Crime Investigation Laboratory Captivates Interest of Non-major Students

 

Allison D’Costa, Andrew Benson, & Diane Dorsett

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2011, Volume 32

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Abstract

Many non-major biology students are fascinated with television crime dramas that utilize forensic analysis. To captivate students’ interest in forensic investigations, a “crime drama” laboratory module was developed. After reading a narrative describing a murder, students pick a potential suspect from the narrative that they would investigate as the murder suspect. During the course of their investigations, students utilize common forensic techniques frequently portrayed in television dramas. The module demonstrates that while individuals may share similarities in biological characteristics such as blood type and karyotype, it is the highly variable areas in DNA that allows for unique criminal identification.

Keywords:  DNA, forensics, non-majors, crime lab

Dalhousie University (2010)