented; therefore, the learner becomes an active sense-maker. This will allow the learner the ability to create a coherent mental representation of the crime scene. We believe the learners should be guided through the crime scene investigation with the use of hotspots that will tell the learner what evidence to pay attention to, organize the evidence, and relate it to evidence they have already encountered.

We will foster generative cognitive processing. With the creation of an engaging crime scene that uses a conversational style, learners will have a more meaningful learning outcome. We believe the learners will need to be able to retain the information about the crime scene and then transfer this information in order to make a conclusion. The integration of principles that reduce extraneous processing will aid this action.

We will engage learners in active processing. Mayer (2012) states that learners shouldn’t just add information to their memory, but actively organizes the incoming information, and integrates that information with prior knowledge. The learners need to continuously make sense of the crime scene to be able to make a coherent conclusion. We will look at the different kinds of knowledge structures: process, comparison, generalization, enumeration, and classification. The process structure will allow the learner to view the cause-and-effect chain of the crime scene.

3. Design Methodology

Learning Activities:

The learning activities that learners will complete are:

1. Learners will begin by reviewing the getting started tab and watching the self-paced video tutorial on how to navigate the virtual crime scene and the proper steps in completing the course.

2. Learners will access the course content and review each module.

3. Learner investigations will explain and explore the following crime scene methods in the form of a animation (swf) file located in the course content tab.a. Circle/Spiralb. Strip/Linec. Line/Stripd. Point-to-Pointe. Zone – Small

f. Zone – Largeg. Wheel/Ray

4. Learners will investigate the crime for clues as to what happened.a. Examining the hotspots for cues/cluesb. Examining each victimc. Examining the entire crime scene (two rooms)

- Living room (two victims and evidence)- Outside (one victim and evidence)

5. Learners will begin by navigating the virtual crime scene. 6. Learners will examine each victim to determine crucial information.

a. If possible, the identification of the victimb. Where the victim has been shotc. Any possible evidence of who done it

7. Learners will conduct a final assessment of the crime scene.a. Through the final assessment process, learners will describe the necessary steps to conduct a final assessment of a crime scene

8. Learners will conduct a final walk-through of the crime scene.a. Through the final walk-through, learners will describe the necessary steps to conduct a final assessment of a crime sceneb. Looking for final evidence and clues

9. Learners will review the fingerprints found on the gun located outside, and make a match between the known fingerprint that was located on the gun and the three suspects fingerprints. 10. Learners will determine and discuss the proper evidence transportation procedures.

a. Proper transportation proceduresb. Delivering it to a crime labc. Delivering it to the police office

11. Learners will make a final conclusion.

a. What happenedb. Who is responsible (suspect/suspects)

Instructional Methods:

Presenting content1. The presentation piece of the content will be through a virtual crime scene2. All learners will navigate the crime scene3. All learners are presented with the same virtual crime scene; therefore, prompting different

outcomes/certain ideas

Providing feedback1. The learner will complete a survey/questionnaire at the of the crime scene course

a. Survey/questionnaire will provide feedback to the instructor b. Feedback of ideas, concerns, suggestions about the coursec. Improvement opportunities for future course design and learning

2. The learner will complete a written summary/reflection at the end of each crime scene method (Circle/Spiral, Strip/Line, Line/Strip, etc.)

a. Provides feedback to the instructor i. What content was learned/mastered

ii. What content still needs to be learned/mastered iii. If content needs to be re-taught/reviewed

b. Provides feedback to the learneri. What content was learned/mastered

ii. What content still needs to be learned/mastered iii. If learner needs to redo/review content

Addressing learners’ motivation1. The crime scene is a self-paced and self-motivated course for learners2. Learners are actively engaged in their own learning3. Learners investigate the crime scene at their own pace4. Learners guide themselves through the course with the use of the hotspots and clues

Providing practice opportunities

1. The multiple crime scene methods provide practice opportunities2. The final assessment and walk-through provide additional crime scene investigation opportunities

