Peer Review

Crime 101x; Psychology of Criminal Justice

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Reviewed:: Jan 8, 2016 by Psychology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

Three faculty members from the University of Queensland (Australia) have created “a series of ‘crime drama’ videos and associated instructional videos that explore a range of psychological applications to the criminal justice process.” Originally developed via the University of Queensland's UQx project, the videos are derived from an archived edX course; however, any episode within the series (now housed in YouTube) can stand on its own and be applied as an instructional supplement in a range of psychology courses. There are eight (8) professionally produced and presented episodes in the fictional crime drama. Each episode is associated with specific psychology concepts (e.g., memory reliability, bias) and is tied together with supplemental instructional videos in which the faculty members explore the relevant psychological literature as well as implications for application. The videos reference the Australian criminal justice system; however, the depicted processes and requirements--such as the presumption of innocence or jury selection and jury deliberation--would be universally recognizable. The videos are appropriate for college students at all levels of study and provide a unique opportunity for "learn[ing] how behavioural science can improve our criminal justice system."

NOTE: Crime 101x is available as a self-paced course in the edX learning platform. Students can enroll to receive a certificate that recognizes their completion of the course. Weekly discussion questions and activities that are provided in the edX platform can be adapted for in-class use. The following YouTube link will be of particular interest:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbuZfyTawveoEOjZQG8Yr1A . The videos housed here edit out some of the learning activities that are presented in the full online course so that the activities can be conducted in class. This set of videos is specifically adapted for in-class use and also covers additional topics and includes a number of interviews with experts.

Type of Material:

The material takes the form of a series of video presentations.

Recommended Uses:

The videos can be be used in multiple ways. Instructors can assign the entire crime drama sequence in weekly sections or assign only small sections. The videos can be viewed in class or prior to class to facilitate discussion of relevant concepts. They lend themselves particularly well to the flipped classroom model in which students would view the videos before class and engage in debate and discussion during class. The videos would be equally applicable in large class groups, small class groups, seminar-style classes, and online classes.

Technical Requirements:

The videos play perfectly in multiple browsers (e.g., Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer).

Identify Major Learning Goals:

1. Students will be able to explain how the scientific method can be used to discuss, review, and improve the criminal justice system.

2. Students will be able to apply psychological concepts from fields such as memory and cognition, forensic psychology, social psychology, and developmental psychology to explain criminal justice processes.

NOTE: Specific topics include profiling, eyewitness memory, techniques for identification, questioning suspects, trial issues, jury deliberation, and issues with the verdict and sentencing.

Target Student Population:

College students studying the Psychology of Law, Forensic Psychology, or Criminal Justice will benefit greatly from these videos. However, the material is applicable across multiple fields of psychology and multiple disciplines. Note: The videos reference real world crimes such murder and sexual assault and may be distressing to some.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

No prerequisites are required.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

• The crime drama is very popular today. Through this approach, students will better understand real world applications of psychology and the importance of the scientific method in examining the criminal justice system.

• The material presented by the instructors throughout greatly assists understanding of the complexities of the criminal justice system as well as the benefits of using psychology to understand and evaluate the system.

• The videos are constructed to reference the relevant psychological literature, thus establishing the foundation for an excellent educational experience.

Concerns:

None.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

• This introductory level course allows anyone to study the psychology of criminal justice. The set-up of the videos in organized sections makes these videos especially useful in the classroom.

• The videos promote a highly interactive and engaging learning experience.

• Depending upon a given course’s learning goals, the videos can be used in their entirety, in subsections, or even as a culminating capstone exercise.

• The videos can be used to illustrate and present concepts across psychology disciplines.

Concerns:

• Instructors should be prepared to design discussion questions or other instructional supplements to support the presentation of the videos (or a subset of the videos) as part of a psychology course.

• Instructors should be prepared to explain to students minor cultural differences that may become apparent in the videos (e.g., occasional culture-specific use of language).

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

• The videos are professional, visually appealing, and designed to engage. The videos also are presented in a well-organized fashion. Three introductory videos (that make up Episode 0) introduce what the learner is to expect from the videos and from the weekly set-up of presentations. Each week breaks down into smaller segments, so assigning small sections is as easy as assigning an entire section.

• The videos incorporate high-quality, accurate closed captioning.

Concerns:

None.

Other Issues and Comments:: Overall, Crime 101x offers a contemporary approach to learning design that successfully engages students in the psychology of criminal justice.
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