Lockdown learning project up for global award
A project which brought forensic science to life online during the pandemic is shortlisted for a global award
The #RemoteForensicCSI network was set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to share innovative ways to engage students on forensic-related courses while learning remotely.
Now, the initiative has been selected as a finalist at the 2021 Global Advancing Academic Development Good Practice Awards which celebrate inspirational academic practitioners from around the world.
The tri-institutional collaboration is led by Dr Rachel Bolton-King from Staffordshire University, Professor Ian Turner from the University of Derby and Leisa Nichols-Drew from De Montfort University.
Rachel, Associate Professor of Forensic Science, said: “Being shortlisted for this Global Good Practice Award feels like an amazing achievement. Especially for something so positive to have resulted from the turbulent and challenging times created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our #RemoteForensicCSI network provided an encouraging and supportive community in which we could all share, learn and develop our academic and professional practices for the benefit of our students.”
The open access platform was designed to not only support online teaching in both Further Education and Higher Education, but also practitioner training to ensure learners on highly practical courses were still able to develop skills and understanding while at home or from a distance.
Monthly webinars discussed the challenges of remote teaching and training across disciplines – such as crime scene investigation, forensic laboratory analysis and court – and provided a forum to share good practice, experiences, tips and resources.
Rachel explained: “We showed how you could create practicals that could be done at home. You could design teaching and learning sessions that enable the students to use the equipment that was in their local environment, or utilise courtroom simulations, or existing simulations like virtual tours.
“For example, at Staffs we sent out teaching kits to utilise in home-based practicals and activities – including things like swabs for DNA sampling, crime scene evidence bags, tabs of ink so that they could do fingerprinting, and also crime scene suits.”
Although face-to-face teaching has now resumed, the #RemoteForensicCSI network will continue to promote collaboration and professional development between colleagues across the world.
Rachel added: “The #RemoteForensicCSI network has opened up opportunities to have conversations and make professional connections between people who otherwise wouldn't have known each other. This is something that we are keen to continue, and we are excited to be launching season two of our webinars later this year.”
The winners of the 2021 Global Advancing Academic Development Good Practice Awards will be announced in an online ceremony on Wednesday 3 November.
Amy Platts
Media Communications Officer
t: 01782 292702
m: 07799 341911
e: amy.platts@staffs.ac.uk
Staffordshire University is the Connected University; connected to the needs of students, academic partners, business and society. Our main city campus in Stoke-on-Trent features excellent learning and teaching facilities and good transport links. We have specialist Centres of Excellence in Healthcare Education at Stafford and Shrewsbury.
We were recognised with a Gold award in the 2019 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) for delivering consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for students.
We were shortlisted for University of the Year at the THE Awards 2020 and were named ‘Midlands University of the Year’ at the Midlands Business Awards 2020.
Staffordshire University has signed up to the Civic University Agreement, pledging to play a leading role in improving the regional economy and enhancing quality of life in local communities. We were recognised in the top 15 for social inclusion in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. We aim to be a leading university for digital technologies building on our proud computing heritage and in 2019 launched Staffordshire University London’s Digital Institute which is committed to preparing students for careers in new and emerging tech industries.
We are a Top 250 Young University (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2020) and are connected globally, with more than 11,000 people studying Staffordshire University degrees overseas.