Assessing learning outcomes1. Learners will continuously make sense of the crime scene to make a coherent conclusion2. Evaluate students’ knowledge structures:

a. Process (explain cause and effect of the crime scene)b. Comparison (comparing and contrasting elements within the crime scene)c. Generalization (explain main focus/idea of the crime scene and all supporting details)d. Enumeration (list of all pertinent information) e. Classification (order of crime scene material)

4. Development Strategies/Materials

This section should include the description of your instructional materials and multimedia elements as well as each team member’s responsibility in developing and utilizing them. For Show and Tell #1, you should be able to describe at least textual and pictorial (or animation/video) elements of your instruction. In addition to the description of your multimedia elements, you should also mention any development/implementation related issues such as expected challenges in developing the materials or expected problems learners may face when accessing to or using the multimedia elements.

Temporal Contiguity Principle - We will be giving the learner multiple exposures of the same learning material to enhance the learning experience of the crime scene investigation. With the integration of words and pictures of the evidence the learners with be able to better understand the evidence and able to process it. The simultaneous representation of pictures and descriptions of the evidence will increase the chance that the learner will retain the information.

Signaling Principle - While using signals in our crime scene does not add any new information, it does allow us to organize essential evidence within the crime scene. We believe that the learners should be guided through the crime scene, which keeps the learners focused and keep their attention on key evidence. With the use of hotspots to guide the learners, they will not be wasting time trying to navigate through the crime scene.

Coherence Principle - We believe that we do not need to add irrelevant material to our crime scene in order to make it more interesting because that will not increase the learners interesting in the subject. The learners will be able to enjoy the crime scene because they will be able to understand it with ease. All extraneous material will be excluded from our crime scene and we will only use clear and concise descriptions.

Cognitive Theory and Multimedia Learning- Cognitive activity involves trying to make sense of a presentation visually and auditorally. Multimedia presentations contain both words and pictures. Cognitive theory of multimedia learning involves using the working memory to select words and images, organize them, and then integrate the words and images along with previous knowledge. This results in integrated learning. More meaningful learning results from a learner’s activity during learning. This activity for learners is addressed with the interactive components of the online course.

Spatial Contiguity Principle- For effective learning, words and pictures need to be near each other on the screen so the learner can better understand explanations. This way, the learners do not have to use up other cognitive resources to visually search a screen, and they can hold both the words and pictures in their working memory at the same time. Effective multimedia learning includes not only presenting the information to a learner that is needed but guidance on how to mentally process that information. Our presentations are intended to keep the key information clear and easy to see on the screen, with text or narrations to guide the learner as needed.

5. Module Completion/Response

Our learners will complete each crime scene module. These modules are arranged from Module 1 through Module 5 (see the PowerPoint module snapshots at the bottom). Upon completion of each module, learners will write a written response detailing what they have learned throughout the module. Learners will also be responsible for responding to at least one peer’s module response. 6. Learner Evaluation

We will be evaluating our learners using a formative assessment throughout the learning experience. As the learner makes their way through the crime scene the instructor will be asking probing questions and guiding the learner. This will allow us to provide immediate feedback to the learners and engage them in the investigation. We will be able to clarify and questions the learners will have and take notes on the learners’ progress.

We will be using a rubric for our summative assessment of the crime scene investigation. The rubric was adapted from MI Case Study. Learners will be provided the rubric at the beginning of the learning experience to ensure they are aware of the expectations. The learner will need to provide the instructor with their notes and a writing theory based on the crime scene evidence. They will also need to complete the rubric themselves to self-evaluate. This will allow the students to keep focused throughout the learning experience.

Procedures to be used to address content accuracy will be collaboration with an expert and instructor in online Crime Scene Investigations. The virtual crime scene video(s) and accompanying text and narrations are matched to the scenario that will be presented to the learners and they will be required to answer specific questions about that section. Continuous feedback is most beneficial for a successful learning environment.

A scenario was developed by our group to give background information on what may have occurred, based on the evidence shown on the virtual crime scene video. It is the goal to keep the learners engaged and able to apply previous knowledge to the investigation. An advantage of using a virtual crime scene, the learners and instructors can replay the scene several times to gather details as needed, preview or review the scenes to answer any questions that may arise.

