Florida Gulf Coast University Program Self-Study: BS in Criminal Forensic Studies, May 2011 Table of Contents. Introduction and Program Overview

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1 Florida Gulf Coast University Program Self-Study: BS in Criminal Forensic Studies, May 2011 Table of Contents Introduction and Program Overview The BS in Criminal Forensic Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is interdisciplinary curriculum that blends the behavioral, social, and natural sciences with Constitutional Criminal Law. As Forensics is neither a discipline, nor a profession, the relationship of a discipline with the system of jurisprudence is stressed. FGCU is the 11 th University of the Florida State University System and the newest public University in the United States. The University, while only 13 years old, has an enrollment exceeding 12,000 students and a planned anticipated growth to 20,000 students. The University initial curricula followed the typical liberal arts majors and then expanded by student demand and availability of resources. The Criminal Forensics curriculum was not designed as a major but was initiated following the hiring of a Criminal Justice Professor with academic preparation and field experience as a Forensic Behavioral Analyst. The first course, Forensic Psychology was offered in a traditional classroom format in Spring semester, Due to the popularity of the course it was subsequently offered in Fall semester, 2000 as an online course and again in the traditional classroom format in Spring, In recognition of student interest and law enforcement agency demand, a four course Forensic curriculum was initiated, developed, and authorized by the Criminal Justice Advisory Council, University Undergraduate Curriculum Team, and the University Provost in Fall, The Forensics curriculum was implemented in Spring, 2001 as an authorized Track in the Justice Studies Division and a stand alone four course curriculum for practitioners. Following successful completion of the four courses, students and practitioners received a FGCU Certificate indicating successful completion of the course of study. Certificate Courses Forensic Psychology Introduction to Forensic Science Introduction to Criminalistics Advanced Forensic Psychology In , three Forensic special topics elective courses were added: Computer Forensics Forensic Anthropology Terrorism The initial plan for the academic year was to further develop the Forensics curriculum into a formal concentration in the Criminal Justice Major and a University Forensics Minor. However, the University Provost determined that he wanted a multidisciplinary Bachelor of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies. The initial interdisciplinary curriculum was developed with a core curriculum and four areas of concentrations; representing concentrations from four of the University Colleges. Following review by the Provost, the College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences were removed from the collaboration. The subsequent curriculum included a core curriculum and concentrations from the College of Professional Studies and the College of Health Professions. The Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department of the College of Health Professions was subsequently transferred to the College of Arts and Sciences to form the new Department of Biotechnology. Consequently, the intended multidisciplinary curriculum was dismissed and the Forensic Curriculum was interfaced with the Criminal Justice Degree Program and recommended as a separate Bachelor of Science in Criminal Forensic Science within the College of Professional Studies. The new Bachelors of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies was approved by the FGCU Board of Trustees on January 22, 2004 and subsequently by the Florida State University System.

2 The Bachelors of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies was implemented in Fall semester, 2004 (see curriculum description below) with 91 majors. This overwhelming student response to the Bachelors of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies prompted the University President to direct the development of a Masters Degree in Criminal Forensic Studies to be developed during the academic year. The Masters Degree in Criminal Forensic Studies was approved by the FGCU Board of Trustees on January 17, 2006 and subsequently by the Florida State University System. The Masters Degree in Criminal Forensic Studies was implemented in Fall semester, Part 1: Program Overview 1A: Curriculum (Course Offerings): The Bachelors of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies was implemented in Fall semester, 2004 (see curriculum description below) with 91 majors. The initial program description was: The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies provides students with the skills requisite to the investigation of criminal offenses and the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of criminal offenders. This curriculum integrates the theoretical perspectives of different disciplines pertaining to deviant and criminal behavior with the practice of identification, procurement, and presentation of evidence resulting from criminal activity. This program builds upon a solid liberal arts core to achieve a balanced criminal justice perspective, which includes an emphasis upon the victim, the offender, the criminal justice system and society. Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of Forensics, this curriculum blends crime scene analysis, laboratory analysis, behavioral analysis, and Constitutional Criminal Law. The program s objective is to develop a sound educational foundation for graduate work or professional practice at the bachelor s level. It is designed as a scholar/practitioner curriculum providing students with advanced levels of knowledge in criminal investigation, thus increasing the employment potential for the graduates of this degree. The initial program requirements were: TABLE 1A: COURSES in original BS in Criminal Forensic Studies Course # Course Name Catalog Description Notes* ANT 3520 Forensic Anthropology 3 credits Forensic Anthropology is an analysis of the human anatomy with specific attention to injuries and death pertaining to wrongful criminal conduct and the decomposition of the tissues and skeletal remains. The curriculum also delineates anatomy pursuant to age, gender, sex, race, and ethnicity. ANT 2511C Introduction to Physical Anthro. ANT 2511 is strongly recommended prior to taking this course. CCJ 3024 CJ Systems and Processes 3 credits Components of the criminal justice system, including police, courts, corrections, the juvenile justice system, and the relationship of the criminal justice system to broad political, economic, and social issues. CCJ 3603 Forensic Psychology 3 credits Pragmatic review of the psychological, physiological, and sociological theories and practices which seek to evaluate and analyze deviant human behavior and environments that precipitate criminal conduct. CCJ 3610 Theories of Criminal Behavior 3 credits Complex factors related to criminal behavior. Focus on understanding criminal and delinquent behavior from a multi- FS CJ FS CJ

3 disciplinary perspective (biological, psychological, social) with emphasis on past and present theories. CCJ 3670 Introduction to Criminalistics 3 credits CCJ 3701 CCJ 4487 Research Methods in Criminal Justice Ethics in the Criminal Justice System An introduction to the identification, collection, preservation, and presentation of physical evidence from crime scenes. 3 credits Methods of gathering, analyzing, and reporting social data, with a focus on the purpose and logic of scientific inquiry and quantitative research techniques in criminal justice. Includes qualitative research, data collection, experimental and nonexperimental designs, measurement procedures, sampling methods, and interpretation of research results. 3 credits Identification, analysis, and response to diverse ethical issues, unethical practices, and unprofessional conduct encountered in the criminal justice system. CCJ 4674 Advanced Forensic Psychology prerequisite courses. Clinical interpretation of behavior and laboratory science to interpret crime scenes and suggest offender psychological profiles. Prerequisites: CCJ 3603 CCJ 4934 Senior Seminar 3 credits Integrative experience through which students comprehensively analyze and assess significant theories, policies, and practices related to criminal justice. CCJ 4940 Internship 1 to 6 credits Placement with one or more of the agencies comprising the criminal justice system. A minimum of 3 credits is required. Students may elect to take 1-3 additional hours as an elective. CHS 3501C Introduction to Forensic Science 3 credits Lecture and laboratory applications of the specialty areas in criminalistics (criminal analysis) including organic and inorganic analysis, physical evidence, hair, fiber, toxicology, arson, explosives, ballistics, serology, fingerprinting and DNA. CHS 3505C Forensic Microscopy I 3 credits The study of the light and polarized light microscope and its use in the identification and comparison of trace evidence. Prerequisites: CHS 3501C CJE 4612 Interview and Interrogation 3 credits Interview and Interrogation is designed on the principle of kinesics and understanding various aspects of verbalizations. Students are exposed to the interview process in logical steps, each designed to understand deception and malingering, and mechanisms for counteracting. CJE 4641 Advanced Criminalistics 3 credits Advanced Forensics focuses on the death investigation which encompasses latent prints, taphonomy, blood pattern analysis, pathology, entomology, and human remains decomposition. Study also includes trauma associated with arson, blunt and sharp instruments, ballistics, poisoning, asphyxiation, and electrocution. Prerequisites: CCJ 3670 CJL 4064 Constitutional Criminal Law 3 credits CJ FS CJ CJ FS CJ CJ FS FS FS FS

4 Basic concepts of constitutional criminal law, including the historical basis of the American criminal law system. IDS 3920 University Colloquium 3 credits The University Colloquium brings together students from all five colleges in a series of interdisciplinary learning experiences. These experiences are designed to address the ecological perspective outcome in relations to other university outcomes and guiding principles. Critical thinking and communication skills will be enhanced through field trips, discussion, projects, and a journal to be maintained by each student. CCJ, CJE, CJJ, CJL Criminal Justice attributes (CRJE) 12 hours (four of these courses) required beginning in the catalog year: CCJ 3603 Forensic Psychology (3) CCJ 3653 Drugs, Alcohol and Crime (3) CCJ 3666 Victimology (3) CCJ 3670 Introduction to Criminalistics (3) CCJ 4035 Media and Crime (3) CCJ 4042 Issues in International Justice (3) CCJ 4454 Issues in CJ Administration (3) CCJ 4601 Human Behavior (3) CCJ 4674 Advanced Forensic Psychology (3) CCJ 4630 Comparative Justice (3) CCJ 4662 Minorities and Crime (3) CCJ 4663 Female Crime (3) CCJ 4681 Domestic Violence (3) CCJ 4910 Independent Research (3) CCJ 4933 Special Topics in CJ (3) CCJ 4940 Internship (1-3) CCJ 4957 CJ Study Tour Abroad (3) CJC 3410 Methods of Offender Treatment (3) CJC 4010 American Corrections (3) CJC 4015 Issues in Corrections (3) CJC 4166 Alternatives to Incarceration (3) CJE 3365 Crisis Intervention (3) CJE 4014 Issues in Law Enforcement CJE 4114 Law Enforcement (3) CJE 4444 Crime Prevention (3) CJJ 3501 Juvenile Delinquency (3) CJJ 4015 Juvenile Justice System (3) CJJ 4018 Issues in Juvenile Justice CJL 4064 Constitutional Criminal Law (3) CJL 4074 Legal Issues in Corrections (3) CJL 4415 Law and Social Control (3) PLA 4570 Globalization and the Rule of Law (3) U RE

5 *FS = Required core course in criminal forensic studies program; CJ = required core course in criminal justice program and criminal forensic studies program; U = University requirement; RE= Restricted electives (electives in the major field); no courses were offered less frequently than every two years. This initial program requirements included no common prerequisites. The Bachelors Degree in Criminal Forensic Studies experienced an unexpected hurdle related to the nature of the program. As FGCU is one of the eleven Florida State Universities, its programs are subject to statewide common prerequisites by major. Curriculum and prerequisites are approved by the State University System. As no other Florida University has a similar Forensics curriculum, FGCU s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies was assigned the same common prerequisites as Florida Universities with a Bachelor of Forensic Science degree (these are heavily laboratory-focused). Beginning with the 2009/10 catalog year, the following common prerequisites were added to the catalog: BSC 1010C General Biology w/lab I (4) CHM 1045C General Chemistry w/lab I (4) MAC 2311 Calculus I (4) PHY 2053C College Physics w/lab I (4) STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) These common prerequisites for the Bachelor of Forensic Science degree included Calculus and Physics with laboratory. As the FGCU curriculum is Forensic Studies, not Forensic Science, the academic skill sets of Calculus and Physics with laboratory are not required. These added common prerequisites resulted in a slight reduction in the rate of new Criminal Forensic Studies Majors. In Fall semester, 2010, the common prerequisites were appealed and the Florida State University System concurred with the position of FGCU and the Calculus and Physics with laboratory prerequisites were dropped. In November of 2005, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act became law and Congress authorized "the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on forensic science". The study was financially supported by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institute of Justice. The study included hundreds of hours of testimony from professionals from dozens of disciplines that practice in the system of jurisprudence, the judiciary, and criminal justice. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations were approved by the Board of the National Research Council and published as Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward by the National Academies Press in I have taken excerpts and created my version of an Executive Summary. The recommendations are under review and there will be implementation with Congressional oversight. 1. There is NO single set of standards for the Certification and Accreditation of Individuals, Agencies, Laboratories, and Academic Programs. One will be created and will also include disciplinary actions for individuals, agencies, laboratories, and academic institutions practicing forensics without requisite accreditation. 2. Forensic practice will include criminal law, civil applications, natural and human made disasters, and direct involvement with the US Department of Homeland Security. Accreditation and Certification will reflect these areas of application. 3. Collaboration of the disciplines, judiciary, and law enforcement is mandated at the local, state and federal level. 4. Significant increase in the academic preparation of new Forensic Practitioners with Proficiency Testing. Further, we can expect mandatory proficiency tests for existing practitioners and required CEUs. Resultant to these recommendations, it became imperative that we modify our curriculum to reflect these new requirements. There has been an additional shift in the paradigm since the adoption of the Bachelors of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies. In 2003, FGCU was the only academic program offering "CSI type" courses in SW Florida. Now these courses are readily available. A survey of local institutions demonstrated such with the coursework at the Associate level with 1000 & 2000 level courses. To explore the employment value of the laboratory courses, three local County Sheriff Departments were contacted to identify hiring practices and requirements for entry level CSI

6 positions. The academic requirements range from a GED to an Associate degree. While the FGCU Bachelor of Science graduates will qualify, the agencies are able to hire employees with lesser academic preparation at an obvious lower pay grade. Further, the national trend is to NOT make CSI employees Academy Certified Law Enforcement Officers. As our program has been directed toward highly qualified law enforcement professionals, FGCU determined to adjust the curricula to meet this shift in paradigm and point to national accreditation. The following programmatic changes went through division, college, and university review; changes will be implemented in the fall 2011: 1. Change the Title of the programs (both BS & MS) to "Forensic Studies" instead of Criminal Forensic Studies. This change reflects the requirements of the national study that programs must include civil law applications, natural and human made disasters, and the direct relationship with the US Department of Homeland Security. 2. Change CHS 3501C Introduction to Forensic Sciences to CCJ 1XXX or 2XXX - Introduction to Forensics. This course will be a lower level prerequisite to ALL of the other Forensics Courses. It will be a survey course, which introduces students to the multidisciplinary nature of forensics. Professionals from a dozen (+,-) different disciplines will deliver lectures on the role of their discipline in forensics; Forensic Anthropology, Forensics Odontology, Forensic Psychology, Forensic Social Work, Computer Forensics, Forensic Nursing, Forensic Accounting, Forensics Bio-Chemistry, Forensic Facial Reconstruction, etc. 3. Drop or retire CHS 3505C Forensic Microscopy. The Faculty were surveyed and there is minimal use of microscopes in the other courses. Further, Law Enforcement crime scene units indicate that entry level CSI positions only require a high school level knowledge of microscope use. 4. Change the name of CCJ 3670 Introduction to Criminalistics to Crime Scene Investigation. The SUS associates the word "criminalistics" with Forensic Science curricula. 5. Drop or retire CCJ 4650 Advanced Criminalistics. In its current form it is redundant activity with CCJ 3670 and, again, to meet the SUS expectations. 1B: Faculty Faculty teaching in the B.S. in Criminal Forensic Studies are primarily full-time faculty. Several of the core courses in the program are also core in the B.S. in Criminal Justice program. Table 2 (below) highlights the primarily disciplinary content each faculty member contributes to the program. Please see Appendix 1 for faculty vita. These faculty hold terminal degrees in their specific fields; all are actively involved in the discipline, in the community, and in the University. Most notable, faculty scholarly productivity crosses several thresholds; faculty write in policing (or even school bus driver) oriented publications, in books oriented toward the general public, and in traditional scholarly outlets. This mix of academic and trade or even general public access is vital to being a scholar who is relevant to the field; this "scholar-practitioner" model makes us somewhat unique. TABLE 2: FACULTY teaching primarily Criminal Forensic Studies courses Name Status (Full or Part-Time)/ Primary specialization Rank (if appropriate)

7 Ronald Curtis, Ph.D. Part-Time / Law Enforcement Adjunct Instructor Duane Dobbert, Ph.D. Full-Time / Forensic Psychologist Professor Barry Lipton, M.D. Full-Time / Forensic Odontologist Associate Professor Dave Thomas, Ph.D. Full-Time / Law Enforcement Assistant Professor Heather Walsh-Haney Full-Time / Forensic Anthropologist Assistant Professor 1C: Students/ Enrollment As illustrated in Table 3 (below), enrollments initially grew drastically in the first two years of implementation of the program, then flattened out and experienced a small decline. Many factors have contributed to this, including the difficulty of offering enough sections of some courses to meet student demand and the increased competition in the Crime Scene Investigation programs available locally at the associate's degree level. With the programmatic changes being implemented in the fall 2011, we anticipate an additional "growth spurt" for the program. TABLE 3: STUDENTS Academic Year Unduplicated Notes Headcount (fall term) 2004/ Initial year of degree program 2005/ / / / First year without substantial growth; class sizes are larger, labs are filled to capacity 20009/ Common prerequisites implemented 2010/ Common prerequisites revised 1D: Library resources, physical resources, staff support, and student support services The BS in Criminal Forensic Studies program has had sufficient resources for students and faculty. Our library carries the forensics-related databases (including a database with ebooks in the forensic sciences), we have dedicated classrooms for the use of microscopes and the analysis of human remains (Dr. Walsh-Haney has made arrangements to have a substantial collection of human remains housed at the University). While enrollment growth has made classroom space a bit tight in our dedicated spaces, we are pleased to have them. The forensics faculty share an executive secretary with the other programs in our division (criminal justice and legal studies), and the University has extensive student support systems. As we move into the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall 2012, it will be vital to continue providing these resources and prioritizing the unique needs of the forensics program. Part 2: Review of mission(s) and purpose(s) of the program (6C (3)(b)1, FAC) The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies degree program adheres to the following BOG priorities and FGCU Mission and Guiding Principles:

8 Board of Governors Strategic Plan The university is responsible for aligning its mission, vision, and strategic plan with the Board of Governors Strategic Plan. The BOG Strategic Plan provides the more general context for the university s work. The four goals of the plan are: Goal 1: Access to and production of degrees. Goal 2: Meeting statewide professional and workforce needs. Goal 3: Building world-class academic programs and research capacity. Goal 4: Meeting community needs and fulfilling unique institutional responsibilities. The complete BOG Strategic Plan is located at: The University mission, vision and guiding principles The university s mission, vision, guiding principles, and strategic plan is aligned with the wider goals of the Board of Governors. The FGCU mission, vision, and guiding principles state: Florida Gulf Coast University will achieve national prominence in undergraduate education with expanding recognition for graduate programs. (Approved Jan 19, 2010 by BOT) Vision Mission M1: Established on the verge of the 21 st century, Florida Gulf Coast University infuses the strengths of the traditional public university with innovation and learning-centered spirit, its chief aim being to fulfill the academic, cultural, social, and career expectations of its constituents. M2: Outstanding faculty uphold challenging academic standards and balance research, scholarly activities, and service expectations with their central responsibilities of teaching and mentoring. Working together, faculty and staff of the University transform students lives and the southwest Florida region. M3: Florida Gulf Coast University continuously pursues academic excellence, practices and promotes environmental sustainability, embraces diversity, nurtures community partnerships, values public service, encourages civic responsibility, cultivates habits of lifelong learning, and keeps the advancement of knowledge and pursuit of truth as noble ideals at the heart of the university s purpose. (Approved Jan 19, 2010 by BOT) P1: Student success is at the center of all University endeavors. FGCU Guiding Principles P2: Academic freedom is the foundation for the transmission and advancement of knowledge. P3: Diversity is a source of renewal and vitality.

