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Canyon College

online forensic science and criminal investigations course

CJ490
FORENSIC SCIENCE (Criminal Investigations)


SYLLABUS

Instructor: Michael L. Beshears, M.A.
© 2001- Property of - Michael L. Beshears


Get something to drink, sit back, and stick around for a while....there's plenty here to look at!

Instructor: Michael L. Beshears
E-mail: beshears@canyoncollege.edu
Textbook: Osterburg & Ward (1997) Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the Past, by James W. Osterburg & Richard H. Ward
ISBN #: 0870843303
(Click on the textbook's photo for the online bookstore)


The Evidence Never Lies - Welcome to the Class!
You can lead a jury to truth, but you can't make them believe it. Physical evidence cannot be intimidated. It does not forget. It doesn't get excited at the moment something is happening--like people do. It sits there and waits to be detected, preserved, evaluated, and explained. This is what physical evidence is all about. In the course of a trial, defense and prosecuting attorneys may lie, witnesses may lie, the defendant certainly may lie. Even the judge may lie. Only the evidence never lies.
(click on photos below to be taken to the various areas)
LINKS ARE RESTRICTED TO ENROLLED STUDENTS ONLY!



Click the Above Photo for Reference Sites


Practice Quiz: Just so you're familiar as to how the quizzes will work.

(not part of your grade)

Protecting the Crime Scene
(Click the Above Photo)


More Forensic Info

(Click the Above Photo)
Lecture List for CJ490

(Click the Above for the Lecture List.)



To be done during week 10 Homicide Practicum

(Click the Above Photo)


To be done during week 11 - Rape Investigation Practicum

(Click the Above Photo)


To be done during week 12 - Burglary Investigation Practicum

(Click the Above Photo)


Quizzes, Practicum Exercises, Mid-term & the Final Exam will be taken Online

(Click the above Photo to be taken to the quiz/exam access instructions.) You will need your student ID and course Password to access the exams.


Course Description

This is a didactic and experiential education course on the fundamental and advanced features of investigation, duties and responsibilities of the detective, interviewing, interrogation, and information-gathering skills, crime scene analysis, collection, preservation, and testing of evidence, surveillance and undercover work, raid and sting operations, modus operandi, use of technology, types of evidence, and the science of criminalistics. Emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary and forensic use of knowledge from the natural and social sciences, as applied to prevalent crimes such as homicide, burglary, arson, and sex offenses, but there is also some emphasis upon emerging forms of offending such as computer crime. There are a small number of lectures, and most instruction involves, role-playing, and simulated crime scene analysis.

This course is extensively Internet-augmented. Students will need to know how to use the Internet to review lecture notes, keep track of course announcements and assignments, take exams, check their grades, and interact with the instructor and/or other students via email.

Learning Objectives: Course Policies

On-line Participation:

This course is offered on-line, over the Internet and the World Wide Web, technology and courseware, which allow students to participate at any time, from any location. Because of this flexibility, it is important to plan your time carefully. Students are expected to sign in to the class conference forum (your "virtual classroom") and participate in discussions and other activities at least four times per week. You should expect to spend a minimum of four hours per class week on-line -- the same amount of time you'd spend in the physical classroom. You'll be sending and receiving E-mail, performing on-line research and participating in Web explorations and "tours," and interacting socially and professionally with classmates.

A class week is defined as the period of time between Sunday and Saturday. The first week begins the first day of the semester (OR WHEN YOU AND THE INSTRUCTOR AGREE ON A START DATE) and ends midnight the following Saturday. Assignments scheduled for completion during a class week should be completed by Saturdayof the week assigned. Writing assignments and formal papers should be completed and successfully submitted, or postmarked, so that they are in my hands on the due date. NOTE: Because this is an online course designed to get feedback on assignments to you directly via the Internet, you must make prior arrangements with the instructor before submitting a paper via fax or the postal service. If you ever have problems transmitting your assignments to the instructor, telephone he/she immediately, to get the problem solved.

