CSI UQ: Introduction to Forensic Science (SCIE2020)

Course overview

The gathering and analysis of evidence is fundamental to successfully solving crime. Forensic science techniques are used extensively in police, customs and insurance investigations. Each forensic investigation is a puzzle where the first steps involve the identification and quantification of a wide variety of substances. This course examines the role of interdisciplinary scientific inquiry in the criminal investigations and introduces the most commonly used analytical techniques in forensic science, which span a range of traditional scientific disciplines including microbiology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry and genetics, to name but a few. Through case studies and hands-on experience students will learn methods for the analysis of chemical and biological materials (including DNA, blood, paint, dust, gun shot residues and documents) and investigate their use in the examination and interrogation of the evidence of crime.

Forensic science is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on analytical techniques from chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and genetics to name just a few. An overall knowledge of broad concepts from Law and the way the court system operates is also necessary for a successful forensic scientist. A course in Forensic sciences therefore creates a unique environment to expose students to a wide range of disciplines and types of data. By examining scientific problems commonly encountered in the criminal justice system, students will learn new analytical skills and apply them to real world problems, in a manner that also reinforces and develops critical reasoning skills and an appreciation of the role of science within the broader society. The course provides an elective that will be attractive to students of any major or background and teaching generic problem-solving, critical reasoning and quantitative analytical skills that students are not directly exposed to in other courses.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It is assumed that students will have basic quantitative skills and some literacy in chemical concepts including: line representations of molecules, chemical formulae, the mole, concentration, stoichiometry, ions and atomic structure.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

SCIE1000 and 2 units of Level 1 Chemistry

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Please check your timetable regularly at the start of each semester.

Aims and outcomes

1. Acquire the knowledge and skills to understand and interrogate the scientific basis of forensic science.
2. Gain hands-on experience in common analytical techniques and instrumentation common in forensic science.
3. Develop skills in critical reasoning, problem solving and communication.
4. Develop an understanding of the role of science and scientific reasoning within the wider social and legal context.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

5 Laboratory Reports

• Hurdle
• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

20%

Due date

One week after the commencement of each session. Further information will be provided on Blackboard

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submission will occur through Blackboard. Specific details will be provided through Blackboard closer to the submission date.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension.

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide approved documentation to support your application by the due date and time, you must still submit your application by the deadline but with an attached Word document that outlines why you cannot provide the approved documentation by the deadline. You will then need to acquire and upload the approved documentation to your request within 24 hours. Please note: When an extension request has been submitted and is pending, students are expected to continue to work on the assessment item, with the aim of submitting by the requested due date and time.

Prolonged Absence

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g. a medical certificate.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.

In most instances one or more hurdles will apply to your assessment item so you will need to submit it to fulfill the requirements of the course regardless of how late it is and the mark you are likely to be awarded.

Forensic Science in Popular Culture

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

30%

Due date

11/10/2024 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Submission will occur through Blackboard. Specific details will be provided through Blackboard closer to the submission date.

Submit your assessment through the course Blackboard submission point. Before submitting your assessment item to Turnitin please name your file in the following way. FAMILY NAME_GivenName_StudentID_CourseCode_AssignmentName For example: Bob Smith (ID: 54329876) would name his ABCD1234 essay 1 in the following way. SMITH_Bob_54329876_ABCD1234_Essay1

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension.

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide approved documentation to support your application by the due date and time, you must still submit your application by the deadline but with an attached Word document that outlines why you cannot provide the approved documentation by the deadline. You will then need to acquire and upload the approved documentation to your request within 24 hours. Please note: When an extension request has been submitted and is pending, students are expected to continue to work on the assessment item, with the aim of submitting by the requested due date and time.

Prolonged Absence

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g. a medical certificate.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.

In most instances one or more hurdles will apply to your assessment item so you will need to submit it to fulfill the requirements of the course regardless of how late it is and the mark you are likely to be awarded.

End of Semester Examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Assessment Hurdles

In order to pass this course, you must meet ALL of the following requirements (if you do not meet these requirements, the maximum grade you will receive will be a 3):

1.ﾠ You must obtain an overall course mark of 50% or more; and

2. ﾠYou must obtain an overall mark of 40% or more on the end of semester exam; and

3. ﾠYou must obtain a minimum weighted average mark of 40% across all other non-examination course assessment items and learning tasks; and

4. You must attend 100% of the laboratory component ofﾠthe course and make a genuine attempt at submitting all laboratory reports.