9 P4: Informed and engaged citizens are essential to the creation of a civil and sustainable society. P5: Service to Southwest Florida, including access to the University, is a public trust. P6: Technology is a fundamental tool in achieving educational quality, efficiency, and distribution. P7: Connected knowing and collaborative learning are basic to being well educated. P8: Assessment of all functions is necessary for improvement and continual renewal. 2A: PROGRAM MISSION AND PURPOSE The original program purpose and mission are discussed above. The revised program description is as follows: The Bachelors or Science (BS) in Forensic Studies is a contemporary multidisciplinary curriculum that blends the social, behavioral, and natural sciences with the United States System of Jurisprudence. The curriculum also reflects the findings of the Congressional Hearings required of the Science, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 and accordingly expands the definition of Forensics to include criminal and civil law, manmade and natural disasters, and the direct relationship with Homeland Security. It provides students with the skills requisite to the investigation of criminal offenses, and the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of criminal offenders. It also provides students with knowledge pertaining to forensic applications in civil cases, child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence. This curriculum integrates the multidisciplinary theoretical perspectives with research in the examination, identification, and application of alternative solutions to social problems. This program builds upon a solid liberal arts core to achieve a balanced justice perspective, which includes an emphasis upon the victim, the offender, the system of jurisprudence, and society. Part 3: List of teaching, research, service, and other program goals and objectives (6C (3)(b)2, FAC) Faculty in the division have recently revised their strategic plan to include the curricular changes that are forthcoming. The strategic plan for implementation and assessment of revised program (BS in Forensic Studies) is as follows: Program Strategic Plan: Implementation and assessment of revised BS in Forensic Studies program(effective fall 2011) Program: BS in Criminal Forensic Studies Revised: BS in Forensic Studies: November 30, 2010 by CJ/Forensic Leadership Team (Interim Chair, MaryAnn Zager; Duane L. Dobbert, Professor, Forensic Studies

10 PROGRAM GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND MEASURES Program Goal #1 Assessment of Student Learning Objective Complete Seven Year Program Review process Measure #1 Under the Guidance of the Office of Planning and Institutional Performance, select an extern al reviewer. Measure #2 Complete the self-study in spring 2011 Measure #3 Attain, and review, the External Review and prepare a response Measure #4 Following meetings with the Dean and Provost, develop a plan for meeting the concerns of the External Reviewer and ongoing program assessment. Objective Complete annual program assessment in order to improves student learning in the program (build upon previous analysis of critical thinking in research methods course to include additional assessments as per IPM) Measure #1 Gather direct and indirect assessment materials every year in spring semester. Quantitative Assessment will include 10% of the final examination in the core courses and qualitative through submissions in Senior Seminar. Measure #2 Following analysis if the qualitative and quantitative measure in Measure #1, core courses will be revised to reflect these findings. Measure #3 Review and revise Academic Learning Compacts. Measure #4 Review and update Integrated Program Matrices reflecting modifications in the core courses and subsequent evaluation of said modifications and closing the loop, thus annually demonstrating improvement in student outcomes in meeting the academic skill sets. Program Goal #2 Allocation of Faculty and Staff Objective Ascertain the number of fulltime and adjunct faculty to meet the scholarly and instructional requirements of the core courses and electives. Measurement #1 Evaluate the requisite disciplines necessary to meet the breadth of esoteric core and elective courses. Measurement #2 Based upon the assessment in Measure #1, request and hire sufficient full time and adjunct faculty to meet the student demand. Objective Hire sufficient full-time and part-time support staff to meet the demands of program.

11 Measurement #1 Review the number of individuals supported by administrative staff. Measurement #2 Compile a list of equipment supported by administrative staff Measurement #3 Based upon data, determine and request sufficient fulltime and part time laboratory support personnel and administrative staff. Program Goal #3 Faculty Service and Scholarship Objective Faculty are active scholars in their field Measurement #1 Through the annual review process, guide and track Faculty Scholarship on an annual basis. Measurement #2 Through the annual review process, guide and track Faculty participation in Independent Study and Research with students and colleagues. Objective Faculty are active in service to the community, the profession, and the university Measurement #1 Through the annual review process, guide and track Faculty participation in service activities Measurement #2 Review service activities to ensure that 75% or more of the faculty service is related to the University, College, and Program goals. Program Goal #4 Teaching and Curriculum Objective Review and update curriculum to meet contemporary issues 3D: SLOS Measurement #1 Ascertain the frequency of core and elective course offerings to meet student graduation requirements and demand. Measurement #2 Review current course offerings to ascertain relevance to contemporary issues. Measurement #3 Develop new courses to meet changes in the forensic disciplines. The Integrated Program Matrix (IPM) has also been revised. The IPM for the assessment of student learning in the revised program (BS in Forensic Studies) is as follows: Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies Integrated Program Matrix (updated in FS faculty meeting March 28, 2011) FGCU Undergraduate Student Learning Goals College of Professional Studies Core Competencies Program Student Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies Assessment Criteria and Measures Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies

12 FGCU Undergraduate Student Learning Goals Aesthetic Sensibility: know, understand, analyze, and evaluate the variety of aesthetic frameworks and principles at work; collaborate in projects involving aesthetic awareness/analysis. Culturally Diverse Perspective: know and understand diversity in local/global communities; analyze and evaluate the impact of cultural differences; and participate in projects involving interaction with diverse people, ideas and values. Ecological Perspective: know issues of ecological/economic sustainability; analyze and evaluate local & global ecological issues; participate in ecological/ environmental projects Effective Communication: know principles for effective communication; organize thoughts and compose ideas; and participate in collaborative communication projects. Ethical Responsibility: know and understand ethical issues; analyze and evaluate ethical issues in a variety of contexts; and participate in collaborative projects involving ethical analysis and/or discussions. Information Literacy: identify and locate sources of information; analyze and evaluate information in a variety of contexts; and participate in collaborative analysis/application of information. Problem-Solving Abilities: Understand multi/interdisciplinary nature of knowledge; apply critical, analytical, creative and systems thinking; and work individually and collaboratively to recognize and solve problems. Technological Literacy: Develop knowledge of modern technology; process information through use of technology; and collaborate with others using technology tools. Community Awareness and Involvement: Know and understand relationships between individuals and their communities; analyze, evaluate and assess human needs and practices; and participate collaboratively in community service projects. College of Professional Studies Core Competencies All programs in the College of Professional Studies link students learning experiences to the needs of communities and their members. These programs are all designed to meet the College goals: Prepare students to respond in innovative ways to the evolving social, political, economic, and natural environments in which policy-making and service delivery are carried out. Cultivate an ethic of public integrity and civic engagement in professional, political, and community activities. Develop an understanding of the multi-cultural and increasingly global contexts within which public problems emerge, as well as an ability to formulate interdisciplinary strategies for their identification and resolution. Cultivate the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes required for life-long growth and development. Integrate multiple, state-of-the-art technologies into the learning environment and develop students abilities to use technology creatively in their work. Develop comprehensive field-based experiences linked to individual and community development. Program Student Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies a. Enumerate, explain, and discuss the multidisciplinary nature of Forensics. b. Articulate the relationship of crime scene investigation, behavioral analysis of crime, and Constitutional Criminal Law. Discuss the role of culture in the context of criminal behavior and suggest methodologies for enhanced cultural awareness as it pertains to human behavior through time and across the globe. c. Demonstrate the collection and preservation of physical evidence and the chain of custody. Articulate the relationship of environmental criminal conduct to ecological sustainability. d. Discuss the application of forensic disciplines to civil law, humanmade and natural disasters, and homeland security. e. Infer behavioral motivation from crime scene evidence, victimology, and human trauma analysis in one or more of these ways: - Recognize the behavioral manifestations of mental illness and personality disorders -Suggest precursor behaviors from behavioral patterns. -Predict future behavior based upon current behavioral manifestations. -Delineate probable suspect groups f. Correlate Constitutional Due Process guarantees with suspect interview and interrogation. Assessment Criteria and Measures Bachelor of Science in Forensic Studies Assignments within core courses assessed using written assignments, classroom/laboratory/ field exercises (through rubrics developed for the specific assignment) and exams. Core courses will assess student acquisition of knowledge through specific items on examinations and written assignments and field project (through rubrics developed for the specific assignment). Instructors of core courses collaborate on assignments that evaluate this criterion. Instructor of Crime Scene Investigation course will assess acquisition of this outcome through specific questions on examinations that have been developed by faculty as a team; notebook with documented lab outcomes will be assessed by more than one faculty member (through rubrics developed for the specific assignment). Core courses will assess student acquisition of knowledge through specific items on examinations and written assignments and field project (through rubrics developed for the specific assignment). Instructors of core courses collaborate on assignments that evaluate this criterion. Instructors of forensic psychology courses will collaboratively develop assignments to meet this goal and maintain records of successful completion of these skills (as a subset of an exam or a final project). Instructor of Interview & Interrogations CJE 4612 and at least one other faculty member will keep records of successful completion of these skills (as a subset of an exam). Critical thinking skills are captured through program student learning outcomes b, d, & f. Communication skills are captured through program student learning outcomes a, b, e, & g. Assessment of student learning (6C (3)(b)3b, FAC) g. Demonstrate the knowledge requisite to presenting evidence in court in a logical, professional manner. Part 4: Instructor of Constitutional Criminal Law CJL 4064 will keep records of successful completion of these skills as assessed by more than one faculty member (through rubrics developed for the specific assignment). In the spring of 2005, the University released its strategic plan. Under Goal 2: The student community, this plan called for increased enrollment:

13 1.1.a: Student headcount for should reach 7400 (from 6151 currently) and generate 3951 full-time equivalent students (current est for 04-05) (subject to full funding from the state). Benchmarks for 07-08, headcount 10,169 and FTE 4,999 and 09-10, 12,925 headcount and 6,135 FTE. (2005, p. 21). This plan for increased enrollment heavily influenced the plan for assessment of student learning in the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies program. Program Assessment for the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies The program uses a variety of means to assess outcomes and foster improvement and program efficacy, including embedded course assessments; formal and informal student assessment of courses; and state employment and continuing education data. For the academic years 2005/06 through 2009/10, student learning was assessed directly through embedded assessment in the required research methods course (this course is also a core course in the Criminal Justice Program, so this was a focus of assessment for the division). The longitudinal time-series design was chosen to monitor student learning of difficult core material over a period when the University was expected to feel the "growing pains" of transitioning from small to larger classes. Because faculty anticipated challenges to incorporating alternative pedagogy into on campus classrooms and online, maintaining a consistent level of student mastery of core student learning outcomes related to critical thinking and communication skills was the primary goal of this phase of assessment of student learning. Selecting core student learning outcomes and the appropriate assessment strategy were central to the longitudinal assessment plan. Direct & Indirect Assessment of Student Learning: Critical Thinking The student learning outcomes most central to successfully completing the curriculum were identified as the target outcomes for the assessment of student learning. During the last several assessment cycles (2005/ /10), the program focused its efforts on critical thinking from the Integrated Program Matrix. The learning outcomes are central to being a successful criminal justice system practitioner, but not generally what incoming students expect to learn. Criminal Forensic Studies students generally expect to learn about the criminal justice system. However, faculty and potential employers see the value in less obvious student learning outcomes that emphasize the link between theory and practice and the integration of technology in to curriculum (McBride, 1994). The original BS in Criminal Forensic Studies Integrated Program Matrix (IPM) was highly focused on critical thinking in the discipline. In conjunction with the BS in Criminal Justice program, student assessment focused on students' critical thinking skills as enrollment grew. Direct Assessment of Student Learning: Embedded Assessment in a core research methods course The longitudinal analysis of student learning of the critical outcomes identified above was embedded in the required research methods course(s) in the program CCJ This course was chosen as the focus of the assessment strategy because it had been identified as a course with a high D/W/F rate among majors with the potential to significantly affect their chances to ultimately complete the program. This longitudinal assessment design facilitated faculty discussion and development of alternative pedagogy as class sizes grew to meet increased student enrollment. Assessment of student learning was focused on both delivery of course materials and assessment tools and strategies. The program assessed learning outcomes using essay questions and problems on examinations, student feedback during and after the term, and objective quizzes/exams embedded in CCJ 3701 Research Methods in Criminal Justice (which later became CCJ 3700 Criminal Justice Research Methods as part of the curricular change that resulted from the assessment process). Course descriptions for the initial course and subsequent courses are included in Appendix 2. The course content is essentially a toolkit to address any question related to the criminal justice system. As such, the variety of concepts covered in the course is not limited to one core area of the broad subject matter addressed in the program. Specifically, this course addressed both o the connection between theory and practice using active learning tools and o technological tools for criminal justice researchers and practitioners. As students were required to plan study protocols to test theory and/or apply theory to programs prior to testing program efficacy, this course required students to address critical thinking related to the application of theoretical perspectives to criminal justice practice, a core learning outcome that is reflected in the program description and in the learning outcome of critical

14 thinking. As students were required to plan research studies utilizing the most appropriate methodologies, this course required students to be aware of and incorporate technological tools (such as online survey administration and electronic data files available for public use) into their research plans. This course had the most literal translation from campus to virtual offerings. As illustrated by the campus and virtual syllabi included in Appendix 3, the only difference in course assignments was that campus students engaged in activities in class while virtual students engaged in online discussion via web boards for a small portion (15%) of the course grade. As strategies for course content delivery and assessment changed for campus students, they also changed for virtual students, maintaining the synergy between campus and virtual delivery of the course and the assessments. It is important o note that not all courses in the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies were available via distance learning modalities; however, many of the courses were available online, so the comparison is important. This course is a junior level course. As such, it addresses students skill levels as they enter their major. Future assessment plans (to be implemented in the 2011/12 academic year) include additional courses in the major, some of which are senior level courses. Allan McBride, who taught research methods for more than a decade before publishing his perspective on the course, summed up the reasons that a research methods course was appropriate to use as the central location for this longitudinal assessment of student learning: Undergraduate and graduate-level courses in social science research methods are widely avoided and maligned by students while faculty members who are required, or who choose, to teach these courses often suffer from poor student evaluations. The reasons for this situation are related to the nature of the material, which leaves little opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have gained in other courses in their major; at least students believe this to be the case. Additionally, students are required to master the language of scientific methods, with specific and technical definitions; to understand scientific and experimental notation; and to comprehend the difficult area of probability theory and its relation to sampling, all matters for which students see little or no purpose. Yet faculty recognize that students who are to be well-informed citizens, or to attend graduate school, or to seek professional employment upon graduation need to master some of these skills to contribute successfully to their communities and to their professional lives (1994, p. 533). A criterion for student success is that each student will be able to (at minimum) identify and address the primary objective of the problem; this corresponds to milestone 2 on the AAC&U critical thinking value rubric (the rubric is included as Appendix 4). From the spring 2005 term through the fall 2010 term, both the assessment tool and the curriculum underwent revision based on assessment results. Results of the direct assessment are discussed below; actual scores on these assessments are included as Appendix 5. Initial Direct Assessment Instrument, Administration, and Targets In the first version of the assessment tool Meets Expectations for the student learning outcome of critical thinking is identified by scoring at least 16.0 of 25 possible points on the exam (see Appendix 6 for an example exam). This assessment tool was in place from the spring 2005 through fall The first embedded assessment tool used (when the assessment process began in the spring 2005 term) was the final examination in CCJ This exam was required to complete the course; all students took this with a proctor. Most took it in the classroom setting, distance students took it with a pre-approved proctor, and some students took it in the Office of Adaptive Services (usually with an extended time accommodation). Student learning outcomes were addressed with three essay questions on planning and/or critiquing research methodology that fit an identified research topic in criminal justice and three problems where students received variable descriptions and interpreted statistical analysis of those variables. For the essay portion, students were given a hypothetical research problem and questions related to that problem (both theoretical and applied research questions are used in each exam) with specific parameters including one or more of the following: qualitative research, quantitative research, sampling techniques, budgetary constraints, time constraints, survey item critique, index/scale construction, and/or evaluation research. Students then described the most appropriate methodology to solve the research problem, used appropriate methodological terminology in the description, and defended their choices. This required students to 1) apply learned methodological terms to a new example, 2) focus the theoretical problem to a specific, concrete research question, 3) identify components of the theoretical perspective that must be measured to test the theory, 4)create a measure that addresses all core components of a theoretical construct, 5) create a process through which the theoretical perspective is practiced (program design), and/or 6) identify the process for evaluating the effectiveness of that program. Essay Questions

15 Essay questions were scored numerically (scores ranged from 0 to 4): 4.0 (100%, excellent) Student identified the primary objective and at least one secondary objective of the problem and addressed those with appropriate methodological terminology and without error. 3.5 (87.5%, very good) Student identified and addressed the primary objective (but did not address secondary objectives); student used appropriate methodological terminology with minor error. 3.0 (75%, fairly clear) Student identified and addressed the primary objective (but did not address secondary objectives); student used appropriate methodological terminology with more than one minor error or one serious error. 2.5 (62.5%, problematic) Student identified and addressed the primary objective or at least one secondary objective but made at least one serious error. 2.0 (50%, off base) Student did not identified and address the primary or secondary objectives; student did attempt to address a research problem, just not the problem that was presented in the question. 1.0 (25%, inadequate) Student response did not address any research problem. Statistical Analysis Problems For the statistical analysis problems, Students are provided with a codebook for data they have not seen in class (new example of learned concepts). Questions on the exam asked students to examine statistical output and 1) determine if the statistical analysis provided is appropriate for the variables used 2) if so, interpret the statistical analysis Data Analysis problems were scored numerically (scores ranged from 0 to 4): 4.0 (100%, excellent) Student identified whether analysis provided was correct, level of measurement of variables, independent and dependent variables (where applicable) and interpreted the test(s) completely without error. 3.5 (87.5%, very good) Student identified whether analysis provided was correct, level of measurement of variables, independent and dependent variables (where applicable). Interpretation was limited to statistical significance. 3.0 (75%, fairly clear) Student identified whether analysis provided was correct, level of measurement of variables, independent and dependent variables (where applicable). Interpretation was incorrect. 2.5 (62.5%, problematic) Student provided a correct interpretation of the incorrect statistic (incorrect tables/tests chosen). 2.0 (50%, off base) Student misidentified whether analysis provided was correct, level of measurement of variables, independent and dependent variables (where applicable), but did attempt to interpret. 1.0 (25%, inadequate) Student wrote a general statement about the variables without identifying whether analysis provided was correct, level of measurement of variables, independent and dependent variables, and interpretation of statistical test. Initial Direct Assessment Target: The target for this version of the assessment was that each student average at least milestone 2 on the AAC&U critical thinking value rubric, indicated by scoring at least 16.0 of 25 possible points on the final exam. Group Target: 75% of the students will achieve the target indicated by at least 16.0 of 25 possible points on the final exam. Initial Direct Assessment Results: Program goal 75% of students meet criterion met spring 2005 spring Spring 2005: 23 of 28 students who took the exam (82%) met the criterion. Summer 2005: 21 of 25 (84%) students who took the exam met the criterion. Fall 2005: 21 of 28 (75%) students who took the exam met the criterion. Spring 2006: 19 of 25 (76%) students who took the exam met the criterion. Decline in student success in fall Fall 2006: 26 of 36 (72%) on campus and 8 of 14 (57%) virtual students who took the exam met the criterion (under target).

