• Need for professional authentic assessments for teaching and learning in forensic science. • Scaffolding through programme allow skills development throughout period of study. • Student-led forensic investigations allow professional decision making and forensic skills to be gained. • Whilst time consuming to generate, students/practitioners give positive feedback. • Crucial employability skills gained for graduates in future workplace. Scaffolding authentic assessments through a Forensic Science programme are crucial for allowing HEI students the opportunity to actively repeatedly learn and improve their knowledge and skills. This is achieved through the common sequential forensic investigative cycles of investigative review, activity plan and design, through to processing simulated forensic crime scene(s), the resulting data processing, analysis, interpretation and professional report writing investigative stages. Authentic simulated crime scene activities need to be carefully constructed to ensure case realism, use current investigative practices, grounded in pedagogic theory and scaffolded for the appropriate student learning level, albeit being conscious of the need to be balanced with potential resource/funding limitations. This article details scaffolding of deliberately different simulated forensic crime scene investigations progressively through a UK HEI forensic science programme, from ‘case’ intelligence and desk-based studies, through increasingly complicated indoor/outdoor crime scene data collection/processing and professional report writing investigative stages. HEI academics have direct experience of these to give assessments real authenticity. The first case details an indoor commercial bar scene, with L4 first year undergraduate students tasked with investigating and virtually recording criminal evidence, scenes and producing a virtual resource for potential presentation in court. A second case details an outdoor simulated human remains scatter scene, with L5 second year undergraduate students tasked with investigating, recording and producing scaled sketches. A third case details a wildlife forensics scene, with L6 final year undergraduate students tasked with leading the investigation, recording and producing a professional report of illegal disturbance of a badger sett. A third case details an outdoor mass grave investigation scene, with L7 post-graduate taught students tasked with the complete multi-staged site investigation process, from desktop study through to field reconnaissance, non-invasive data collection, through to physical excavation, forensic recovery of human remains and associated material and a professional report to be generated. All assessments received very high student feedback and provided evidence that these resources were effective for their learning and understanding in a forensic science context. These types of authentic assessments of simulated crime scenes, whilst costly in terms of development time and staff resource, will assist HEI students with crucial experience and problem-solving skills needed in time restricted scenarios to mimic those they will face in future forensic science practitioner employment. Plentiful online resources and some cost-saving suggestions for colleagues if intending to construct similar authentic assessments are also included.
Pringle et al. (Sun,) studied this question.