FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Research Assignment: Instructions – Dr. Brian Burke, 2013
Science lies at the very
heart of psychology – it is the way we discover truth to move our civilization
forward. Science is like the fiber in our diets: It may be difficult to understand
(digest) at times, but it is essential for our long-term health. One major
problem in modern forensic psychology is the monumental gap between
psychological science and criminal justice system practice. So what can you do about this gap? Begin
to understand and show others the value of psychological science and how it can
help transform our legal system for the better. The first step is realizing
that science – like fiber – does not have to taste yucky. Using the fiber
mnemonic below, you can present scientific research in an interesting way to
maximize student understanding, engagement, and participation.
F.I.B.E.R. is a mnemonic that captures 5 different
ways to get your classmates interested when presenting psychological research.
Use it as you plan your research presentation for this class!
F = Follow-Up; where you
present the theory and the research study and then ask students to consider:
Does the data support the theory? How
would they design a future or follow-up study in this area?
I = Incomplete; where you show
students incomplete or even contrasting findings and they are asked (in groups)
to make sense of the results together – e.g., you could briefly show various
studies on a given topic and students have to figure out what’s in common,
i.e., the theory that could explain (and tie together) these seemingly
different research results. You will need to dig up (via PsycINFO) two more
research studies on your topic for this exercise.
B = Buddy System; where you give
each student a single page of a multi-page study to read in class and then
answer questions in buddy groups about the research
(Note: Because each student in a group has a different page of the same study,
they will need their buddies’ help to answer all the questions about the study
together).
E = Experiential; where students
participate in a brief research study in class, such as a quick replication
(that you design and set up) of the original study. This is often the
R = Review; always make sure to tell students the bottom line, the key implication of each research study
ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTIONS:
You
will be assigned to a research presentation group of 4 people. Your group will
be given a specific forensic psychology study to work with from the list below.
Your job will be to read the study and, with the help of FIBER above, plan a
45-50 minute class period with your group on the assigned date. During this
class period, your group will be teaching the class about your research
study/topic using active learning techniques (such as the many components of
FIBER) to get the other students involved
in the science of forensic psychology. You can divide up the assignment
with your group in whatever way makes sense: for example, each person can plan
on using 10-15 minutes to run a different FIBER exercise with the class. Feel free to meet with me beforehand to
consult about your teaching. Your group’s overall performance on this
teaching assignment will be worth 15% of your course grade.
6 VERY IMPORTANT POINTS:
1. Incorporate
the research article below into the FIBER system above.
2. When
you present the article below (and any additional research that you find),
please do not rehash all the technical details of the article – rather,
summarize the article in plain language for the class to understand.
3. You
don’t need to include every detail of the research – e.g., we don’t need to
know the exact ages of the participants…Just highlight and summarize the key
points and applications of the research!
4. Consider
using PowerPoint and/or short video clips (2-4 minutes) to enhance your
material.
5. Use
teamwork and have each person involved BUT make sure to use clear transitions
between different group members’ parts of the presentation – i.e., explain how
each topic is connected and what the bottom line is…
6. GET
THE CLASS INVOLVED!
You will be graded (partly by your
classmates) according to the following 3 criteria (worth 5 points each):
A – active
learning – how effectively you get the class involved in the material using
FIBER above
R – research –
how well you present the research in the article and additional research in
your topic area so that the class can understand it
C – content
knowledge; i.e., how well you answer student questions on your topic and the
overall educational value of your presentation
RESEARCH
ARTICLES:
(click on the topic below to access the full article online)
1)
Group 1: Caleb, Wilhelmina, and Alaina
September 10 – Fingerprints, DNA, and other forensic evidence
2) Group 2: Julie, Jenna, Steph, Taylor, and Lisa
September
19 – False Memories
3) Group 3: Cheryl, Jessie, David, and
Laney
October 3 – Workplace Law
& Discrimination
4)
Group 4: Melissa, Audrey, Gracy,
and Emily
October 10 – Child Custody &
Parental Competence
5) Group 5: Kayla, Alex, Whitney, and Mackenzie
October 17 – Expert Testimony
6) Group 6: Teresa, Heather, Sam, and Lauren
October 31 – Juvenile Offender Sentencing