16 Program goal 75% of students meet criterion met spring 2007 spring Spring 2007: 24 of 30 on campus (80%) and 6 of 7 (86%) virtual students who took the exam met the criterion. Summer 2007: 22 of 29 (76%) on campus and 6 of 7 (86%) virtual students who took the exam met the criterion. Fall 2007: 29 of 32 (91%) on campus and 7 of 7 (100%) virtual students who took the exam met the criterion. Spring 2008: 29 of 33 (88%) on campus and 4 of 5 (80%) virtual students met the criterion. Baseline data from the first year (spring 2005 through spring 2006) indicate that the program goal of having at least 75% of student meet the criterion for the exam, corresponding to a basic level of critical thinking (level 2 on the AAC & U scale ranging from 1 to 4), was realistic using the current curriculum and course sizes of 25 to 30. In the fall 2006 term, the total number of students participating in class assignments by the time the exam was administered increased to 50 (campus and distance combined). Because there was no curricular change for this period, this indicated that the current curriculum was not as successful with larger classes as with the previous semesters' smaller classes. Indirect measures of student learning supported this finding (see discussion below). Beginning in the spring 2007 term, class sizes were lowered to a maximum of 40 (both campus and virtual sections). This brought student learning back to the target goal. However, the total of 40 students per section would not be sufficient to address program needs as the student body grew. Indirect assessments (below) showed other indicators of the need for curricular change. Second Version of Direct Assessment Instrument, Administration, and Targets In the spring 2008 term, the assessment was broken into three components: the first of the three exams was used as the direct assessment of student learning of critical thinking. Appendix 6 has an example exam from this assessment strategy. Second Direct Assessment Target: The target for this version of the assessment was that each student average at least milestone 2 on the AAC&U critical thinking value rubric, indicated by at least 6.5 of 10 possible points on the first examination. Group Target: 75% of the students will achieve the target indicated by at least 6.5 of 10 possible points on the first examination. Second Direct Assessment Results: Program goal 75% of students meet criterion met spring Spring 2008: 29 of 33 (88%) on campus and 4 of 5 (80%) virtual students met the criterion. The strategy of separating the assessment into three separate assessments did result in maintaining the criterion for success. Indirect assessment (discussed below) and the upcoming need for full sections of the course online and on campus influenced further curricular revision. Third Version of Direct Assessment Instrument, Administration, and Targets Third Direct Assessment Target: The target for this version of the assessment was that each student average at least milestone 2 on the AAC&U critical thinking value rubric, indicated by a score of 65% or higher on the first objective exam. Group Target: 75% of the students will achieve the target indicated by at least 65% on the first examination. Third Direct Assessment Results: Program goal 75% of students meet criterion met fall 2008; first full section of virtual students in spring 2009; target met in both campus and virtual sections. Fall 2008: 24 of 32 (75%) on campus and 12 of 15 (80%) virtual students met the criterion. Spring 2009: 25 of 28 (89%) on campus and 26 of 32 (81%) virtual students met the criterion.

17 Comparison of campus and virtual students: Two full sections of CCJ 3701 (11041 on campus, virtual) were administered the same examination. Objective questions on the exam covered identification and application of critical concepts related to critical thinking (example items from the objective exam are included in Appendix 7). The research paper covered identification and application of critical concepts related to program student learning goal c from the program IPM (in future terms, this goal will be assessed in CCJ 3701 Data Analysis in Criminal Justice). The independent samples t-test (equal variances not assumed) indicated no statistically significant difference in mean scores on exam one for the virtual students as compared to the on campus students (t=0.814; df = ; p < 0.419). The mean score on exam #1 for crn (campus section) was 77.7; the mean score on exam #1 for crn (virtual section) was Additional analysis of virtual and campus students indicated that the mean score on the data analysis project (final submission of the completed research paper) was not different for campus and virtual students. The mean score for campus students in crn was 71.0; the mean score for virtual students in crn was Independent samples t-test (equal variances assumed) indicated no statistically significant difference in mean scores for these two groups (t=1.738; df = 58; p < 0.088). The objective test, coupled with the research paper, indicated that students in both the on campus and the virtual sections of CCJ 3701 Research Methods in Criminal Justice met the established criteria for the student learning goals b & c, as well as critical thinking and communication skills. This set the stage for continuing the use of objective assessments of student learning as the curriculum was divided into two required courses (one covering research methodology, the other covering data analysis) in the fall 2009 term. Fourth Version of Direct Assessment Instrument, Administration, and Targets Fourth Direct Assessment Target: The target for this version of the assessment was that each student average at least milestone 2 on the AAC&U critical thinking value rubric, indicated by a score of 65% or higher on the first objective exam in the new course, CCJ 3700 Methods of Criminal Justice Research. Group Target: 75% of the students will achieve the target indicated by at least 65% on the first examination. Fourth Direct Assessment Results: Program goal 75% of students meet criterion met fall 2009 and spring New assessment tool first exam in CCJ 3700 with objective questions. The 55 item exam demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach s alpha = 0.859) and comparable success rates to the previous tool. Fall 2009: 44 of 44 (100%) on campus and 9 of 10 (90%) virtual students met the criterion. Spring 2010: 25 of 28 (89%) on campus and 26 of 32 (81%) virtual students met the criterion. The objective assessment tools indicate successful student learning of objective b and critical thinking. This result persisted across larger class sizes (over 50 students each term) and among campus and distance learners. Summary of Direct Assessment Results Level longitudinal trends in student achievement of milestone 2 level criterion persisted across moderately increased class sizes, changes in assessment tools, and division of program content. The program faculty have demonstrated that they can be effective in facilitating student learning in larger class sizes, even in the most difficult courses, for both on campus and distance learners. Indirect Assessment of Student Learning: Student Feedback through Formal (Student Assessment of Instruction) and Informal (Feedback requested by Professor) Venues Initial Indirect Assessment Instrument, Administration, and Targets Student feedback (in combination with the results of the direct assessments) prompted the faculty to explore the curricular revision that was ultimately implemented in the fall 2009 term, with two required courses (one in research methodology, one in data analysis) replacing the single core course covering booth topics. This indirect assessment of student learning of core

18 competencies in CCJ 3701 was gleaned from written comments on the Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI) tool that is administered to every fall and spring class (and some summer classes, depending on term and whether the instructor specifically requested the SAI be administered) at FGCU near the end of the term. In addition to the traditional questions about learning in the classroom such as whether the instructor made the material interesting, whether the instructor showed respect for students, whether the instructor was on time for class, and student's overall assessment of the instructor, students are given an opportunity to add comments on any component of the course in an open ended comments section. These comments are summarized here, with exemplars. Initial Indirect Assessment Results: Spring 2005: To illustrate the difference between "general comments regarding the course and/or the professor" and "constructive suggestions for course improvement", all student comments are included for this term. For later terms, only comments with constructive suggestions for course improvement are included. Seven students wrote comments; two provided constructive feedback in terms of improving students learning (Wish the processes of the actual software and data analysis would have been introduced sooner; I thought that she was very good, but I wish that she got back to us sooner on the assignments.); two were generally negative re: the course and instructor (The instructor talks like we should know what is going on just because she is knowledgeable in the area; pointless), two were generally positive toward the course and the instructor (This is one out of two classes that I have taken at FGCU that has both stimulated my mind and that did not consist of redundant information. Furthermore, the course was not as difficult as my peers make it seem. Excellent class and professor.; While I believe this is the hardest course I've taken, I am happy with the time Dr. X has taken to help me understand and clarify issues. I have actually enjoyed the course more than I originally thought I would. Thanks) ; and one was generally positive toward the professor but not the class (Great professor, difficult class. Even though I didn't totally enjoy the class, I really enjoyed having Dr. X as a professor.). Thus, student suggestions for improving student learning in this course included: more immediate feedback on assignments and moving the timeline for the second portion of the course forward. Summer 2005: Five general comments were written about the instructor and/or course; three were generally positive, two were generally negative. No constructive comments for improving student learning in future terms. Fall 2005: Six written comments were provided. Four were generally positive, two focused on critiquing course content, three provided constructive feedback: one suggested partnering people up for the project or having group conference calls to discuss any problems or road blocks; two persons suggested breaking the course into two separate courses due to the large amount of material covered. Spring 2006: Seven written comments were provided. Six were generally positive, one was generally negative, one provided constructive feedback: questions on the assignments were sometimes difficult to understand and more help needed on bivariate analysis. Fall 2006: Eight written comments were provided. Seven were generally positive, one was generally negative but also critiqued course content (too much material, easy to get lost, should not be taught online), one provided constructive feedback: lecture notes to campus students prior to the day of class. Spring 2007: Eight written comments were provided. Five were generally positive, two were generally negative, two provided constructive feedback: data analysis section of class seemed to be a completely new subject toward the end of the semester and that material was very difficult; should have a copy of the SPSS software on reserve in the library; lecture notes to campus students prior to the day of class. Based on these written comments received through the formal assessment of instruction and informal discussions with students, the faculty began exploring the possibility of separating this course into a series of two courses. over the 2007/08 year, faculty discussed the possibility in faculty meetings, and in the fall 2008 the formal process of curricular revision began. Changes in curriculum were implemented in the fall 2009 term. To further assess student's perception of their learning after the curriculum was divided in to two courses, all students in CCJ 3700 were given the opportunity to replace one of the five required assignments with a sixth "make-up" assignment. That assignment was to provide the instructor with one concrete suggestion that they believed would improve future students' learning in the course. These comments are included in full in Appendix G. Although students were directed to provide suggestions for improvement (and instructions were revised to emphasize this for the

19 fall 2010 term), some students gave more general impressions of what did and did not work for them (for example, class was very difficult online and should be taught on campus) without specific suggestions for remedying identified issues. Many students who did make suggestions for improvement focused on three themes: making the written assignment instructions clearer, issues with applied questions on exams and/or quizzes (evidenced by saying they could not find the answer in the book), or general issues with the group project. Notably, very few students indicated that there was too much material covered in the course. Summary of Indirect Assessment (Student Feedback) Results Initial feedback from students indicated that there was too much material in the single combined course for students to learn the material effectively in one semester. Virtual students were particularly distressed with course requirements. These comments persisted despite generally favorable comments toward the instructor, and course structure. Student feedback prompted the faculty to explore the curricular revision that was ultimately implemented in the fall 2009 term, with two required courses (one in research methodology, one in data analysis) replacing the single core course covering booth topics. After the curricular revision, in the new research methodology course (CCJ 3700), student feedback did not indicate that there was too much material in the course for a one semester, three credit hour course. Comments focused on course assessment tools, explanation of course content, etc.. These issues will be addressed in future cycles of assessment of student learning. Indirect Assessment of Student Success: Progress in Program A program goal is program completion. As discussed above, the course where direct assessment is embedded (CCJ 3701) is commonly seen as a difficult class. Prior to the initial assessments, the Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) identified this course as one with an above average rate of D/F/W (Withdrawal, or grades of D or F) than most courses at the University. An indirect assessment of student progress, timely completion of program requirements, is measured by monitoring D/F/W rates to identify students having difficulty completing the course. Initial D/F/W rates - baseline Spring 2005: D/F/W grades assigned to 8 of 29 (28%) on campus and 3 of 9 (33%) virtual students. Summer 2005: D/F/W grades assigned to 12 of 29 (41%) on campus and 1 of 4 (25%) virtual students. Fall 2005: D/F/W grades assigned to 10 of 30 (33%) on campus and 5 of 9 (56%) virtual students. Spring 2006: D/F/W grades assigned to 10 of 31 (32%) on campus and 4 of 9 (44%) virtual students. Noticeable decline in student success (especially for the few virtual students) in terms of high rate of D/F/W (grades of D or F or withdrawal) curricular change implemented in fall Fall 2006: D/F/W grades assigned to 3 of 24 (13%) on campus and 8 of 17 (47%) of virtual students. Spring 2007: D/F/W grades assigned to 8 of 32 (25%) on campus students and 9 of 12 (75%) of virtual students. Summer 2007: D/F/W grades assigned to 5 of 29 (17%) on campus students and 4 of 9 (44%) of virtual students. Fall 2007: D/F/W grades assigned to 3 of 35 (9%) on campus students and 3 of 10 (30%) of virtual students. Spring 2008: D/F/W grades assigned to 6 of 36 (17%) and 5 of 9 (55%) of virtual students. Noticeable improvement in student success (especially for the few virtual students) in terms of high rate of D/F/W (grades of D or F or withdrawal). Fall 2008: D/F/W grades assigned to 7 of 34 (21%) on campus and 1 of 15 (7%) of virtual students. Spring 2009: D/F/W grades assigned to 2 of 30 (7%) on campus and 6 of 31 (19%) of virtual students Fall 2009: D/F/W grades assigned to 3 of 44 (7%) of on campus and 0 of 10 (0%) of virtual students Spring 2010: D/F/W grades assigned to 2 of 30 (7%) on campus and 6 of 31 (19%) of virtual students Baseline D/F/W rates hover near 30% for the first semesters of the assessment process. Beginning in fall 2005 and continuing through spring 2008, the D/F/W rate for virtual student is noticeably higher than the rate for campus students, and is well above the 30% threshold (as illustrated in the chart below). Curricular changes implemented after spring 2008 resulted in a

20 noticeable reduction in D/F/W rates for virtual students and campus students, with overall rates hovering near 20%. This indirect measure of student learning - whether they remain actively engaged in the course and are ultimately successful in completing the course - adds a dimension to the previous analysis of direct student learning of program outcomes. 80 Percent of Students with D/F/W grades in CCJ 3701, Spring 2005-Spring Campus Virtual Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Fall 2005 Spring 2006 Fall 2006 Spring 2007 Summer 2007 Fall 2007 Spring 2008 Fall 2008 Spring 2009 Fall 2009 Spring 2010 Indirect Assessment of Student Success: Employment After Graduation A program goal is employment or graduate study for all graduates. Data from the Florida State University System (SUS) indicate that FGCU s Criminal Justice and Criminal Forensic Studies majors are successfully employed or attending graduate school at a higher rate than most programs in the SUS (Florida Education & Training Placement Information). Florida state employment data available for 2007/08 and 2008/09 show that the percentage FGCU s criminal justice graduates who are employed in Florida within six months after graduation is above the median percentage for criminal justice graduates in the SUS. In 2007/08, 73% of FGCU s 56 criminal justice graduates were employed; this is the third highest percent employed of the eight SUS criminal justice programs and well above the statewide average of 67%. In 2008/09, 74% of FGCU s 39 criminal justice graduates were employed. FGCU graduates also earn more than average. In 2007/08, FGCU s criminal justice graduates estimated full quarter average earnings were $9,927; this is the highest value of the eight SUS criminal justice programs and well above the statewide average of $8,223. In 2008/09, FGCU s criminal justice graduates full quarter average earnings were $10,589. These same data indicate that FGCU s graduates are also likely to attend graduate school after earning their BS in criminal justice. In 2007/08, 20% of FGCU s criminal justice graduates were attending graduate school; this is the fourth highest value of the eight SUS criminal justice programs although it is just below the statewide average of 21%. In 2008/09, 36% of FGCU s criminal justice graduates were attending graduate school. Much of this success is due to the thriving MS in Criminal Forensic Studies program at FGCU. Summary of Continuous Improvement Process - Time Series Design

21 The process of assessing student learning in a difficult core course to maintain acceptable levels of student achievement of critical program components from spring 2005 through spring 2010 was invaluable to the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies program. Direct assessment of student learning facilitated the use of alternative pedagogy and assessment strategies while maintaining student learning levels. Indirect assessment include students' written and informal feedback as well as students continued participation in the class after their initial registration (as indicated by the D/F/W rate) facilitated the curricular revision process and helped to identify students' specific concerns. As this difficult required course was redesigned to accommodate both direct and indirect assessments, other core course in the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies program will benefit from this process in future rounds of assessment. 4C: Use of results for continuous improvement (6C (3)(b)3c, FAC) As discussed above, the first seven years of implementation and changes in the discipline overall have resulted in significant curricular change in the BS in Criminal Forensic Studies program (including a name change to BS in Forensic Studies). Program faculty have shared their experiences with students and revised the program requirements, revised the Integrated Program Matrix (and associated student learning outcomes), and developed a strategic plan for the immediate future of the program. These changes have been driven by assessment of student learning, student enrollment, and nationwide movement to better define the discipline of forensic studies (and emphasize its inter-disciplinary nature). 4D: Sufficiency of resources and support services for achieving program goals and objectives (6C (3)(b)3d, FAC) As discussed above, as student enrollments grow (especially as a larger master's level program puts increasing pressure on classroom and laboratory space), we find ourselves experiencing an embarrassment of riches. Our student growth (first exponential, recently trending steady) has placed a practical limit on the class sizes. If we cannot offer larger sections of the courses that require the laboratory, we will not be able to continue to grow. Part 5: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (6C (4), FAC) Strengths: The program's strengths lie in the passion and dedication of the faculty, as well as the nearly seamless transition to graduate school in the relationship between the master's and bachelor's programs (all faculty who teach in the graduate program also teach in the undergraduate program). As illustrated above, the faculty are diverse and competent to deliver a curriculum that covers the large range of disciplines inherent in forensic studies; we are poised to address the new definitions of the discipline that are forthcoming. As the division has requested two assistant/associate professor lines for fall 2011, our hope is that we will hire another faculty member who is broadly versed and can contribute to both the criminal justice and the forensics programs. Weaknesses: The program's primary weakness is cramped dedicated space in the specialized classrooms (we have outgrown the rooms assigned to us for storing human remains and the laboratory classroom). This space limitation affects the number of students that can register for required courses each term. Opportunities: The BS in Forensic Studies has great opportunities ahead of it. The change in program title, change in curriculum, and transition to the College of Arts & Sciences offers nearly limitless opportunities for expansion into more facets of forensic study. As the discipline becomes more clearly defined and licensure or certification becomes possible, we are in an excellent position to accommodate whatever criteria emerge.

