Pop culture, crime and pedagogy

Challenging What They All Know: Integrating the Real/Reel World into Criminal Justice Pedagogy

“…Included among the many active learning techniques in the current college classroom are debates, experiential learning, games and simulations, role plays, group work, case study analysis, use of films and literature, group work, content analysis, use of pop culture, guest speakers, and field trips (Bernstein, Scheerhorn, and Ritter 2002;Bordt and Lawler 2005;Brown 2006;Dabney, Green, Topalli 2006;Engel 2003;Finley 2004;Jones 2006;Kenselman and Johnson 2004;Leblanc 1998: Levy andMerenstein 2005;Lichtenberg, Lune, and McManimon 2004;Livingston 2004;Misra 2000;Monk-Turner and Payne 2005;Nickoli, Hendricks, Hendricks, and Osgood 2003;Oberle 2004;Patenaude 2001;Payne et al 2003;Quinn, Holman, andTobolowsky 1992:, Robinson 2000;Sellers 2002;Sims 2006;Williams and Robinson 2004;Wolfer and Baker 2000).…”

“…Moreover, many instructors remain resistant to tampering with standard course models (Owen, Fradella, Burke, and Joplin 2006), are reluctant to embark on the regular, rather than intermittent, use of collaborative learning because of the misperceived effort involved (Monk-Turner and Payne 2005), or continue to question the pedagogical value of introducing alternative instructional aids from popular culture in the classroom (Nickoli et al 2003).…”

“…In teaching theoretical criminology, for instance, students might be presented with realistic, multidimensional offender histories as a means for bringing abstract concepts to life through the concrete facts of the case (Quinn et al 1992). Works of literature are also a valuable and well-liked vehicle that can be used for these purposes (Bordt and Lawler 2005;Engel 2003), as are films, which address other objectives, as well, ranging from demonstrating public perceptions of criminal justice and its actors Downloaded by [Kungliga Tekniska Hogskola] at 22:53 04 October 2014 ROCKELL to stimulating critical thinking and even teaching research methods (Leblanc 1998;Lichtenberg et al 2004;Livingston 2004;Misra 2000;Nickoli et al 2003;Patenaude 2001).…”

The “Real” CSI: Designing and Teaching a Violent Crime Scene Class in an Undergraduate Setting

“…However, the educational literature is not as immense for certain specialized courses. Developmental research has certainly taken place on some specialized programs such as community-oriented policing, prisons and research methods (Brown 1982;Ness 1991;Nickoli, Hendricks, Hendricks, and Osgood 2003) but little has been conducted on more current practical applications in the field such as crime scene investigation. While there is some research in the field pertaining to the instruction of forensics techniques and crime scene investigation to law enforcement personnel, these types of course were not traditionally held in the university setting until fairly recently.…”

“…The assumption by practitioners, as well as some academics, is that students that choose crime scene investigation as a career, will have an accurate picture of the discipline as well as sufficient knowledge. As a result of these expectations, it is important to offer educationally driven and practical courses in crime scene investigation; which are effectively and accurately designed (Ness 1991;Nickoli et al 2003). These types of courses would include all elements of the investigative process beginning with first response efforts to evidence collection to the evaluation of all types of physical and psychological evidence that are gathered by both forensic crime scene personnel and investigators.…”