A mysterious death. A puzzling illness. A suspicious fire.
How are they connected? And who are the shadowy figures behind this outbreak of crime in Greensboro?
- A gang of master criminals.
- A conspiracy so vast we may never know the full extent of it.
- Faculty members in criminal justice, chemistry and sociology at N.C. A&T.
Fortunately, the answer is “C.” The interdisciplinary team has created a simulated crime scene and background information as a collaborative exercise for 100 students. The students’ investigations will test their research acumen, investigative skills and forensic knowledge.
“The objective is to provide a learning experience for students that fosters their critical thinking skills, their ability to test hypotheses and to perform evidence-based analyses,” says James Mayes, chair of the department of political science and criminal justice.
It’s also a writing-intensive, speaking-intensive and teamwork-intensive project.
The 100 students have been split into 12 teams, half working for the prosecution and half for the defense. They’ve examined the crime scene and studied the physical evidence.
“Successful student teams will rely on interdisciplinary strategies to develop a theory of the case, identify criminal activity and material evidence,” Mayes says.
Each team includes representatives of each of the three disciplines. Criminal justice students lead the work at the crime scene. Chemistry students conduct chemical analyses of materials found there, and sociology students lead the generation and testing of hypotheses. Together, they create a written a statement of findings and an oral presentation.
“We’re going to find out on Saturday who’s guilty,” says Dr. David Johnson, associate professor of anthropology in the department of sociology and social work.
On Saturday, April 25, each team will present and defend its findings to a panel of experts, including law enforcement officers, attorneys and scientists.
Though Mayes and Johnson have collaborated before, this is the first crime-scene simulation they have developed. Johnson came up with the idea.
“A lot of the students I have in my classes are his students,” Johnson said. “They love ‘CSI’ and TV shows like that, so why not see if we could do something like that here?”
Johnson and Mayes discussed the idea.
“He took the idea and ran with, he and Mr. Cuthbertson [Ernest Cuthbertson, adjunct instructor of criminal justice],” Johnson said. Mayes brought in the chemistry department, and the team was set.
A sequel is in the works for next year. |