22 Threats: The primary threat to our program is the competition from associate's level crime scene investigation programs in the area. The recent changes in the curriculum, as well as the dynamic faculty in the program, address that threat. A potential threat would be a loss of identity as scholar/ practitioners as we move the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS); although this move greatly expands the potential for multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary work, our faculty are much more rooted to practice in the community than are the disciplines currently housed in CAS. It is vital that as we are transitioned into that college, our faculty are assessed as scholar-practitioners, who must remain relevant to the professional community of law enforcement as well as to the academic community.

23 Appendix 1: Faculty Vita

24 Appendix 2: Course Descriptions for Criminal Justice Research Methodology & Data Analysis courses, pre- and post program revision Prior to Fall 2009: CCJ 3701 Research Methods-Crim Justice 3 credit(s) Methods of gathering, analyzing, and reporting social data, with a focus on the purpose and logic of scientific inquiry and quantitative research techniques in criminal justice. Includes qualitative research, data collection, experimental and nonexperimental designs, measurement procedures, sampling methods, and interpretation of research results. Fall 2009 forward: CCJ Meth Criminal Justice Research - 3 credit(s) This course is a general introduction to research methods used in criminology and criminal justice. The course emphasizes the application of theory and research, sampling, measurement, data collection, research designs, and ethics of research. Specific examples from the fields of criminology and criminal justice. CCJ Criminal Justice Data Analysis - 3 credit(s) An introduction to quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques currently in use among criminologists. Connects research design and methodology with statistical applications. Students will use statistical software to create databases, analyze data, and interpret statistical analysis. Prerequisite(s): CCJ 3700

25 Appendix 3: Syllabi for Campus and Virtual sections of CCJ 3701(fall 2006) CCJ 3701 crn Research Methods in Criminal Justice Term: Fall 2006 Meetings: Fridays 9:30 12:15 am Room 114 Griffin Hall Professor: Mary Ann Zager, Ph.D. Course Description: Methods of gathering, analyzing, and reporting social data, with a focus on the purpose and logic of scientific inquiry and quantitative research techniques in criminal justice. Includes qualitative research, data collection, experimental and non-experimental designs, measurement procedures, sampling methods, and interpretation of research results. Note: Core course in Criminal Forensic Studies and Criminal Justice programs. Course Objectives: Explain with a written essay the social, political, and/or economic forces that shape a current criminal justice topic Explain cultural and/or gender issues related to that topic Observe and describe characteristics of the process of criminal justice research including qualitative and quantitative research techniques, measurement issues, sampling techniques, and various research methods Use information technology to conduct research, collect data, analyze data, and interpret results Instructor Information: Mary Ann Zager, Ph.D. Associate Professor Room 214e AB FGCU Blvd. S. Ft. Myers, FL (239) Office Hours: Fridays, 12:15 2:00 p.m. and by appointment... Please note that I am generally not available on Monday.

26 fax (239) COURSE WEBSITE: Course Policies: COURSE ATTENDANCE There are no points for class "attendance", BUT you must participate in class discussion in a meaningful way to succeed in the course. Discussion exercises (completed in class) are a total of 30% of your final grade, and you will not receive points for exercises where you did not attend class or attended but did not submit the exercise. Please note that anyone who misses the first two classes will be dropped from the course. CLASSROOM CONDUCT All students are expected to show respect to others in the class. Prejudicial remarks of any kind will not be tolerated. Every student is entitled to voice an opinion and class discussion is encouraged, but no one is entitled to malign or harass others in the class. In other words, it is fine to disagree, DO SO POLITELY. Course Evaluation: Grades will be determined by: Final Grades: 90% or more: A Review exercises: total 10% 80%-89%: B In Class Discussion & Exercises: total 30% 70%-79%: C Research Project: total 35% 60%-69%: D Comprehensive Exam: 25% Less than 60%: F ACADEMIC INTEGRITY A breach of the code of academic integrity is the quickest way to fail this course, and may result in stronger action (i.e. suspension or expulsion) by the University. Academic dishonesty can refer to cheating, fabrication of information, plagiarism (representing other's work as your own), and intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. The following are included in that definition: Copying more than three consecutive words from a source without using quotation marks and including a complete page cite (Smith, 1999, p. 42).

27 Paraphrasing material from a source without including a general page cite in every paragraph where that material is used (Smith, 1999). Submitting another s work as your own. Sharing your work with another student who submits that work as his or her own. Submitting the same paper for more than one class without written permission to do so from BOTH instructors. One tool that faculty use to discourage plagiarism is TURNITIN.COM. This is a service that examines student papers for content that exists elsewhere. I use this service on my students papers, and your paper for this course will be submitted to this service. I feel very strongly about plagiarism, and I am not alone. I was so impressed with Professor Seay s plagiarism statement that I asked her if I could use it; she granted me permission to do so. If I wrote as eloquently as she, I would have said it exactly this way: PLAGIARISM What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism means using someone else s words and allowing others to believe that those words are yours. Whenever you write a paper or other document, the words you place on the paper (whether physically or electronically), must be yours and not someone else s. If you are writing a research paper and you must use someone else s words, it is OK to do so but only if you properly attribute the source and properly indicate the words that have been used (for example by including the other writer s text in quotation marks and citing the name of the author and the source where you found his or her words). If you aren t sure how to properly cite someone else s work, go to the University Writing Lab and learn. If you have doubts about whether what you are doing is plagiarism or not, it probably is. So, don t do it. Plagiarism takes several forms. It includes the obvious example of buying a pre-written paper and placing your name on it. Asking someone else to write your paper for you then placing your name on the written product is also plagiarism. It also includes cutting and pasting information written by someone else and incorporating it into a paper of yours without specifying the source. It is also plagiarism to use someone else s words without using quotation marks to indicate which parts of your document were written by others. Less egregious examples include taking your own paper from one class and submitting in a second one, implying that it was written especially for that second one. These are not the only examples, but are provided to give you a starting point from which to understand the broad definition of the term. Plagiarism is a form of theft and misrepresentation. It is stealing the words and work of someone else and claiming it as your own. It is also stealing your own work from one professor s class and claiming it in another professor s class. What happens if you commit plagiarism in my classes? My response to plagiarism is stronger than most, so I recommend that you pay close attention to these instructions and act accordingly. My courses are part of the university s programs in Justice Studies. Honesty and integrity are critically important attributes of anyone in the field of justice. If you are caught or reasonably suspected of plagiarizing any material in any of my classes, whether purposefully or accidentally, you will receive an F for the course and you will be referred to the Student Code of Conduct Committee for discipline. My recommendation for incidents of plagiarism is immediate expulsion from the university for a first offense. EXTRA CREDIT I have found that giving extra credit assignments increases the disparity between students for three reasons:

28 1. almost every student turns an assignment in, 2. students who have kept up and are doing well are likely to do well on the extra credit, and receive all or most of the points available, and 3. students who are doing poorly usually do poorly on the extra credit assignments, and receive few or none of the available points. For these reasons, no extra credit will be offered. Required Course Materials: Maxfield, Michael G. & Earl Babbie. (2005). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology: Fourth edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. SPSS 11.0 or 12.0 Student Version (software) NOTE: The above products are packaged together, available in the FGCU bookstore. Holosko, Michael J. (2006). Primer for critiquing social research: A student guide. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Library readings as assigned. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: -Microsoft Windows 98 or NT 4.0 or higher -586DX or better IBM-compatible PC -80 MB hard disk space -64 MB RAM minimum; 32 MB virtual memory -SVGA monitor -Windows-compatible mouse NOTE: You will copy the final analysis for the research project into Microsoft Word. Thus, you need to have the Microsoft Word program on your computer. I DO NOT recommend Microsoft Works or WordPerfect, and I can't help you if you have problems, as I am not familiar with those programs. CCJ 3701 crn Course Schedule: Friday August 25, 2006 Course Introduction, What is Research? How do we do it ethically? Reading: Chapters 1, 2, 3 in Maxfield & Babbie; Chapters 1, 2 in Holosko In class assignment #1: Reading a research article Friday September 1, 2006 Causality, Validity & Reliability, Measuring Crime SPSS Data sets Reading: Chapters 4, 5, 6 in Maxfield & Babbie; Chapter 3 in Holosko In class assignment #2: How strong is the research design if?

29 Homework for September 8! First, choose variables from the codebook to write your hypotheses. Second, find one or more research articles on the same topic as your three hypotheses. Third, Bring these to class with you on September 8! Friday September 8, 2006 What Am I Supposed To Do For This #_)$*(!#(!@*$^)*! Research Paper?!?! Reading: Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 in Holosko In class assignment #3: Which data set best answers the research question? Friday September 15, 2006 Reading: Chapters 7, 8 in Maxfield & Babbie; Chapter 8 in Holosko Experiments, Non-experiments, Quasi-experiments ; Data Collection & Sampling In class assignment #4: Research hypotheses Research Project Part 1 Due Thursday September 21 (midnight) in Angel Drop Box. ATTACH AS ONE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT. Based on the materials you worked on in class 9/15/06, write a literature review (BRIEF), insert the variable sand hypotheses you developed in class, and write a methodology section (based on the methodology of the General Social Survey). Friday September 22, 2006 Reading: Chapter 9 in Maxfield & Babbie; Chapter 8 in Holosko Review Sampling; Survey Research In class assignment #5: Which sampling technique on what unit of analysis is most appropriate for the research question? Friday September 29, 2006 Reading: Chapter 10 in Maxfield & Babbie; Chapter 9 in Holosko

30 Observation/Field Research In class assignment #6: Should I use survey or observation research, and how do I collect my data? First Review Due Today Friday October 6, 2006 Reading: Chapters 11, 12 in Maxfield & Babbie Agency Records and existing data; Evaluation & Policy Research In class assignment #7: What measures would I use to evaluate the implementation of a program, policy, or law? the impact? Tuesday October 10, 2006 YES, WE DO HAVE CLASS TODAY; YES, I DO EXPECT YOU TO ATTEND! Reading: Pages in Maxfield & Babbie Univariate Analysis with SPSS; interpretation & presentation of analysis results In class assignment #8: Univariate analysis using SPSS Friday October 13, 2006 Reading: Pages in Maxfield & Babbie Bivariate Analysis with SPSS; interpretation & presentation of analysis results In class assignment #9: Bivariate analysis using SPSS Friday October 20, 2006 Reading: Pages in Maxfield & Babbie

31 Continued: Univariate & Bivariate Analysis with SPSS; interpretation & presentation of analysis results Friday October 27, 2006 Second Review Due Today, prepare for Comprehensive Exam Research Project Part 2 Due Friday October 27, 2006 in Angel Drop Box. ATTACH AS ONE MICROSOFT WORD DOCUMENT. Friday November 3, 2006 Comprehensive Examination Open notes & open text. NO PDAs, cell phones, computers, etc. Friday November 10, 2006 NO CLASS VETERAN S DAY!! Friday November 17, 2006 Examination Debriefing (in class) Graphical representation of bivariate relationships (for final research projects). In class assignment #10: Reading a research article Friday November 24, 2006 NO CLASS THANKSGIVING BREAK!! Friday December 1, 2006 Finish up final research paper submissions; in class help Friday December 8, 2006

32 FINAL PAPERS DUE! Research Project: Introduction and Overview Your major project this semester will be a research paper where you summarize what others have found about a topic related you choose from the Survey of Law Enforcement Agencies (SLEA) in the form of a brief literature review, and then DO YOUR OWN STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THAT TOPIC. We will use secondary data analysis of a subset of the 2003 SLEA. important!! YOUR TOPIC MUST CONFORM TO THE CONTENT OF THAT DATA SET--YOU CANNOT JUST CHOOSE A TOPIC AND THEN MAKE THE DATA FIT, YOU HAVE TO BEGIN BY EXAMINING THE VARIABLES LISTED in the CODEBOOK. You can only choose variables for your hypotheses that are in the variable list! CODE BOOK: Detailed information on how each variable is measured as well as information on the methodology of the SLEA. This project is what is known as a staged assignment. You will complete three assignments (each of the first two is part of the final project), get feedback from me, and combine those assignments together with some new analysis to form the final paper. The point of this project is to combine all of the parts of the project into a whole: the final paper, which should be of very high quality (definitely not a draft version). As you do each part of the project, remember that it is tied to the other parts. Also remember that this is a formal research paper, and that you should use a formal voice (not a casual tone, as if you were having a conversation) and that you are writing to an audience with some basic statistics knowledge who is not familiar with your topic or data (not directly to me, so don't assume that I know all about this and you don't need to provide details). So use the research terms you have learned this semester and avoid using the first person or using slang. The data set we will use for this assignment is available from the International Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR). For this project, you must choose your variables from THE DATA SET and write your hypotheses based on those variables. This is the first part of the research project. Later in the semester, you will analyze the data using SPSS. It is important to familiarize yourself with the data before you begin your project, so you will understand what you can and cannot investigate with these data.