Ground Rules for On-line Participation

Practicum - Homework must be submitted no later than Saturday of the week assigned. Late homework will receive a grade penalty. Homework not turned by the due date, but which is turned in no more then 7 days late, will receive a 5 (five)-point penalty for each day late. Homework not received within 7 days of the due date will not be scored and will receive a zero. No work received after the last Saturday of the online term will be scored.

Discussion Assignments - Discussion (student classroom participation) work must be posted in the classroom not later than Saturday of the week assigned. The instructor will not accept these via email. They must be posted in the correct thread i.e., week one discussion question in week one discussion classroom thread in order to be scored. Postings placed in the wrong classroom thread will not be graded and will not be scored. Late discussion thread postings by a student will receive a 5 (five)-point penalty for each day late after the due date up to 7 days. The weekly discussion thread will be deleted 7 days past the posting due date, and therefore unavailable to receive student postings in the classroom for that week. The required discussion posting(s) not posted after 7 days of their due date will not be scored and will receive the grade of zero. No class-work posted after the last Saturday of the online term will be scored.

Absentee Policy - Student(s) who fail to participate in the classroom during a course week will be deemed absent for that week. The absence will be annotated as absent unexcused (AU), unless the instructor has been informed beforehand and deemed the absence as absent excused (AE). The instructor shall report all absences to the main campus. A student who has not participated for 14 consecutive days regardless if the absences were deemed AU or AE shall be recommended for administrative withdrawal to the main campus. Emails sent to the instructor during a "course week" without actual classroom participation will not count as classroom participation or attendance. This will be scored and annotated accordingly AU or AE. In a traditional classroom just because a student contacts the instructor and is excused from a scheduled class meeting does not mean the student is given credit for participation or attendance. The student is still annotated as AU or AE. The online classroom shall be no different in this respect. It is the instructor's sole discretion as to what he/she shall consider AU or AE.

Examinations/Quizzes/Practiums' - Mid-term and Final examinations will be administered online. The midterm and Final Examinations will be posted in the exam area of the classroom. You may take these exams anytime during the week, but NLT the lastSaturday of the assigned week. They will be open book/open note exams in which you will have 4 hours to complete. Quizzes and practiums' will be administered for varying weeks. They are also open book/open note and you will have 20 minutes to complete them. Again, quizzes are also due NLT the last Saturday of the assigned week. Students may make arrangements to take an exam or quiz early, but no exams/Quizzes will be accepted late. Exams/quizzes/practiums' that are turned in late will be deducted 5 points for each day they are late and will not be accepted once they are 7 days past due. No extensions will be granted.

Students should use E-Mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The Class Conference/Newsgroup is for public messages.
  1. Students are expected to complete (4 - 5 hours) per week of conferencing or other appropriate online activities, including sending/receiving E-mail and navigating and conducting research over the World Wide Web.
  2. All students will participate in the conference discussion every week. Conventions of "on-line etiquette," which include courtesy to all users, will be observed.
  3. Students may get assistance with computer-related problems through the instructor or the Main Campus Online Administrator.
  4. Students will normally submit papers as ASCII or binary files uploaded to the computer and routed to the instructor, as an "ATTACHMENT" to an email message. All email messages and attachments will include the students: FULL NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, COURSE TITLE, and ASSIGNMENT TITLE.
  5. Assigned papers will be submitted via the postal service or fax only if arrangements are made with the instructor beforehand.
Individual Student Responsibilities:

Actually participating in meaningful discussion in the classroom. Just signing in will not earn a student full credit for classroom participation. Full participation is considered signing in weekly and contributing to the class discussion(s) each week with meaningful valid discussion with classmates concerning the course subject material and the assigned topic(s) for each week.