The Instructional quality for this project will incorporate the developmental strategies mentioned

above. Extra or distracting material will be removed so that the learner is presented with clear and concise instruction, visually and auditorally. The learners will be expected to retain, recall, and maintain the information that has been presented to them. What has been learned will be assessed by a summative evaluation (rubric) by the instructor at the end of the course. Visual and production quality will be expected to be clear, fast, and reliable. When students learn online, the components need to be in place and in working order to avoid delays in delivery as well as frustration, loss of interest or loss of valuable information.

The learning objectives are clearly defined for this type of course. Since this is an introductory course, the limits set on what will be addressed are also appropriate. Data collection will be the learners following a checklist or written samples of actual crime scene notes that are provided as part of the course. This will also include samples of detailed report writing. Observation of the virtual crime scene will give information that is critical for assessing the scene and making sound decisions. Fingerprints, physical evidence, and eyewitness reports will all be part of the analysis process.

Revisions to material and instruction will be addressed as part of the evaluation process by both learners and instructors.

7. Course Evaluation

For our course evaluation, we will have an evidence usability, usability task, and a final course evaluation.

8. Usability Task Results

For the evidence usability task, learners were to successfully locate each piece of evidence in the virtual crime scene using the prototype on Udutu. Once the users gained access to the prototype they would begin searching for pieces of evidence that would allow them to create a theory to the crime. Using the quicknav icon, users would be able to see a check list of the evidence to ensure all evidence had been viewed. There was no particular order in which to view the evidence and they should complete it within 30 minutes.

When reviewing the data, we considered the severity of the problems:

1. Critical: If we do not fix this, users will not be able to complete the scenario.2. Serious: Many users will be frustrated if we do not fix this; they may give up.3. Minor: Users are annoyed, but this does not keep them from completing the scenario.

Five users tested out the scenario resulting in one serious problem and two minor problems. The users noted that the hotspots did not work properly. When clicking on a hotspot it should take them to the piece of evidence it states when you hover over the icon. We knew that the prototype would disable this feature, and would need to be enabled for the actual multimedia instruction. Two of the users noted that images would become blurry if they tried to zoom in on the evidence, which is a minor issue. Another user of the virtual crime scene noted that the image of one victim was shaky on the screen but a simple click of the mouse resolved that issue. One user noted that one of the victims was identified by name when the hotspot was accessed, but the others were not. Another user noted the inability to manipulate the evidence, which is a minor problem. In a crime scene, investigators would be able to wear gloves and pick up the pieces of evidence for a more thorough inspection.

The users also provided positive feedback about the usability task. All pieces of evidence were able to be viewed and the checklist allowed them to easily keep track of what they had viewed and what they still needed to view. The situation looked real, and the layout was easy to navigate through. It was suggested that the users should be given a list of evidence to located, but then given additional pieces of evidence that they would need to discover on their own that is not on the list. Feedback also included the reality component of the crime scene by one of the users, who mentioned how detailed the information was and how the user felt very involved and interested in the crime scene investigation.

9. Additional Resources

These additional resources are available to learners for additional research or learning in the area of crime scene investigations.

http://stem-works.com/subjects/10-crime-scene-investigationhttp://forensics.rice.edu/index.htmlhttp://forensics.wvu.eduhttp://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/124/Crime_Scene_Investigator_CSI

10. Screenshots (Updated by Brandon)

Front Page- Learners will have access to all of the course content, discussions, and virtual crime scene from the home page.

Getting Started- Learners will review a self-paced tutorial on how to navigate the virtual crime scene.

Course Content- The learner will have access to all modules via PowerPoint slides that will incorporate images, text, and a animation(swf) about the course content.

Virtual Crime Scene- Under construction. The virtual crime scene is linked to the webportal. The learner will have free range to view each victim within the crime scene and also document any other evidence that applies to the crime.

11. Module Screenshots (Updated by Tiffany)

12. References / Appendices (as appropriate)

MacDonald, Lorrie. "MI Case Study - Science." MI Case Study - Science. Wayne State University, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.

Mayer, R.E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. (2nd ed.) New York: Cambridge University Press.

West Virginia University Forensic and Investigative Science Outreach Crime Scene Investigation.