33 CCJ 3701 crn Research Methods in Criminal Justice Term: Fall 2006 Meetings: Virtual, through the ANGEL system Professor: Mary Ann Zager, Ph.D. Course Description: Methods of gathering, analyzing, and reporting social data, with a focus on the purpose and logic of scientific inquiry and quantitative research techniques in criminal justice. Includes qualitative research, data collection, experimental and non-experimental designs, measurement procedures, sampling methods, and interpretation of research results. Note: Core course in Criminal Forensic Studies and Criminal Justice programs. Course Objectives: Explain with a written essay the social, political, and/or economic forces that shape a current criminal justice topic Explain cultural and/or gender issues related to that topic Observe and describe characteristics of the process of criminal justice research including qualitative and quantitative research techniques, measurement issues, sampling techniques, and various research methods Use information technology to conduct research, collect data, analyze data, and interpret results Instructor Information: Mary Ann Zager, Ph.D. Associate Professor Room 214e AB FGCU Blvd. S. Ft. Myers, FL (239) fax (239) [email protected] Office Hours: Fridays, 12:15 2:00 p.m. and by appointment... Please note that I am generally not available on Monday. COURSE WEBSITE: Course Policies: COURSE ATTENDANCE

34 There are no points for class "attendance", BUT you must participate in class discussion in a meaningful way to succeed in the course. Discussion exercises (completed in class) are a total of 30% of your final grade, and you will not receive points for exercises where you did not attend class or attended but did not submit the exercise. Please note that anyone who misses the first two classes will be dropped from the course. CLASSROOM CONDUCT All students are expected to show respect to others in the class. Although we are not in a physical classroom together, we do interact on the web boards, which will be our classroom. Prejudicial remarks of any kind will not be tolerated. Every student is entitled to voice an opinion and class discussion is encouraged, but no one is entitled to malign or harass others in the class. In other words, it is fine to disagree, DO SO POLITELY. Course Evaluation: Grades will be determined by: Final Grades: 90% or more: A Review exercises: total 10% 80%-89%: B In Discussion & Exercises: total 30% 70%-79%: C Research Project: total 35% 60%-69%: D Comprehensive Exam: 25% Less than 60%: F ACADEMIC INTEGRITY A breach of the code of academic integrity is the quickest way to fail this course, and may result in stronger action (i.e. suspension or expulsion) by the University. Academic dishonesty can refer to cheating, fabrication of information, plagiarism (representing other's work as your own), and intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic dishonesty. The following are included in that definition: Copying more than three consecutive words from a source without using quotation marks and including a complete page cite (Smith, 1999, p. 42). Paraphrasing material from a source without including a general page cite in every paragraph where that material is used (Smith, 1999). Submitting another s work as your own. Sharing your work with another student who submits that work as his or her own. Submitting the same paper for more than one class without written permission to do so from BOTH instructors. One tool that faculty use to discourage plagiarism is TURNITIN.COM. This is a service that examines student papers for content that exists elsewhere. I use this service on my students papers, and your paper for this course will be submitted to this service. I feel very strongly about plagiarism, and I am not alone. I was so impressed with Professor Seay s plagiarism statement that I asked her if I could use it; she granted me permission to do so. If I wrote as eloquently as she, I would have said it exactly this way:

35 PLAGIARISM What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism means using someone else s words and allowing others to believe that those words are yours. Whenever you write a paper or other document, the words you place on the paper (whether physically or electronically), must be yours and not someone else s. If you are writing a research paper and you must use someone else s words, it is OK to do so but only if you properly attribute the source and properly indicate the words that have been used (for example by including the other writer s text in quotation marks and citing the name of the author and the source where you found his or her words). If you aren t sure how to properly cite someone else s work, go to the University Writing Lab and learn. If you have doubts about whether what you are doing is plagiarism or not, it probably is. So, don t do it. Plagiarism takes several forms. It includes the obvious example of buying a pre-written paper and placing your name on it. Asking someone else to write your paper for you then placing your name on the written product is also plagiarism. It also includes cutting and pasting information written by someone else and incorporating it into a paper of yours without specifying the source. It is also plagiarism to use someone else s words without using quotation marks to indicate which parts of your document were written by others. Less egregious examples include taking your own paper from one class and submitting in a second one, implying that it was written especially for that second one. These are not the only examples, but are provided to give you a starting point from which to understand the broad definition of the term. Plagiarism is a form of theft and misrepresentation. It is stealing the words and work of someone else and claiming it as your own. It is also stealing your own work from one professor s class and claiming it in another professor s class. What happens if you commit plagiarism in my classes? My response to plagiarism is stronger than most, so I recommend that you pay close attention to these instructions and act accordingly. My courses are part of the university s programs in Justice Studies. Honesty and integrity are critically important attributes of anyone in the field of justice. If you are caught or reasonably suspected of plagiarizing any material in any of my classes, whether purposefully or accidentally, you will receive an F for the course and you will be referred to the Student Code of Conduct Committee for discipline. My recommendation for incidents of plagiarism is immediate expulsion from the university for a first offense. EXTRA CREDIT I have found that giving extra credit assignments increases the disparity between students for three reasons: 4. almost every student turns an assignment in, 5. students who have kept up and are doing well are likely to do well on the extra credit, and receive all or most of the points available, and 6. students who are doing poorly usually do poorly on the extra credit assignments, and receive few or none of the available points. For these reasons, no extra credit will be offered. Required Course Materials:

36 Maxfield, Michael G. & Earl Babbie. (2005). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology: Fourth edition. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. SPSS 11.0 or 12.0 Student Version (software) NOTE: The above products are packaged together, available in the FGCU bookstore. Holosko, Michael J. (2006). Primer for critiquing social research: A student guide. Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. Library readings as assigned. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: -Microsoft Windows 98 or NT 4.0 or higher -586DX or better IBM-compatible PC -80 MB hard disk space -64 MB RAM minimum; 32 MB virtual memory -SVGA monitor -Windows-compatible mouse NOTE: You will copy the final analysis for the research project into Microsoft Word. Thus, you need to have the Microsoft Word program on your computer. I DO NOT recommend Microsoft Works or WordPerfect, and I can't help you if you have problems, as I am not familiar with those programs. Research Project: Introduction and Overview Your major project this semester will be a research paper where you summarize what others have found about a topic related you choose from the Survey of Law Enforcement Agencies (SLEA) in the form of a brief literature review, and then DO YOUR OWN STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THAT TOPIC. We will use secondary data analysis of a subset of the 2003 SLEA. important!! YOUR TOPIC MUST CONFORM TO THE CONTENT OF THAT DATA SET--YOU CANNOT JUST CHOOSE A TOPIC AND THEN MAKE THE DATA FIT, YOU HAVE TO BEGIN BY EXAMINING THE VARIABLES LISTED in the CODEBOOK. You can only choose variables for your hypotheses that are in the variable list! CODE BOOK: Detailed information on how each variable is measured as well as information on the methodology of the SLEA. This project is what is known as a staged assignment. You will complete three assignments (each of the first two is part of the final project), get feedback from me, and combine those assignments together with some new analysis to form the final paper. The point of this project is to combine all of the parts of the project into a whole: the final paper, which should be of very high quality (definitely not a draft version). As you do each part of the project, remember that it is tied to the other parts. Also remember that this is a formal research paper, and that you should use a formal voice (not a casual tone, as if you were having a conversation) and that you are writing to an audience with some basic statistics knowledge who is not familiar with your topic or data (not directly to me, so don't assume that I know all about this and you don't need to provide details). So use the research terms you have learned this semester and avoid using the first person or using slang. The data set we will use for this assignment is available from the International Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR). For this project, you must choose your variables from THE DATA SET and write your hypotheses based on those variables. This is the first part of the research project. Later in the semester, you will analyze the data using SPSS.

37 It is important to familiarize yourself with the data before you begin your project, so you will understand what you can and cannot investigate with these data.

38 Appendix 4: AAC&U Critical Thinking Value Rubric CRITICAL THINKING VALUE RUBRIC for more information, please contact The VALUE rubrics were developed by teams of faculty experts representing colleges and universities across the United States through a process that examined many existing campus rubrics and related documents for each learning outcome and incorporated additional feedback from faculty. The rubrics articulate fundamental criteria for each learning outcome, with performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment. The rubrics are intended for institutional-level use in evaluating and discussing student learning, not for grading. The core expectations articulated in all 15 of the VALUE rubrics can and should be translated into the language of individual campuses, disciplines, and even courses. The utility of the VALUE rubrics is to position learning at all undergraduate levels within a basic framework of expectations such that evidence of learning can by shared nationally through a common dialog and understanding of student success. Definition Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion. Framing Language This rubric is designed to be transdisciplinary, reflecting the recognition that success in all disciplines requires habits of inquiry and analysis that share common attributes. Further, research suggests that successful critical thinkers from all disciplines increasingly need to be able to apply those habits in various and changing situations encountered in all walks of life. This rubric is designed for use with many different types of assignments and the suggestions here are not an exhaustive list of possibilities. Critical thinking can be demonstrated in assignments that require students to complete analyses of text, data, or issues. Assignments that cut across presentation mode might be especially useful in some fields. If insight into the process components of critical thinking (e.g., how information sources were evaluated regardless of whether they were included in the product) is important, assignments focused on student reflection might be especially illuminating. Glossary The definitions that follow were developed to clarify terms and concepts used in this rubric only. Ambiguity: Information that may be interpreted in more than one way. Assumptions: Ideas, conditions, or beliefs (often implicit or unstated) that are "taken for granted or accepted as true without proof." (quoted from Context: The historical, ethical. political, cultural, environmental, or circumstantial settings or conditions that influence and complicate the consideration of any issues, ideas, artifacts, and events. Literal meaning: Interpretation of information exactly as stated. For example, "she was green with envy" would be interpreted to mean that her skin was green. Metaphor: Information that is (intended to be) interpreted in a non-literal way. For example, "she was green with envy" is intended to convey an intensity of emotion, not a skin color.

39 CRITICAL THINKING VALUE RUBRIC for more information, please contact Definition Critical thinking is a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion. Evaluators are encouraged to assign a zero to any work sample or collection of work that does not meet benchmark (cell one) level performance. Capstone 4 Milestones 3 2 Benchmark 1 Explanation of issues Evidence Selecting and using information to investigate a point of view or conclusion Influence of context and assumptions Student's position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated clearly and described comprehensively, delivering all relevant information necessary for full understanding. Information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/evaluation to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. Viewpoints of experts are questioned thoroughly. Thoroughly (systematically and methodically) analyzes own and others' assumptions and carefully evaluates the relevance of contexts when presenting a position. Specific position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) is imaginative, taking into account the complexities of an issue. Limits of position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) are acknowledged. Others' points of view are synthesized within position Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated, described, and clarified so that understanding is not seriously impeded by omissions. Information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/evaluation to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. Viewpoints of experts are subject to questioning. Identifies own and others' assumptions and several relevant contexts when presenting a position. Specific position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) takes into account the complexities of an issue. Others' points of view are acknowledged within position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis). Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated but description leaves some terms undefined, ambiguities unexplored, boundaries undetermined, and/or backgrounds unknown. Information is taken from source(s) with some interpretation/evaluation, but not enough to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. Viewpoints of experts are taken as mostly fact, with little questioning. Questions some assumptions. Identifies several relevant contexts when presenting a position. May be more aware of others' assumptions than one's own (or vice versa). Specific position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) acknowledges different sides of an issue. Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated without clarification or description. Information is taken from source(s) without any interpretation/evaluation. Viewpoints of experts are taken as fact, without question. Shows an emerging awareness of present assumptions (sometimes labels assertions as assumptions). Begins to identify some contexts when presenting a position. Specific position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis) is stated, but is simplistic and obvious.

40 40 Conclusions and related outcomes (implications and consequences) (perspective, thesis/hypothesis). Conclusions and related outcomes (consequences and implications) are logical and reflect student s informed evaluation and ability to place evidence and perspectives discussed in priority order. Conclusion is logically tied to a range of information, including opposing viewpoints; related outcomes (consequences and implications) are identified clearly. Conclusion is logically tied to information (because information is chosen to fit the desired conclusion); some related outcomes (consequences and implications) are identified clearly. Conclusion is inconsistently tied to some of the information discussed; related outcomes (consequences and implications) are oversimplified.

41 Appendix 5 41

42 : Direct Measures of Student Learning Term Number of Students Individual performance Group performance Target met? Spring CJ majors 15.5, 12.5, 20, 22, 14.5, 20.5, 18.5, 19.5, 15.5, 19, 19.5, 19, 20.5, 21, 16.5, 12.5, 16, 21.5, 18.5, 18, 18 Sample mean = 18.0/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 16 (76% of 21 CJ students) met the criterion Summer (all students in section) 12.5, 19, 19.5, 18.5, 19.5, 16.5, 21.5, 20.5, 19, 19, 16.5, 17, 14, 17, 15.5, 17.5, 20, 20.5, 20, 16.5, 22.5, 13.5, 21, 21, 18.5 Sample mean = 18.3/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 21 (84% of 25 students) met the criterion Fall , 16, 17.25, 22, 17.5, 18.5, 16.5, 19, 21, 20, 16, 20.75, 14, 15, 15, 17.5, 19.25, 22, 19.5, 17.5, 18, 11.5, 25, 14, 8, 17.5, 15, 14 Sample mean = 17.3/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 21 (75% of 28 students) met the criterion Spring , 21, 20.5, , 20, 19.5, 19.5, 19.5, 18.5, 17.5, 17, 17, 20, 17, 13.5, 16, 11.5, 11, 15, 17, 16, 12.5, 16, 15.5 Sample mean = 17.2/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 19 (76% of 25 students) met the criterion Fall , 17, 16.5, 17, 13, 17, 19.5, 17.5, 14, 21, 15, 15.5, 17, 15.5, 22, 23.5, 19, 20, 19.5, 21, 10, 17.5, 14.5, 19, 21, 17.5, 16.5, 20.5, 17.5, 16, 18, 22, 15.5, 17, 13, 5.5 Sample mean = 17.1/25 Partially. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, however 26 (72% of 36 students) met the criterion (under the 75% target) Spring , 20.5, 18, 17.5, 17.5, 23.5, 21, 23, 19, 17, 20, 19, 20, 15, 21, 20, 18, 15, 23, 22, 20, 15, 12, 21, 17, 17, 23, 16, 16, 15, 18, 12, 18, 23, 20, 19, 19 Sample mean = 18.3/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 30 (81% of 37 students) met the criterion Summer , 19, 19, 16, 21.5, 10.5, 23.5, 19, 17, 14, 21.5, 15, 17, 7, 17.5, 20.5, 13.5, 15, 18, 20.5, 21, 19, 20.5, 23.5, 19, 21, 17, 19.5, 20.5, 17, 15, 16, 18, 18.5, 18, 16.5 Sample mean = 17.7/25 Yes. Sample mean is above target of 16.0 points, 28 (78% of 36 students) met the criterion Spring 2008* , 28.17, 33.83, 32.39, 28.72, 27.17, 31.72, 33.17, 31.89, 31.67, 30.78, 35.28, 34.72, 31, 31.22, 33.89, 29.7, 28.17, 16.33, 27.22, 32.78, 30.17, 29.67, 28.17, 33.78, 35.78, 27, 33.94, 32.11, 26.77, 27.57, 22.16, Sample mean = 30.2/39 Partially. Sample mean is above target of points (based on a possible total of 39), 22 (67% of 33 students) met the criterion *Exam structure was changed to three separate exams (same concepts and problem types, but testing was spread throughout the term). Score is total score for those students who took all three exams of 39 possible points.

43 43 Appendix 6A: Essay/Problem Final Examination in CCJ Spring 2005 CCJ 3701 Research Methods in Criminal Justice Spring 2005 Final Exam Friday April 29, 2005 (4:30 7:30 PM) NAME You have 3 hours to complete the examination; you may use any notes or texts that you have. You may NOT consult with other students, or use the computer, your cell phone, your PDA, etc.. Each question is worth 4 points; you will receive 1 point for following instructions. RETURN THE EXAM WITH YOUR ANSWERS for up to 25 points toward your grade. SECTION 1--Methodology Critique Answer three of the four questions in this section. Remember, when justifying your suggestions for improvement, using words like validity and reliability in their appropriate context will help your grade!!! ALSO REMEMBER: IF I CAN T READ IT, YOU DON T GET CREDIT FOR IT! WRITE LEGIBLY, PLEASE!!! QUESTION 1. QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY A researcher is interested in understanding the culture of alcohol and drug use among college students. Her primary focus will be the situations where drugs are used, the social environment surrounding drug use, and the culture of drug use. She is also interested in how students decide which drugs to use and how much they will consume. You are her colleague and she approaches you for advice on an appropriate design for the research study (as well as how she will defend the design to the Institutional Review Board). What suggestions do you have regarding the sampling technique, the type of data that should be collected (the kinds of things she should measure), the method of data collection, the research role the researchers should play, and following the guidelines of ethical research? For each suggestion, please include an explanation of why that choice is the best fit for this research. QUESTION 2. QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY A group of faculty received a federal grant to study drug and alcohol abuse among college students.

44 44 The goals of this project include identifying the prevalence (how many students use) and incidence (how much do they use at a time) of the use of alcohol and illicit drugs. They are also interested in students perceptions about drug and alcohol use. Please help them by suggesting the best method of collecting data and the best process to use for collecting those data (discuss how they will measure the constructs identified as central to the research topic in the above paragraph). Be sure you explain all of your suggestions by linking them to the purpose of the study and remember that this research design must pass the Institutional Review Board (and meet all ethical standards). Validity and reliability should be discussed when identifying the type of data and the data collection process. QUESTION 3. COMPOSITE MEASURE The researchers in question #2 are composing a survey to measure the prevalence and incidence of drug and alcohol use. Please review their measures of alcohol use and comment. Are the following measures appropriate measures of incidence and prevalence of alcohol and drug use? Are they well constructed? If not, please change or replace the measures and explain these changes. If a measure is appropriate, please mention why. The following questions ask about how much you drink. A drink means any of the following: A 12 ounce can (or bottle) of beer A 4-ounce glass of wine A 12 ounce bottle (or can) of wine cooler A shot of liquor straight or in a mixed drink 1. During the last two weeks have you consumed one or more drinks? Yes No 2. Think back over the last two weeks: On how many occasions have you had one or more drinks? _ None

45 45 _ Once or Twice _ 3 to 5 times _ 5 to 10 times _ 10 or more times 3. Think back over the last two weeks: How many times have you had 5 or more drinks in a row? _ None _ Once or Twice _ 3 to 5 times _ 5 to 10 times _ 10 or more times QUESTION 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Regarding the study discussed in questions #2 and #3 above. A group of faculty received a federal grant to study drug and alcohol abuse among college students. The grant specified that they must use personal interviews to collect the data. They are interested in being able to generalize their research findings to all college students attending four year universities in the United States. Their proposal stated that they would begin with a list of all such U.S. institutions, request a list of all students enrolled in each institution, and then choose a sample of 50 students to interview using simple random sampling. You are charged with working with the faculty to revise the sampling design. Please clearly identify the population and make suggestions for the sampling list (or sampling frame), sampling technique, sample size, and any other pertinent information. If you are making changes to the original plan explain why these changes are improvements. SECTION 2--Data Analysis of the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS)

46 46 Answer three of the four questions in this section. This analysis is based on a sample of 1,400 cases from the 1993 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. The following variables are used: GPA 1 = A 2 = A- 3 = B+ 4 = B 5 = B- 6 = C+ 7 = C 8 = C- 9 = D 10 = no grade or don t know CURUSE: Self Rating of current alcohol use 2 = Abstainer 3 = Infrequent drinker 4 = Light drinker 5 = Moderate drinker 6 = Heavy drinker 7 = Problem drinker TIMESTUD: In the past 30 days, how many hours per day on average have you spent studying outside of class? 99 = system or user missing TIMESOC: In the past 30 days, how many hours per day on average have you spent socializing with friends?

