Introduction: Standardization is used to ensure consistency and reduce variability within a given field such as forensic education. Evaluating how Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission's (FEPAC) programs met select standards during a public health crisis may help us to understand its impact. To this end, an explanatory…

This article looks at an experience within the context of distance higher education, which has incorporated the reading of two novelettes (short novels, commonly known as novellas) created on an ad hoc basis for two subjects of a Criminology degree course. The goal of this research is to analyse students' perceptions of their validity as a study…

Team-based learning (TBL) is a non-traditional method of instruction that utilizes permanent teams working together to solve problems and make decisions. The authors extend the prior TBL criminal justice literature through a detailed explanation of the use of application-focused activities in the classroom. Specifically, application-focused…

This article argues that cross-disciplinary linkages -- that is, relationships among phenomena studied by those in different disciplines -- often serve to destabilize, at least temporarily, systems of stability that are theorized to operate within the sets of phenomena studied within most disciplines. It surveys across disciplines both systems of…

This teaching note describes the design and implementation of an activity in a 90-minute teaching session that was developed to introduce a diverse cohort of first-year criminology and sociology students to the use of documents as sources of data. This approach was contextualized in real-world research through scaffolded, student-centered tasks…

Higher education institutions want to develop rounded, independent learners equipped with the required skills to embrace the challenges of post-graduation (European Commission, 2013). Vygotsky suggests learners are interdependent, born as social beings with emotional intelligence. Experiential learning is created by direct participation in life…

Since the 1970s, critics have asked universities to "do more" to support Indigenous learners and learning. Universities usually respond by increasing Indigenous student and faculty representation on campuses and adding on units with Indigenous content in existing courses. However, a lot of curriculum and pedagogy remains vacant of…

Fostering critical thinking abilities amongst students is one component of preparing them to navigate uncertain and complex social lives and employment circumstances. One conceptualisation of critical thinking, valuable in higher education, draws from critical theory to promote social justice and redress power inequities. This study explored how…

Laboratory-based learning is increasingly considered to be an integral component of undergraduate education. However, students do not always perceive the value of laboratory learning in the college classroom. The current research sought to create an effective laboratory learning environment within a research methods course and to assess students'…

A special topics course combining two relevant and contemporary themes (forensic DNA analysis and illicit drug detection) was developed to stimulate student enthusiasm and enhance understanding of forensic science. Building on the interest of popular television shows such as "CSI" and "Breaking Bad," this course connects…

Against the backdrop of contemporary debates surrounding the public role of criminology, this article argues that a key barrier to ensuring that the next generation of criminologists is equipped with the skills necessary to engage in critical forms of citizenship, is the quantitative "skills gap" that undergraduate students possess as a…

The current project conducted an assessment of specific, directed use of student-centered teaching techniques in a criminal justice and criminology research methods and statistics class. The project sought to ascertain to what extent these techniques improved or impacted student learning and engagement in this traditionally difficult course.…

This article explores the lived experiences of two academics in a UK Higher Education Institution who have embedded digital learning approaches within their curriculum delivery. Achieving student excellence can be impeded by a lack of engagement and sense of identity on large courses. Digital learning strategies can offer opportunities to overcome…

The field of digital forensics requires a multidisciplinary understanding of a range of diverse subjects, but is interdisciplinary (in using principles, techniques and theories from other disciplines) encompassing both computer and forensic science. This requires that practitioners have a deep technical knowledge and understanding, but that they…

Tom Washburn, founder of the Law and Justice Program in Fulton County Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, sees career and technical education (CTE) as a framework for gains in reading comprehension, public speaking, math and science. "It's a holistic approach to learning, framed by law and justice. Behind the scenes we're reading novels, improving…