The maximum grade you will receive will be a 2 if you:

1.ﾠ Obtain an overall mark of 30% or less on the end of semester exam.

2.ﾠ Obtain a weighted average mark of 30% or less on the non-examination course assessment items and learning tasks.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes. 

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

Examinations

All details regarding the exact dates and venues of the end of semester examination can be found on myUQ.edu.au. The lecturers and course coordinators are not authorised by the University to provide this information.

Laboratory Practical Sessions

In order to pass this course you must attend 100% of the laboratory practical sessions. You must attend these sessions on the dates you have been assigned to.

What should I do if I cannot attend my timetabled laboratory practical?

It is a requirement that you attend yourﾠ laboratory sessions on the day you have been scheduled. Remember, YOU CHOSE YOUR LABORATORY SESSION TO SUIT YOUR SEMESTER TIMETABLE and other personal commitments SO IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ATTEND AT THE TIMES YOU CHOSE.

If you are unable to attend your timetabled practical session because of circumstances beyond your control (e.g., illness) you must email SCIE2020@scmb.uq.edu.au immediately and provide the following information:

Email Subject Line: SCIE2020 Practical Absence

Name:

Student ID Number:

Timetabled Practical Time:

Statement outlining why you are unable to attend your timetabled practical

Attached supporting documentation (if appropriate)

Your request must be made prior to or on the day of the missed practical. Reschedules will only occur in very exceptional circumstances and valid documentation will be required to be submitted as proof to gain a reschedule.

Reason

Examples of Supporting Documentation include:

ACCIDENT

Accident, not involving medical injury

Police report;ﾠreport or document from an automotive road service (e.g. RACQ) or from an authorised vehicle mechanic.

ATHLETE

Registered Elite Athlete Sporting Event

Letter from sporting body confirming selection and setting out dates of sporting commitments; itinerary.

DEATH

Death / bereavement

Death notice, funeral notice, and evidence of relationship. Where appropriate, confirmation of relationship is required (e.g. statutory declaration, birth certificate).ﾠPlease note a medical certificate is not appropriate if you are applying because you are bereaved.

FAMILY

Serious illness of a family member or close relative

Statement from medical practitioner confirming medical status of patient, relationship to student, and relevant dates.

MEDICAL

Medical grounds

Medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner, registered pharmacist or registered nurse.

PERSONAL

Significant personal problems

Statement from counsellor / psychiatrist / psychologist detailing impact on patient;ﾠpolice report or a statement from a relevant authority.

TRANSPORT

Major transport or traffic delay

Evidence from websites (e.g. Translink, Queensland Police, news websites) that outlines the nature of the event, including the date and time of the event.

Please note:ﾠPersonal statements will not be accepted as supporting documentation.

Further details of acceptable evidence are available here: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=1#1

Assessment Submission

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.

Please ensure you receive and save the submission confirmation for all submitted items, you may be asked to produce this as evidence of your submission.

Turnitin

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.

All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if one or more of your submissions are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after seven days, will receive zero. In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Assessment/Attendance

Please notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. The my.UQ website and the Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for your course also provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.

A note for repeating students in this course

Any student who enrols in a course must not be given exemption or partial credit from their previous attempt(s) for any individual piece of assessment. Instead, the student must successfully complete all of the learning activities and assessment items within the study period of enrolment (PPL Assessment - Procedures Section: Assessment integrity).

If the same assessment item is set from one year to the next, repeating students are allowed to submit the same work they submitted in previous attempts at the course. Where possible SCMB recommends that you use the feedback you received in your last attempt to improve parts of the item where you lost marks. Resubmission of an altered or unaltered assessment item by a repeating student (where the same assessment has been set) will not be considered as self-plagiarism.

Important Note

Turnitin is to be used for assignments/laboratory reports to check for plagiarism. Penalties can be severe for plagiarism.

The University has adopted the following definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another either intentionally or unintentionally. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.

Students are encouraged to read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism policy.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Blackboard

Additional material may be found on the Blackboard site for SCIE2020ﾠat learn.uq.edu.au

Check the Announcements section of the Blackboard site regularly for information updates.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Laboratory Occupational Health and Safety