47 47 99 = system or user missing QUESTION 1. UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS Based on the following output, discuss for each of the three variables CURUSE, TIMESTUD, and GPA as measured in this data set: 1. Level of Measurement, 2. Appropriate measure(s) of central tendency, 3. Appropriate measures of dispersion (if any) Identify any unnecessary output by putting a large X through it (cross it out). Explain any output that you do not reject. Identify any important output that is missing. Variable 1: CURUSE DISCUSSION: Current Use of Alcohol Valid Missing Total Abstainer Inf req drnkr light drinkr mod drinkr heav y drinkr prob drinkr Total Sy stem Cumulativ e Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Variable 2: TIMESTUD DISCUSSION:

48 48 Valid Missing Total Total Sy stem time at activity:studying Cumulativ e Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Variable 3: GPA DISCUSSION: Valid Missing Total A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D Total no grade, dk Sy stem Total GPA Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent QUESTIONS 2, 3, & 4. BIVARIATE ANALYSIS Provide a verbal description of the relationship between the stated variables. Be sure to: State the hypothesis being tested Identify the independent and dependent variable Identify the level of measurement of each variable

49 49 Identify what is the appropriate statistical test of this hypothesis Indicate whether or not I provided the appropriate statistical test(s) Interpret the statistical test I provided IF IT IS A CORRECT TEST. Cross out any inappropriate output (and make a note as to why you eliminated it in your discussion). Interpret all output that you do not eliminate. QUESTION 2: CURUSE and TIMESTUD Hypothesis: Independent Variable: Level of Measurement: Dependent Variable: Level of Measurement: Appropriate Statistical Test(s): time at activ ity:study ing Abstainer Inf req drnkr light drinkr mod drinkr heav y drinkr prob drinkr Total Descriptives 95% Confidence Interv al for Mean N Mean Std. Dev iation Std. Error Lower Bound Upper Bound Minimum Maximum

50 50 ANOVA time at activ ity:studying Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Between Groups Within Groups Total Interpretation: QUESTION 3. CURUSE and GPA Hypothesis: Independent Variable: Level of Measurement: Dependent Variable: Level of Measurement:

51 51 Appropriate Statistical Test(s): GPA * Current Use of Alcohol Crosstabulation GPA Total A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Count % within Current Use of Alcohol Current Use of Alcohol Abstainer Inf req drnkr light drinkr mod drinkr heavy drinkr prob drinkr Total % 16.9% 11.8% 6.8% 4.9%.0% 12.2% % 19.3% 18.1% 11.9% 9.8%.0% 15.7% % 20.3% 18.1% 22.0% 17.1% 28.6% 19.9% % 18.5% 24.0% 25.8% 17.1% 28.6% 22.7% % 12.1% 14.6% 18.0% 19.5%.0% 14.7% % 6.9% 8.1% 6.4% 14.6%.0% 7.5% % 4.5% 3.4% 6.8% 12.2%.0% 4.8% % 1.3% 1.2% 2.0% 4.9% 28.6% 2.0% %.3%.6%.3%.0% 14.3%.5% % 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Chi-Square Tests Symmetric Measures Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases Asy mp. Sig. Value df (2-sided) a a. 19 cells (35.2%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is.04. Ordinal by Ordinal N of Valid Cases Gamma a. Not assuming the null hypothesis. Asy mp. Value Std. Error a Approx. T b Approx. Sig b. Using the asymptotic standard error assuming the null hypothesis. Interpretation: QUESTION 4: TIMESTUD and TIMESOC Hypothesis:

52 52 Independent Variable: Level of Measurement: Dependent Variable: Level of Measurement: Appropriate Statistical Test(s): Symmetric Measures Value Asy mp. Std. Error a Approx. T b Approx. Sig. Interv al by Interval Pearson's R c Ordinal by Ordinal Spearman Correlation c N of Valid Cases 1364 a. Not assuming the null hy pothesis. b. Using the asy mptotic standard error assuming the null hy pothesis. c. Based on normal approximation. Interpretation: CONGRATULATIONS! You are finished Have a great break!

53 53 Appendix 6B: Essay/Problem First Examination in CCJ Spring 2008 (with best answers in italics) CCJ 3701 EXAM #1 SPRING 2008 You have 45 minutes to answer the following questions. Use complete sentences in your essays and explain your choices clearly, using the terms we have been using in class. You are free to use any notes, but do not use your text or quote directly from the text. Answer the questions specific to the example given, not in vague or general terms. You get 1 point for navigating the exam correctly, and each question is worth up to 3 points for a total of 10 points. GENERAL EXAM TOPIC: A researcher is designing a study to identify the scope of the problem of prescription pain killer abuse among juveniles. He wants to count the number of youth who abuse prescription pain killers, the frequency of use and the types of pain killers used as well as document the situational factors that co-occur with prescription pain killer abuse. Based on a recent report released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in January 2008, the drugs he is most interested in are opioids, which are most often prescribed to treat pain examples include: codeine, oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), and morphine (Kadian and Avinza). The most important situational factors that he needs to document are the use of alcohol in conjunction with prescription pain killers, the belief that prescription pain killers are a safe way to get high, the belief that prescription pain killers are free of side effects, and the belief that prescription pain killers are not addictive. You are hired as his research assistant on this project. QUESTION 1: Discuss what the purpose of the study is and identify the dependent variable (or variables) in the study. For each variable that you have identified, discuss the following: Are these simple or complex concepts? How might they be operationalized? Would you use single measures (variables) or composite measures, and why? If you would use composites, do you think that you would use an index or a scale?

54 54 Correct answer(s): descriptive Discuss what the purpose of the study is and identify the dependent variable (or variables) in the study. prescription pain killer abuse among juveniles For each variable that you have identified, discuss the following: Are these simple or complex concepts? complex, since there are several drugs in this category How might they be operationalized? best case would be self-report from youth (with appropriate permissions from youth and guardian) if they have used each type of pain killer (codeine, oxycodone, morphine) without a prescription, if they have combined with alcohol Would you use single measures (variables) or composite measures, and why? If you would use composites, do you think that you would use an index or a scale? multiple measures to capture each drug, an index would be fine since al l are in the same class of drugs QUESTION 2: Identify the independent variable (or variables) in the study. For each variable that you have identified, discuss the following: Are these simple or complex concepts? How might they be operationalized? Would you use single measures (variables) or composite measures, and why? If you would use composites, do you think that you would use an index or a scale? Correct answer(s): Identify the independent variable (or variables) in the study. The use of alcohol in conjunction with prescription pain killers (it is OK to leave thsi out if you measured this in the first question), the belief that prescription pain killers are a safe way to get high, the belief that prescription pain killers are free of side effec ts, and the belief that prescription pain killers are not addictive.

55 55 For each variable that you have identified, discuss the following: Are these simple or complex concepts? How might they be operationalized? Would you use single measures (variables) or composite measures, and why? If you would use composites, do you think that you would use an index or a scale? Each could be considered simple if the questions were phrased by referring to the class of drugs. For example, Compared to other drugs, do you believe that prescription pain killers are more dangerous, less dangerous, or about as dangerous to use to get high? Or as complex if you operationalized as one question for each type of pain killer. For example, Are there any serious side effects when using codeine? Are there any serious side effects when using oxycodone? Are there any serious side effects when using morphine? You could operationalize as one question per variable or as three (See the examples above). If you used three questions per variable, you would use an index for a composite as all three are in the same class of drug. QUESTION 3: Would this be a true experiment, a quasi-experiment, or a non-experiment, and why? What type of validity and/or reliability would the researcher want to establish in this study? How would you go about establishing each of these? The researcher plans to use validated items from existing research to measure prescription pain killer use (remember that these are unusual drugs, and he will need to refer to an instrument that has many types of drugs identified). Suggest a research study that he can use as an example to find helpful examples of existing data on these drugs that may have been validated Correct answer(s):

56 56 Would this be a true experiment, a quasi-experiment, or a non-experiment, and why? What type of validity and/or reliability would the researcher want to establish in this study? How would you go about establishing each of these? This would be a non-experiment as the purpose is descriptive. Face validity should be established by proofreading the items of doing a pilot test with a small group of youth who will not be in the study to be sure the items are clear. In addition, since there are some composite measures, you would want to test Content Validity by testing to see if the items measure one underlying concept. You might also assess the Split-Half Reliability for the items in the composites. Finally, test-retest reliability could be established by administering the surveys twice to the same group. The researcher plans to use validated items from existing research to measure prescription pain killer use (remember that these are unusual drugs, and he will need to refer to an instrument that has many types of drugs identified). Suggest a research study that he can use as an example to find helpful examples of existing data on these drugs that may have been validated already. For this question I wanted you to make a single choice, NOT give me several options. It is important to be able to take a stand and defend your position. Monitoring the Future would be the best choice as this is used with 8th 10th and 12th graders and is written for and administered to the population of interest. Another possibility would be the Drug Abuse Warning Network as those data have detailed information on many different types of prescription drugs. Either choice was acceptable, as long as you made a choice. You lost points if you listed more than one possibility here without taking a clear stand.

57 57 Appendix 7: Objective Items (with correct answers) First Examination in CCJ 3700 Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 Midterm Examination Chapter 1 1. Classify the following statements as "Sense" that is supported by research or "nonsense" that is contrary to research findings: 1. "Sense" 2. "Nonsense" A. Females and elderly people fear crime more because they are more likely to be victimized than younger males. 2 B. Victims know and recognize the offender in a large percentage of violent crimes. C. White-collar crime results in more deaths each year than muggings and assaults on the streets. D. More than half of residents in large cities reported that they felt safe when out alone in their neighborhoods at night. E. The insanity defense allows many dangerous offenders to escape conviction. Answer: A:2, B:1, C:1, D:1, E:2 Generally, theory is concerned with questions of "why" while methodology deals with "what is." 2. Answer Answer: True 3. Concepts are converted into variables through operationalization. Answer Answer: True

58 58 4. It is standard practice in research to refer to the variable one wishes to predict as being the dependent or outcome variable. Answer Answer: True 5. For each research topic identified below, classify it as "pure" or "applied" research: 1. "Pure" 2. "Applied" A. What psychological classifications are most commonly found in juvenile delinquents? B. Does cleaning up a neighborhood reduce crime in that neighorhood? C. Do deviant friends influence juveniles to become deviant themselves? D. Is physical health related to mental health? Answer: A:1, B:2, C:1, D:1 CHAPTER 2 ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH 6. There has been no attempt to develop a code of ethics in either criminology or criminal justice. Answer Answer: False 7. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has no regulations governing the research of those who have been contracted to perform research for it. Answer Answer: False 8. Which of the following is not contained in the HHS Guidelines on the Protection of Human Subjects? A. a fair explanation of the procedure to be used

59 59 B. an offer of remuneration to any subject requesting it C. a description of any benefits reasonably to be expected Answer: B D. an offer to answer any inquiries regarding procedure Which of the following was NOT suggested in the text as appropriate in guiding ethical conduct in criminal justice research? A. the adopted code should be rigidly adhered to by all inorder to be effective B. avoid procedures which may harm respondents C. respect reciprocity Answer: A D. protect confidentiality and privacy 10. Since 1980 the most important source of guidance for ethical research in the U.S. has been: A. Health and Human Services B. National Criminal Justice Reference Service C. Criminal Justice Archive and Information Network Answer: A D. National Institute of Justice 11. Which of the following was NOT discussed as an example of a social science study with ethical problems? A. Obedience to Authority Study B. The Simulated Prison Study

60 60 C. Kansas City Experiment Answer: C D. Tearoom Trade CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN Correlation (relationship) implies or demonstrates causality. 12. Answer Answer: False 13. Validity refers to accuracy or correctness of measurement in research. Answer Answer: True 14. Selection bias occurs when the researcher chooses nonequivalent groups for comparison. Answer Answer: True 15. External validity is concerned with the ability to generalize findings to larger populations beyond the group studied. Answer Answer: True 16. Which of the following is not a necessary step in resolving the causality problem? A. establish that a relationship exists B. exclude rival causal factors

61 61 C. elimination of all sources of error Answer: C D. specification of the time order of relationships 17. Which of the following is used to refer to situations in which respondents are aware they are being studied and thus behave differently than they would otherwise? A. Hawthorne Effect B. Response Set C. Halo Effect Answer: A D. Statistical Regression 18. Which of the following is NOT a key element of the classic experimental design? A. equivalence or random assignment B. isolation of subjects C. pre and post tests Answer: B D. experimental and control groups 19. Which of the following is unlikely to be the dependent variable in a study? A. gender B. crime rate C. public opinion

62 62 Answer: A D. recidivism 20. Related to, but more subtle than the halo effect, is what sociologist W.I. Thomas identified as the definition of the situation or what some refer to as. This maxim holds that if a situation is defined as real, it is real in its consequences. A. placebo effect B. presence effect C. domino effects Answer: D D. self-fulfilling prophecy 21. Which of the following is NOT an example of a longitudinal design? A. trend B. cohort C. ex post facto Answer: C D. panel 22. The analysis of a single variable at many successive time periods is called: A. a cross-sectional design B. a time series design C. an ex post facto design Answer: B D. a regression design

63 What was the major explanation for the widespread acceptance of the results of the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment by the U.S. law enforcement community? A. the replications which confirmed the Minneapolis findings B. the very aggressive dissemination of the study's findings C. the liberal tenor of the times Answer: B D. the popularity of proactive patrol 24. The group that does not receive the treatment in an experiment is called: A. experimental group B. control group C. matched group Answer: B D. random group 25. The classic experimental design involves: A. two experimental groups and one control group B. one experimental group and one control group C. a post test only experimental process Answer: B D. one experimental group and two control groups CHAPTER 4 The Uniform Crime Reports and Sampling 26. Beginning in 1930, the instituted the compilation and publication of national crime statistics

64 64 (UCR). A. U.S. Census Bureau B. U.S. Department of Justice C. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Answer: B D. U.S. Department of Homeland Security 27. While added to the crime index by an act of Congress in 1978, which of the following crimes is not included in the actual calculation of the crime index? A. arson B. rape C. larceny Answer: A D. vehicle theft 28. Which of the following is not an index offense? A. murder B. rape C. burglary Answer: D D. embezzlement 29. The UCR now features two crime indexes: the violent and property crime indexes. Answer

65 65 Answer: True 30. Focus groups are employed in participant-observation studies. Answer Answer: False 31. What is the greatest advantage to using a probability sampling technique? A. It is the easiest sampling technique to carry out. B. It saves the researcher time, so it is the fastest methods of sampling. C. It allows the use of many statistical procedures. Answer: C D. It guarantees a representative sample. 32. What is the greatest disadvantage to using a probability sampling technique? A. It reduces the validity of the study. B. It requires a complete list of all elements of the population. C. It reduces the generalizability of the study. Answer: B D. It allows the least flexibility in the definition of the dependent variable. 33. Which sampling technique uses oversampling of groups that are a small proportion of the population? A. Systematic random sampling B. Simple random sampling C. Disproportionate stratified sampling

66 66 Answer: C D. Multi-stage cluster sampling 34. Which sampling technique uses a sample of every Nth subject from a list? A. Systematic random sampling B. Simple random sampling C. Disproportionate stratified sampling Answer: A D. Multi-stage cluster sampling 35. Which sampling technique is most appropriate for a large national sampling of subjects for which there is no master list? A. Systematic random sampling B. Simple random sampling C. Disproportionate stratified sampling Answer: D D. Multi-stage cluster sampling CHAPTER 5 Survey research - Questionnaires 36. Which of the following is not true with respect to mail questionnaire surveys? A. they generally enable wide coverage at minimal cost B. they usually possess problems of nonresponse C. they are a superior data gathering procedure over experiments

67 67 Answer: C D. they can be considerably enhanced through extensive follow-up 37. Mail questionnaires: A. eliminate interviewer bias B. assure uniformity in response C. obtain quick response to follow-up Answer: A D. are inexpensive even with extensive follow-up 38. Which was not mentioned as a useful preliminary operation prior to mailing the survey? A. dummy tables B. variables list C. pretest Answer: D D. personal visit 39. What was not a suggestion on questionnaire wording and construction? A. avoid biased or leading questions B. avoid double-barreled questions C. avoid sensitive questions Answer: C D. avoid vague wording

68 Which of the following is not among the major problems with self-report surveys? A. inaccurate reporting B. use of poor or inconsistent instruments C. decreasing levels of validity Answer: C D. deficient research designs 41. Which is not among the means of attempting to assess the validity of self-report surveys? A. validity checks using official data B. use or threaten use of a polygraph examination C. lie scales Answer: D D. offering renumeration CHAPTER 6 Survey Research - Interviews and Telephone Surveys 42. Interviewers should attempt to avoid small talk with respondents in order to impress upon them the seriousness of the occasion. Answer Answer: False 43. The National Crime Victimization Survey employs what type of sampling? A. simple random

69 69 B. snowball C. stratified, multi-stage, cluster Answer: C D. cluster 44. The Dark Figure of Crime refers to: A. crimes committed after dark B. officially recorded crime C. unreported crime Answer: C D. crimes cleared by arrest 45. Which of the following was not identified as a disadvantage in telephone surveys? A. more expensive than standard interviews B. may limit types of questions that can he asked C. fails to survey non-telephone owners Answer: A D. limits the ability to obtain in-depth response 46. The dark figure of crime consists mainly of: A. serious violent crime B. murder C. minor property crime

70 70 Answer: C D. suicide 47. Branching procedures refer to: A. the initial questions asked in an interview B. probing C. bounding Answer: D D. a line of questioning used for sensitive items in telephone surveys 48. Victim surveys are usually cheaper than other surveys since they do not require as large a number of respondents. Answer Answer: False 49. The National Crime Victimization Surveys employed among the most complex and elaborate design, sampling, and estimating schemes ever used on such a large scale in the social sciences. Answer Answer: True CHAPTER 7 Participant Observation and Case Studies 50. LaPiere's restaurant study found that, even though the majority of restaurant owners indicated they WOULD serve an oriental couple, most actually REFUSED them service. Answer Answer: False 51. "Verstehen" involves:

71 71 A. quantitative analysis using "ubersetzen" B. a qualitative or sensitizing strategy C. a commitment to operationalization Answer: B D. subjective bias 52. Until recently writers of criminology texts (such as Sutherland and Cressey) advised: A. it is unwise to study criminals in their natural environment B. participant observation of criminals in the field was agood idea C. more deceptive research is needed Answer: A D. more unobtrusive research is needed 53. Participant observation entails: A. waiting until all observations are completed before recording what has taken place B. becoming an insider while remaining an outsider C. extensive use of mechanical aids and recording equipment Answer: B D. extensive use of the argot of the group being studied 54. Which of the following was not suggested as appropriate procedure in doing participant observation of criminals? A. get on with the purpose of the study and ask the subjects what you want to know B. avoid taking notes on the spot

