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  2. Forensic Methodology [SCH3217]

School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Your unit may be subject to government or third party COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Please consider this before enrolling in this unit, and speak with the unit coordinator if this raises any concerns.

  • Unit Title

    Forensic Methodology

  • Unit Code

    SCH3217

  • Year

    2022

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Jemma Ann BERRY

Description

This unit will consolidate practical competencies introduced to the students in earlier forensic investigative units. It will also build on these practical skills and theory, enabling students to demonstrate a knowledge and ability to use the latest methods and equipment in forensic science. This will enable planning and execution of the best methods to use when approaching a crime scene. This unit will also cover specialised areas of Forensic Science that should be understood by all crime scene technicians.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 units from SCH2143

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Collect appropriate forensic samples from various individual crime scenes based on Locards law and using basic crime scene equipment.
  2. Conduct appropriate preliminary testing of selected samples (eg blood type and palynological samples) and objects (eg fingerprinting).
  3. Identify features of skeletal remains that can aid in idenitfying/differentiating species, sex, age and race.
  4. Outline the importance of court room skills and the delivery of expert testimony.
  5. Preserve a crime scene prior to analysis and conduct a crime sceme assessment.
  6. Search, seize and record (from a compliant subject and crime scene) forensic evidence.
  7. Understand the principles and practices of Forensic Specialist areas such as Forensic Palynology, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Entomology and Forensic Odonotology.
  8. Undertsand the steps in conduct appropriate analysis on Palynological and Entomological evidence (including calculations of percent occurrance of pollen and post-mortem interval using fly larvae and other insect evidence).

Unit Content

  1. Basic crime scene equipment for specific evidence types.
  2. General forensic principles based on Locard's law, including evidence collection (evidence seizure and recording).
  3. General principles of conserving, preparing, assessing, investigating and reconstruction of a crime scene.
  4. Individual crime scenarios.
  5. Sample analysis (Forensic Chemistry).
  6. Specialised crime investigations (including Anthropology, Entomology, Palynology and Odontology).
  7. Trends in Biometrics and Facial recognition.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 213 x 1.5 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 1.5 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Seminars, tutorials and practical laboratory classes.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestPractical40%
PresentationSeminar20%
ExaminationExamination40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

SCH3217|1|1

School: Medical and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Your unit may be subject to government or third party COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Please consider this before enrolling in this unit, and speak with the unit coordinator if this raises any concerns.

  • Unit Title

    Forensic Methodology

  • Unit Code

    SCH3217

  • Year

    2022

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Jemma Ann BERRY

Description

This unit will consolidate practical competencies introduced to the students in earlier forensic investigative units. It will also build on these practical skills and theory, enabling students to demonstrate a knowledge and ability to use the latest methods and equipment in forensic science. This will enable planning and execution of the best methods to use when approaching a crime scene. This unit will also cover specialised areas of Forensic Science that should be understood by all crime scene technicians.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 units from SCH2143

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Collect appropriate forensic samples from various individual crime scenes based on Locards law and using basic crime scene equipment.
  2. Conduct appropriate preliminary testing of selected samples (eg blood type and palynological samples) and objects (eg fingerprinting).
  3. Identify features of skeletal remains that can aid in idenitfying/differentiating species, sex, age and race.
  4. Outline the importance of court room skills and the delivery of expert testimony.
  5. Preserve a crime scene prior to analysis and conduct a crime sceme assessment.
  6. Search, seize and record (from a compliant subject and crime scene) forensic evidence.
  7. Understand the principles and practices of Forensic Specialist areas such as Forensic Palynology, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Entomology and Forensic Odonotology.
  8. Undertsand the steps in conduct appropriate analysis on Palynological and Entomological evidence (including calculations of percent occurrance of pollen and post-mortem interval using fly larvae and other insect evidence).

Unit Content

  1. Basic crime scene equipment for specific evidence types.
  2. General forensic principles based on Locard's law, including evidence collection (evidence seizure and recording).
  3. General principles of conserving, preparing, assessing, investigating and reconstruction of a crime scene.
  4. Individual crime scenarios.
  5. Sample analysis (Forensic Chemistry).
  6. Specialised crime investigations (including Anthropology, Entomology, Palynology and Odontology).
  7. Trends in Biometrics and Facial recognition.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 213 x 1.5 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 1.5 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

Seminars, tutorials and practical laboratory classes.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
TestPractical40%
PresentationSeminar20%
ExaminationExamination40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

SCH3217|1|2