Ensuring assignments are turned into the instructor on time. Assignments received late will be deducted 5 points for each day late up to 7 days and will receive a zero (0%) once 7 days past the due date. Contacting the instructor after 72 hours if they have not heard anything from the instructor regarding their turned in assignment within 72 hours.

Sending homework assignments to the instructor as an "ATTACHMENT", to an email message. The email and attached work product will have the students FULL NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, COURSE TITLE, and SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT.
Completing weekly Reading assignments.
Completing assigned Quizzes & Practiums'
Completing other assignments as assigned.

Students are responsible for ensuring the instructor has received all messages and work products i.e., homework sent via email.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

Canyon College policies are in effect. All work must be your own, unless the instructor authorizes collaboration, in which case you must, in writing, acknowledge the help you have received. Presenting as one's own the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism, and will not be tolerated. The claim of ignorance is no excuse.

Exams: (50% of grade)
There will be two major exams: an online midterm and an online final each worth 25% of your total grade.

Practicums/Quizzes: (50% of grade)
There will be ten online opportunities to demonstrate mastery of various knowledge/skills, various thinking skills involving inductive/deductive logic, and appropriate responses to indoor/ outdoor mock crime scene scenarios. All practicums and/or quizzes count equally i.e., 5% or points each for a total of 50% of your course grade.

Grading System:

A = 91 - 100
B = 81 - 90
C = 71 - 80
D = 61 - 70
F = 60 or Less


15-Week Calendar
Week One Overview of Investigation
Assigned Reading: Chapter 1 (Ch 13 optional) "Take Practice Quiz"
Online Lecture: Principles & History of Detection
Week Two Forensic Science
Assigned Reading: Chapter 2
Online Lecture: Criminalistics
Week Three Crime Scene Analysis
Assigned Reading: Chapter 3
Online Lectures: Preliminary/Follow-up Report Form A, Report Form B, and Processing Checklist
Week Four Crime scene evidence processing
Assigned Reading: Chapter 3 still (Take Quiz Week 4)
Online Lecture: Fingerprints
Week Five People as a Source of Information
Assigned Reading: Chapter 4 (Take Quiz Week 5)
Online Lecture: Background Checks
Week Six Closing the case/Making arrests
Assigned Reading: Chapters 5 and 7 (Take Quiz Week 6)
Online Lecture: Probable Cause
Week Seven Interviewing Victims and Witnesses
Assigned Reading: Chapter 6, 11, and 12
Online Mid-term Exam, Online Lecture: Interrogation & Miranda
Week Eight Working Informants
Assigned Reading: Chapter 8 (Take Quiz Week 8)
Online Lecture: Sources of Information
Week Nine Surveillance and Eyewitnesses
Assigned Readings: Chapter 9 and 10 (Take Quiz Week 9)
Online Lectures: Surveillance and Lineup Identification
Week Ten The Homicide Exemplar & Practicum/Quiz
Assigned Readings: Chapter 14
Online Lecture: Homicide Investigation and Autopsies
Week Eleven Other Crimes of Violence and Sex Crimes & Practicum/Quiz
Assigned Readings: Chapters 15 and 16 (18 opt)
Online Lecture: Rapist Typology
Week Twelve The Burglary Exemplar & Practicum/Quiz
Assigned Readings: Chapter 17
Online Lecture: Robbery & Burglary Investigation
Week Thirteen Specialized Investigations: WCC/Terrorism/Org Crime
Assigned Readings: Chapters 19 and 21 (Take Quiz Week 13)
Online Lectures: Investigating WCC & Terrorism
Week Fourteen Specialized Investigations: Cybercrime (Take Quiz Week 14)
Assigned Reading: Chapter 20
Online Lecture: Investigating Cybercrime
Week Fifteen Specialized Investigations: Serial Crime
Assigned Reading: Chapter 29 and Appendix 3
Online Lecture: Investigating Serial Killers
FINAL EXAM WEEK ONLINE FINAL EXAM DURING WEEK 15


Click Below For:
Lecture List for CJ490