72 72 C. as soon as possible, indicate one's true purpose ofstudy Answer: A D. snowball sampling is a useful procedure 55. Which of the following was not identified as a problem with quantitative means of data gathering such as experiments and surveys? A. overidentification B. artificiality C. nonresponse bias Answer: A D. demand characteristics 56. What type of sampling procedure is most widely used in participant observation? A. snowball B. stratified C. systematic Answer: A D. quota Done

73 73 Appendix 8: Student responses to request for suggestions for improvement of student learning: Summer 2010 and Fall 2010 ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS CRN SUMMER 2010 CCJ 3700 (online) Hello Students, Please submit a message (not an attached doc, just type it in the box) with ONE specific suggestion for me to help future students in a virtual class learn this material. For example, of the various types of assignments, was there something that helped that I should do more of? Was there a specific chapter that was very difficult and what could I do to make it easier to understand that material? Do you want to do more written work? Please just one suggestion each, so I can see what you think will help most. ALSO, please log into your Gulfline account and do the Student Assessment of Instruction this week. Thanks, INSTRUCTOR NAME In my opinion, the quizzes is where problems arised. The quizzes seemed to include questions that were very convoluted and not apparent in the book or notes online. I was unable to understand them, as well as some of the material, because of a lack of examples in both book and resources on angel. For example, the quiz on chapter 9 dealt with types of validity. I had a huge amount of trouble distinguishing the characteristics of each type, many of which sounded very similar and nearly exact. I believe that with clearer, more defined examples and questions on the quizes, I would have been able to grasp the concepts and material much better. Chapters 9-10 are very difficult to understand. The examples are hard to compare if you don't understand the concepts themselves, thus making it difficult to pass quizzes. I think more examples on the powerpoints for these chapters with numerous examples might help students better understand the material for this section. I enjoyed the class very much and do not have much to suggest for improvements. I thought the assignments were what helped me out the most. I feel that if there were more assignments that I could have taken before the quizzes, I feel that I probably would have done better on the quizzes. I especially thought the puzzle assignments were very helpful. The other thing that I would have preferred would have been an example of the project. There were some parts that my group and myself struggled with, an example of the proect would have helped us out a little more to see what you were looking for. Please elaborate more on what to know for each quiz and exam. maybe a review sheet we need to fill out to have an outline for what may be covered on the exams mostly. Quizzes are pretty much a given. More detailed information since this is an online class and it is hard to understand what is expected of us by you to do well in the class. Thanks. I found chapter 10 difficult in distinquishing between the different variables. It may be helpful to have more examples in the chapter notes. At the end of the week ask if everyone understood the lesson or if anyone needs some clarification. And of course one's everyone has turned in the assignments, send the right answers to the entire class so everyone can study them. The way the quizes are done are great though since you're forced to study in order to understand and apply your knowledge to the questions. I have really enjoyed this course and i found the variety of assignments refreshing. The only suggestion I would have involves understanding of chapter 9 in determining validity. The quiz was very confusing for me in distinguishing between the applications of the different types of validity. I felt that I understood validity up until I took the quiz, which I did poorly on. Overall, however, I would reccomend you as an instructor and this course.

74 74 I think the gameshow assignment #3 was a very good idea. I think some more of the assignments like this one, would be a great tool to use more often. I also think with all the assignments, a person should be able to redo them, a few times, for practice for the quiz. To be honest, I did not like the group work, too much clashing with student work styles. Some students like to procrastinate, some like getting the work turned in early, and some students are too hard to get a hold of. I like to get my work in early. It makes it hard on the "A" students, forcing them to take the lead. I had to take the lead twice in my group, even after sending s for someone to step up as a lead. One thing that may assist students with the material would be instead of just having group member chats maybe have one night a week where there is a live chat with the professor regarding that week's material, this way you can explain some things and students can ask questions freely. Just a thought! Assignment #6 I enjoyed learning a lot about Criminal Justice Research Methods online at Florida Gulf Coast University. My one suggestion is to improve learning online for future students is the following; Please, make students aware of the similar wording and time requirement formats on the quizzes. for assessment. I am a horrible test taker and felt extreme pressure taking a test every time. I also believe extra credit should be allowed to ensure a student s success in this course. The material is extremely difficult and needs to be presented in a way that anyone can comprehend. A student does not have a chance of passing this course without consistently referring to a book and power point notes to help them. I am an A student on the dean s list and now thanking god this is my last class at FGCU and I am praying for a D on the Final. Professor INSTRUCTOR NAME. Thank you for all of your assistance and support in this course. I would not have made it without you! STUDENT NAME The class in general was an interesting topic. There were a few things that I would suggest for the future. I believe that more homework assignments would help clarify whether the student can used the information from the book and apply it in a real llife situation. The book explains it's self but not entirely. Also your powerpoints were helpful but if possible to be a little more specific in details when it came to more challenging subject such as chapter 9 and 11. However, the group project which i previously always loathed, actually helped me alot understand the book. The way you guidelined what you wanted did help me study and understand the subjects at hand more. I really liked the puzzle assignments! They were a really unique way to look at the definitions, and they were fun:) Hello Professor, To be honest I was kind of scared when I started this class. I heard from many people that this is the hardest class ever etc etc Once I started it, I found it to be very organized and intensive. Putting many hours and effort into it, I did quite well and am happy with the great deal of information that I learned from this class. I would not prefer adding more written assignments. The crossword puzzles were very intriguing and challenging. I learned a lot from them better than notes or written assignments. One thing I would change is the attempts of the quizzes. I am a strong believer that quizzes are learning tools and should be tried until the information sinks in and is clear/understood. I felt under a great deal of pressure when I had 1 attempt and I can say that it did slightly affect my score. Other than these, I found the class to be very organized, I enjoyed and learned a lot from it. I also wanted to thank you for the quick responses to my questions/ s It was very good to know that the professor was there for you and could get a quick answer. Thank you,

75 75 STUDENT NAME Do more examples on the power points instead of telling us to look at the book. Because the book example just made me more confused especially in chp 9. I really liked the weeks when we had a homework assignment. Being able to do the homework assignment multiple times until we received the score we were happy with really helped me retain the information. The chapters that had homework seemed to ease my worries when it came time to take the quiz/exam. On weeks when there was no assignment, I felt the quiz/exam's were harder. I think there should be a homework assignment for every chapter. I know thats a lot of work with a quiz every week as well, but maybe do a quiz every other week regarding both chapters. Dr. INSTRUCTOR NAME I recommend more written work using scenarios in identifying research designs and basic principles. Respectfully, STUDENT NAME I suggest that the quizzes and homework be laid out better by that the last week was jammed pack with quizzes and homework along with the project and midterm following but other than that I love the format of the cross word puzzles and the game show assignment was really sweet and a good learning tool that was also fun and not the same thing every week. I am sure this timing thing is hard with being summer the semester started off a little slow then all of a sudden its actually almost over. The only sections that I needed more help with was chapter 9 and 4. I think there needs to be an assignment on it that better helps you understand the material and have the assignment due before you can take the quiz. Also, I struggled with Chapter 4. This is a hard course, especially since it is an online course. Sometimes it is hard to read something and understand it you need more of an explanation, so I think that assignments play a big role in helping students comprehend the concepts. Furthermore, I really enjoyed this class, even though it was very challenging and time consuming, I feel like I learned a lot. I think that such assignments like the crossword and the money game allowed me to understand the subject a lot better. I really enjoyed those assignments because they were a lot easier to understand and execute. This is the first time I have ever taken an online class (along with another this summer session). This is the hardest and most stressful class that I have ever taken at FGCU. I don't know if it's because I'm an in-class learner or because it was just very difficult for me to understand. I think in order to make things go a little more smoothly, I think that the group work should be explained a little better and you should give tips. That was probably the most difficult part of this class. Also, you shouldn't assign so many assignments the last week of class..i think it should be spread out more. Other then that, it was a positive learning experience. Hello Professor, One thing in which I knew helped me a lot is the Jepardy type game that we did. It was very interactive and made us think. It took a lot of different tries to get things right sometimes which made me learn a bit more in getting more in depth with the book. Also, the crossword puzzle had this same effect. I really enjoyed these two assignments. I learn a lot in these two assignments. I found the powerpoints extremely helpful with the material throughout the semester. However, I think more assignments like the one for chapter 11, where we fill in our own notes are helpful. Other types of worksheets relating to the material would also be helpful in applying the information. I truely enjoyed your class and would have rather taken you in class but with what we had to work with, it was a wonderful semester. One suggestion I would make is that you make the quizzes alittle bit easier to understand. I had a really rough time with those and from talking to other students in the class so did they. Maybe if you could give alittle bit more time or make them easier to understand

76 76 that would help alot. Those quizz grades are what brought me down significantly in your class. Thankyou so much and i'll see you for the final =) I found chapter 11 a little more confusing than the others, and might have benefited from more notes. STUDENT NAME I found the PowerPoint slides with examples to be the most helpful. Your examples put topics into real life examples which I could not find in the textbook. If you could apply more of the quiz questions/examples in the slideshows, that would be excellent. The quiz questions were great examples of how to apply terms. I like how the quizzes make you think about what you are learning and actually apply it to the question instead of a straight forward answer. I would suggest making the research project a non-group project just because for an online class it can be hard to communicate with others especially if you dont recieve responses. If the class weren't online I would have no problem with the group project. Overall I think this course was put together really well. I especially enjoyed the crossword puzzles. For some reason that was what helped me to learn and also retain the information provided in the chapter they were used for. I liked the fact that it allowed for you to go back and look at the hints as many times as you wanted so I could associate each term with the definitions. I would definitely do more of the puzzles. My biggest problem with the class was that it was hard to understand the material. I believe this is caused by the way the assignments are, but to be honest I don't know what could be done to improve on that. So I will just try to explain what I mean as best as possible. No one chapter jumped out at me as harder then the others. The assignments, such as the crosswords, don't really help me to understand the material. I would just do my best to remember it or look it up. But actually understanding what it all meant escaped me alot. So my suggestion, and I'm sorry I don't actually have an idea for it, is to make the assignments so that when doing them we better understand what it is we are reading. The assignments we have now don't seem to do that for me. And I know several of my group members felt as lost as I did, stating that they weren't sure they were grasping the material as a whole. So maybe short answers, with the question designed to make us think about the topic more, and to teach us to put it all together. STUDENT NAME I found it hard to do the work in this class because of the lack of communication. The chapter notes were good, but it was hard to get in touch with the professor. Other than ing the teacher, I would like to have a number to reach them at when I need help with clarifying something at the very moment. This would help for a faster response when needed. I did enjoy the live chat room though because the communication did not lack then for group projects and made it somewhat easier. My suggestion would be to eliminate the time limit on midterm and final. It is proctored anyway and only adds stress about spending too much time on individual questions. Thanks for asking. STUDENT NAME There are a number of problems that I have encountered with this class, but since the assignment asks me to limit it to just one complaint, I will attempt to do this. I have a serious, serious issue with GROUP PROJECTS. When have they EVER worked out right? I have been going to school for 16 years of my life, and in every single instance the "group project" ends up being done by an individual, or if they're lucky two people will get the project done. This is exactly what has happened in this class, yet again. I am absolutely livid with your blatant disrespect for an online class. How in the world did you expect people to meet up to actually do the assignment? People take online classes so that they can work independently and not have to deal with the burden of being brought down by other people's lack of commitment to this class. I felt absolutely insulted by this assignment. I thought there were at least six people in a group. To my knowledge two and a half people have contributed to our group project. I very seriously feel like I have been taken advantage of, once again by this system of group projects. If this was an in-person class, I would have brought this up on the first day of class. But since this is an online class, I was more confused about how you expected this to work.

77 77 In summary: these things NEVER work and I do not feel comfortable doing your job for you. The name of the class is Research Methods, not Playing Phone Tag 101. I was really hoping to learn to get my money s worth with this class, and I am grossly dissatisfied. I did not sign up to be a social secretary and make sure everyone s schedule works with each other. This is an ongoing problem with teachers. Do not demand my best work if you decide not to work at all. I know you might be taken back by my honest, but I hope that you will take this seriously in the future. I am far from alone in these feelings. STUDENT NAME My first online class...have to say intense, but manageable...i dont have a criticizing personality but if i HAVE to say one thing then...i'm gonna have to say with the third part of group projects,(letter a), where I had to destinguish and DIAGRAM the type of evaluation(which was Calixto and I)...Impact or Process...(I COULD OF ASKED FOR HELP GRANTED)...But it was still really the first and only part of the class that I second guessed my answers over and over because Diagraming your own ideas was never (IN MY OPININION) nailed down...i read over and over and still didn't understand what exactly were the Inputs, Activities, Results,...were activities the independent var, and results,,depend..of were they all part of the inputs... that whole part 3, letter A was vague...to ME!!!..thats all..hopefully I got it right cause that was my part and we went with it... THANK YOU FOR THE CLASS>> EXCELLENT!!!!! STUDENT NAME Hello Professor INSTRUCTOR NAME, My honest opinion is this class shouldn't be taught online. This is a class that needs much needed class discussions and raised hands so that everyone has a fair understanding of the material. As far as the powerpoints go all they did was reiterate what the book stated, I think the powerpoints would be much more beneficial if you included applications and real life examples of the material. The text book examples are a lot different than how you apply it therefore seeing that your examples are on the quizzes and test then we need to fully grasp your way and not the books way of applying. I found chapter 9 especially the application of validity to be very difficult. Its hard to apply validity when the examples are not clear cut. Ive always been a hands on learner, always been the kid in class to raise my hand all the time and unlike all the other classes that I have taken online I really felt the need to do that in this class. I think that the group projects in an online class should be alleviated but at the same time I guess it would be a lot more work for you to grade individual projects or papers however from a students vantage point its hard to get everyone in the group to participate and I felt like because I care about maintaining my GPA I was stuck with the bulk of the project. Overall I am glad this is the last class I have to take before graduating. :-) One suggestion I would make for this class would be about the assignments. I didn't find the crosswords very helpful. I feel that the largest part of this class is the project, which requires students to apply the knowledge from the text and lectures. I think I learned the most from participating in the project. The quizzes require us to apply our knowledge as well, in order to answer the questions correctly. Thus, I would suggest NOT using assignments like the crosswords because they don't really enhance learning through application of concepts. STUDENT NAME One thing that I believe should be done differently is the group project. I know its a big part of our grade and work for the semester, but I found it so super hard to work with that many people when half of us couldnt get together because no one was in the same place. That project needed to be done as a group as the same time and it was never that way. Other then my huge issue with the project I enjoyed this class very much. I learned the chapters well, some of the questions on the quizzes were difficult or worded difficlut, but other then that everything flowed well this semester in this class! Prof, My suggestion will deal with the needs of your virtual students as that is the only medium I know for your class. CCJ 3700 is my last class prior to graduating. I have had little difficulty with prior classes but in retrospect I realize that my prior course work has been writing intensive. The preparation for assignments with a heavy emphasis on writing makes sense for on line students. This 3700 course is much more technical in nature and I found it nearly impossible to absorb the concepts adequately. My thinking is that 3700 lends itself better to the class room. I think if I would have been able to listen to lectures and ask questions I would have fared much

78 78 better and I suspect there must be others wired similar to me. Maybe you could make time for on line chat communications to facilitate more dialogue and interchange between you and the students. So often I just drew a blank and felt that e mailing questions would not do what I needed. One side note. As I have shared with you in early e mails, I am taking serious dual therapy medications and have been on them for 11 months. Thankfully I will complete the course of meds in two weeks. The side effects are more than significant and I know they have thrown me off. Hope this suggestion helps in some way. Thank you for everything. Respectfully, STUDENT NAME ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS CRN FALL 2010 CCJ 3700 (online) Hello Students, For this assignment you will get full credit for helping me improve the class by providing a realistic, constructive suggestion. Please do not just say you don't like the assignment and we should not do it (e.g. I hate group work, take that out), but give me an example of how to make that group assignment clearer, or how to make it a better learning experience for my future students. Please submit a message (not an attached doc, just type it in the box) with ONE specific suggestion for me to help future students in a virtual class learn this material. For example, of the various types of assignments, was there something that helped that I should do more of? Was there a specific chapter that was very difficult and what could I do to make it easier to understand that material? Do you want to do more written work? Formal or informal writing? Please just one suggestion each, the one that you think will help the most, so I can see what you think will help most. ALSO, please log into your Gulfline account and do the Student Assessment of Instruction (SAI) by December 6th. In that instrument, there is much more room for all of your opinions, and please do leave written comments there also. Thanks, INSTRUCTOR NAME I think what would have made this class better for me was having more involvement in the group project. I felt like there weren't enough roles for eveyone to feel like they contributed equally. Organizing the project didn't make me feel like I really contributed much. I tried twice to get a part of the project to write but being part of a group means compromising so I was given the task of organizing. I would have much rather had something to write. I can see that having a big class it would be hard to make more groups so maybe adding more to the project so everyone has something to write. Not that organizing didn't turn out to be a big task I would have felt like I contributed more if I had something to write. Other than that I enjoyed the class! For the most part I was challenged by the class and the course material. I found the utilization of Quizes very useful and they helped test my knowledge pertaining to the weeks lessons. The one constrictive critizism I would make is that, I normally read the chapter before taking quizzes. Aside from that I don't really utilize teh notes / powerpoints given to us. But all I would say is that, the notes would greatly improve my understanding and help me

79 79 in comprehending the lesson. Therefore, if the book and PPT's / notes worked in tandem with one another, then perhaps the information would stick or at least be more easy to understand. Thank you and I hope that this may help some for the future. STUDENT NAME In my opinion I thought the assignments were fine the way they were but I felt like the quizes were too hard at times I would feel they would be better if you didnt have to apply as much yet I know that is what the class is about. I think that the powerpoints could be more detailed. I can honestly say that I would have liked the powerpoints to align up more with each chapter and help me identify areas of the chapter that were the most important. There is a lot of information for this class so have a better idea of what is most important with the use of powerpoints would help. Also a study guide for the exams would be helpful. Dr. INSTRUCTOR NAME, Suggestion: Remove the group project or scale it down and make it an individual assignment. It is very dificult to do the group project with students when some are distance learners. There are several students who do not pull their weight and don't respond to s in a timely manner. I live north of Tampa and several students did not meet deadlines and respond to s with their assigned sections leaving some of us group members waiting until the last minute to put other parts together. If we all met face to face in a class setting, it would be easier to work together and meet. I think the biggest suggestion that I would give you would be to give more assignments that help to show what we learn from each chapter. Some of the powerpoints didn t give much information that was important for that chapter and that was going to later be on the exam. There were some chapters that I would have liked to of had an assignment for because I didn t understand the chapter very well. Also, the assignments would help for a better grade on the exams because we would understand the material more and our exams would have better outcomes. More assignments would be helpful to understanding all of the material that was given in the chapters because some of it needs to be practiced to understand. That s the only suggestion that I really have to improving the class. The project was great, I think. I just think if someone has dropped the class that you can the entire class saying so. The most helpful thing I have found through the years while taking online classes on Angel is a clear understanding of when things are due. I only took one class that the professor actually used the calendar and put all the due dates on it for every assignment. Besides that virtual classes seem near impossible for group work to be completed to its full potential, however, the written assignments seem pretty straight forward the only thing that seems to help me more on test and quizzes is a better understanding of the vocabulary if you could incorporate more questions or even a quiz based solely on vocab I feel it would give students a better grasp on the course. I think the final and midterm exams should have a lesser impact on our grade. I learned alot through the assignments and I think there should be more assignments and a lesser severity on just two tests. For someone who is a horrible test taker it makes it a little more stressful. When doing the homework assignments, the most helpful assignments were the ones that were in the form of the crosswords. The ruberics where helpful, but the crosswords helped me learn and memorize the chapter material. Chapters were a complete train wreck. I don't think I could of passed the quiz if I had 3 more attempts to take it. I think there should be more problem solving exercises especially when dealing with that Chi-Square. I would of liked to have seen this portion of instruction in the classroom because most of the students that I spoke with were just as lost as I was. The most poorly constructed aspect of this class is the design of its quizzes. Since the subject matter being taught in this class is very difficult to comprehend for most students and is not easily applied, quizzes should reflect basic concepts in the chapters so that notes can elaborate on them and teach how to apply them. Application of the subject matter is important, but if one does not understand

80 80 basic concepts first it is impossible to succeed on a quiz. Quizzes would reflect better understanding if they tested upon basic ideas in a chapter rather than complex applications that may not yet be understood by students. Professor, I believe you did a great job conducting this class this semester. The only thing that threw me off in your class compared to my two other online classes was the fact that your class did not include discussion posts. I find that having support being either constructive positive or constructive negative can help with the learning process even more than the quizzes and homework assignments. I can see how this may be hard with the content of the literature, but I find quizzes and homework assignments do not facilitate the actual research and learning process as well. Other than that your class was great and im hoping to do well on the final. Sincerely, STUDENT NAME I would suggest for the powerpoints to be more detailed. They didnt help much on thw quizzes. Other than that, the assigments were good. Thank you. STUDENT NAME Dear Professor, This semester has been very crazy for me, but this online class has been a little different for me from other online classes. With the quizzes, the questions were not so bad until the applied questions because many of them sound simliar, i would take confuse myself on some of the questions and put the wrong answer because i sounded the same but not. and the Midterm was the same way, i think that there should be a studying guide and if the question from the quizzes should be on the study guide then they should be on the exam. And the group project is just to difficult to do online because people have to many different schedules. If we had a class then thats different but online classes i thought were to accomidate our individual schedule, but it's hard to organize a bunch of college students who have don't even live in the same area to coordinate online to put a project together. Im sorry if this sound harsh but i did enjoy your assignments and powerpoints. I enjoyed the attempt at quizzes if you did not succeed the first time. Thanks, STUDENT NAME Hey professior, When i studied the quizzes for the midterm there was, i didn't see any of the quiz question on the exam, and the powerpoints are good however, the chapter midterm was so all over the place when i had to look for answers. Some of them were just out of order and that threw me off even more. I think i talk to you during the midterm because i was looking for an answer for a question and in was in the wrong chapter, but on the midterm exam it said it was under a different chapter. Im sorry if this sound weird, im just use to getting a study guide with quiz question on it and there exactly the same on the exam. Im sorry again for the incovenicence because i don't want to sound like i hate this course or anything, but i hope all is well and i will see you next week. Thanks, STUDENT NAME i think the group project because in my group alone only a few people ever showed up to the meetings. I never showed up to the meetings but i always told my leader when i was able to meet(i have two jobs and internship) but a few people did not turn in work so i think the first class should be in person and they pick out group members who they know will work and from there on the class continues to be online.

81 81 (you are a great teacher and i thank you for always making your assignments clear.) Hello, I found that this class was very well structured in that I new what was due and when it was due. The troubles that I had with this class where more along the lines mostly of it being an online class. Yes, the professor was always available to ask questions to but I found many of the chapters in the book very hard to teach myself. The power points at first were no help to me but after the midterm they did improve but some stuff was still difficult to understand. Overall I thought it was a good course. I just wish that it hadn't been a virtual class. A suggestion that I have is to do more discussion posts. I know, for me, it's hard to keep up with online classes because it is easy to "forget" about them until an assignment is actually due. I've had other online classes that do weekly discussions and I found that I kept up with those classes better in terms of the readings and understanding everything. I wasn't fond of having to do a weekly discussion, but I noticed that I retain more information that way. Another suggestion I have is in terms of the group project and I don't know if this is even considerable but I think there should be specific due dates for each part of the project. I was the group leader for my group and it was so hard to get people to turn things in at a decent time and getting in touch with everyone was difficult so I think if there were specific, required due dates for each part it may make things run a little bit more smoothly. Thanks for everything this semester && I'll look forward to next semester and CCJ 3701 :) For the project it is very difficult to do group projects with so many people whom you do not know and who you may not be able to meet with due to distance. However, I think at the beginning when we had to pick a topic that we could have gotten more notice of what was going on so that we had more time to contact our team members and discuss before it was open. I know my team members rarely check their messages and we could not get any of the topics that we wanted. One suggestion that I wanted to make is that your powerpoints have more information on them that will help with the quizzes. I felt that I had to look in the book for most of the information and what was on the powerpoints had little to do with the quizzes or midterm. I like the idea of powerpoints but often times they are a review of what the textbook is saying. Your powerpoints bring new ideas in all together and they become a bit confusing to what the book is saying. My suggestion would be to tie the powerpoints in to what the book is teaching and use them more as a recap and not a whole new teaching tool. I think the most difficult thing about this course as it stands right now, is that it is sometimes impossible to construct a group project in an online course. Many students live far away and it is difficult to get in contact with members via Angel mail. If the course continues to be offered only online, individual work would be best or if the group project will continue groups should be notified when students have dropped the course as this information is not readily availble to students. Dr. INSTRUCTOR NAME, I found the final chapter to be the most difficult to take in. I passed statistics with an A but it has been a while since I took that class. Anyway, I think that if there is a way to expand on the information that the text provides would be extremely helpful. Perhaps put additional problems in the power point. Otherwise I didn't have too many problems and enjoyed the class. I will see you next semester in CCJ Thanks!! STUDENT NAME I think the biggest thing that needs improvement in this course is the way the team communicates. It just seemed confusing and unorganized to me. Maybe I'm alone in this, but it wasn't simple. I wish it was more clear simple and easy. You may not think this is a valid point I'm giving. The information I needed was accessible, but the lay out could have been more user friendly. I think it would be very beneficial for future students if you could keep the grading system on here up to date so we can have an idea of our current grade, and therefore we can know how high of a grade we might have to earn on late assignments to get the grade we want. I know I personally get stressed out when I can't keep track of how I'm doing in a course like this, and I'm sure other students stress out somewhat as well.

82 82 I had some exigent corcumstances which hindered my immediate success in the course, but I did not some few points that I feel would be relevant to helping students succeed. I feel that the group projects should be outlined and stuctured more efficently, as there is a lot of room for mis-interpretation, confusion, and disagreement. The course was a lot of fun, and very educational. One thing that I would probably change is the group assignment. Maybe if the group assignment had less members per group it would be a little easier to get done. It's hard enough to to get even just a couple of people together in a regular class let alone 12 people in a virtual class. I was only able to meet with two of the 12 members in my group and was not able to meet with the student that was doing my section with me due to the fact that she lived far away. This made it very hard to get the project accomplished. My favortie part of the class was the assigments. They were a fun way to learn the material. I was not to fond of the group projects. To improve the class maybe make audio files explaining the material a little more. The powerpoints were okay but were not helpful for the quizzes. I never knew what to study for the quizzes. Overall good class I would recommend you to other students! This class is very challenging and well organized. In order to make the class better for future classes I would suggest a different form of a group project. I think most students go into an online class because they either live far from campus or because they work full time, and do not expect to have to go to campus or meet with group members to complete an assignment. The group project you have asked us to complete is too large and has been very inconvenient to those students who cannot meet the group in person. A suggestion would be to make the assignment less in depth and make the groups smaller, (3-5 members at the most). By doing this it will allow the students to communicate with all members of their group and have an understanding of what each group member is doing and that their portion will be done on time. We have twelve students in our group and I have taken the lead position, and almost all the way through class I have still been unable to reach several group members and I have no idea if they are working on their portions of the project. Lastly I want to add that I enjoy your class and like that it is challenging and causes students to actually study and work hard to get the grade they are after. I think the quizzes helped me learn and study for the mid terms and finals. The one thing I would change with the quizzes would be to let us see what we got wrong after the first time we take it. This way when we take it a second time we can correct our mistakes and learn from them instead of guessing or thinking we got ones right when we really didn't. I think this may help with the quizzes. With this class being a virtual class alot of confusion and questions occur throughout the semester. This happened to many of us in the class this semester especially when it came to the group project. The hard part about the project is that you have an estimate of 12 members in each group and at least 3-5 will be studnets from other counties who can't meet with the group to make this process of assigning sections easy. One suggestion would to have mandatory group conference meetings so everyone is on the same page and if your out of tow you need to make sure your apart of the meeting by calling and listening in or something. I know we had a diffficult time at first getting everyone on the same page but with great leadership from our group leader we were able to finish the project on time. I just feel the instructions and requirements need to be more in depth since this is a virtual class. Thank y ou for reading my input. I personally had difficulty with the online format class. I have not taken many, and am a good student but feel I benefit better from doing the assigned readings, then listening to the professor discuss the readings, and then finalize my conclusions by going back over the assigned material. The only suggestion I can make to improve the virtual classroom experience would be mandatory live online seminars. It can be only a few a semester, but for students to be interacting online while a professor is explaining the material can be very helpful to some depending on your learning style. My suggestion is to take out the data analysis section chapter 13 on quiz 6. It is very confusing if the student has never taken statistics as a prerequisite. This section gives very little value or critical information for students educational use. It would be more beneficial to students to learn how to interrupt data from all types of tables and graphs. We should go into more details in chapter 12 about reading data. STUDENT NAME I really liked the class work that allowed us to keep doing the assignments until we got all of the questions right. This helped because it would force us to figure out the right answer, thus learning the material. I particularly liked the gameshow style assignments because they incorporated examples, which is what we see a lot of on the Mid-Term and Final. Overall I feel that course ran smoothly. Although I felt that for the group project there wasnt enough to go on as far what the outcome was to look like. I would have liked to have had an example of a project so that we could see exactly what was expected or a more in

83 83 depth of an explanation of each part or what is expected. I also felt that the powerpoints werent very helpful they helped but not as informative. I felt that the hardest chapters we had were the last two. Maybe if we had an excercise before the quizzes they would be a little easier to understand. Overall I enjoyed the course and feel that it ran smoothly and we all had a good semester. THE ONLY SUGGESTION I WOULD GIVE IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE FUTURE STUDENTS GROUP PROJECTS ON AN ONLINE CLASS, PLEASE NOTIFY THE STUDENTS IF SOMEONE DROPPED OUT OF THE CLASS. THEIRS ONLY SO MUCH MORE WE CAN DO VIA AND SOMETIMES THE NAME WILL STILL BE ON THE ROSTER AND STUDENTS ARE DEPENDENT ON OTHER STUDENTS TO DO THEIR PART OF THE PROJECT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY RESPOND WITH AN OK AND THEN FAIL TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR PART IN THE PROJECT. IT WOULD GREATLY HELP, ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW RIGHT OFF THE BACK WHO IS YOUR STUDENT AND WHOS NOT. OTHER THAN THAT, TOUGH CLASS BUT VERY INFORMATIVE AND LEARNED A GREAT DEAL. I think this class is very hard to do online it has alot of parts that are INFO Intence! I belive this class would be much better in a classroom. The project was fine but having people not do there work left more for other todo. Im sure you will take points away from them, but do we get more points for more work done? The detailed powerpoint that you provided for chapters 12 and 13 was very descriptive. I personally find the text very confusing and it provides poorly explained examples. This last powerpoint provided a somewhat interactive presentation and caused us to think and included greatly detailed information in the notes section. Although I know this slide show was probably very time consuming for you I found it to be very helpful and probably the most helpful of all the slide shows. Especially since I took stats 2 years ago it served as a great refresher. Thank you for taking the time to put the powerpoints together. I felt that Chapters were hard for me and the powerpoints could use a little more detail on the chi-square and so forth. Also, I felt it was difficult to concentrate when taking the mid term with another class present but I believe you have changed that for the final. Otherwise, I thought the class was great and I enjoyed the assignments! This class was very hard. I think it would have been a lot better to have a campus class instead of just online, because it was as though I had to teach myself research methods and for someone like me who is not good at math, the last few chapters were very hard. One suggestion I would have for future classes is to make it a hybrid. Have a few assigned classes in order to make sure people are understanding the material. Also, the group project was not a good idea to have for an online class. I have had several classes with group projects and it always turns out that a few people do all of the work and the rest do nothing. Plus, it is very difficult to do a group project with people who are distance learners. I think that it may be necessary to rearrange the group project or do away with it. As you did mention that you cannot hold class on campus because some students are hundreds of miles away it is also impossible to have an online group project, as again, it is hard to get together in order to complete it. An individual project or paper would work better. The quizzes had very good material, but alot of the questions were kind of open-ended and hard to depict what answer you were looking for. They also were not reflective of the notes, and sometimes not even the chapter. Even after I read both the notes and the chapter, some of the answers were unclear to me. Also, with the quizzes, I think it would be extremely beneficial for us to see what we got wrong on each quiz so we can seek to improve on that concept for the next time. This brings up the issue of making it too easy, however, if we know what concept we got wrong- you can switch up the questions each time to see if we improve. Well, this whole class was confusing to me. I am sorry this research thing is not me...and I want to be a lawyer. I am going to say give more assignments on the chapters. MAKE THE ASSIGNMENT INTERESTING AND FUN! This something that attracts our attention. The chapters that are on the final exam were the most difficult ones in my opinion. thanks, STUDENT NAME I think that when you assign a group project you should create deadlines for each section of the project. I say this because people in my group did not submit their sections in a timely manner. I do not think the whole group should be punished for one person not doing their part. That means the rest of the group, or those who care about completing the project, have to do what was not done by the person it was assigned to.

84 84 My only suggestion is that you remove chapter 13 from one of the reading materials. I found it surved no puropose to what i had been leaving so far in the course. I think we should just focus on learning about the criminal justice system rather than doing statistics. After talking to my some of my classmates about the quiz on that last chapter, many of them felt like that chapter and quiz was pointless. Please Ignor that previously submitted suggestion. After really reading what i wrote and looking back at your s, you already mentioned what your intentions were on the last quiz. I am now typing out a new suggestion comment. My suggestion is that you not do any group projects unless you will teach in a classroom. There are to many people who live to far to meet up or drop out of class and not notifying other memembers that they are leaving. Another reason is that you have other group members who don't do the work at all and other members have to double up on the work eithic. I believe that if you just get ride of the group project and make like a module that's possibly equivalant to a project grade that would be better. The hardest time I had was determining the difference in the different types of sampling and the different types of experimental designs. Given a problem and asked which one is it, I couldn't get them right. Hence, the bad grades on got on the Chapter #4 tests. I think the exercises we later did with the game show theme, would've helped me on these particular sections. I just couldn't grasp reading the book or power point how to determine it. Thank You! Prof. INSTRUCTOR NAME, your class is one of the better ones I have taken, I have just had a rough semester personally because of problems outside of school. The only thing I think that would make your class even better would be more written work both formal and informal. I say this because although we have quizes and test I think that students can really show what they have learned when they have to write about it. I have noticed that in most of my classes we have had to write papers or essays rather for our mid term and finals or just one of them. I think that perhaps for a final it would be cool to have the students to write out a fake research study. Have them make it up or give them the basic topics or areas and have them write out their plan, and tell what happens during their research and the outcome. I had to make up court cases for other classes and write depositions and responses and everything else and we had to chose a side either prosecutor or defense and some even did both to make a more complete paper. It seems like a lot but no one seemed to complain it was rather fun to do because we got to show off what we had learned and we got to do a lot of research and lerarned more about laws that way. Thank You, STUDENT NAME I think the thing that will help future students in this class is the group project should be changed to an individual project. I felt like it was extremely hard to get in touch and meet with my group due to an extremely busy schedule. You cant expect that many people in a group to have relatively the same schedules where you can contact and meet to get the asignment done. So in my opinion i enjoyed the class, but one change is to change the group project to an individual project so that the one person can rely on just themselves then a bunch of different people with conflicting lifes.