Discussions
Discussion boards have multiple purposes. Because this class is online, the discussion boards serve as a way to demonstrate your “attendance” and participation. They also allow for critical thinking, sharing thoughts and opinions with your classmates and your instructor, and they allow us to incorporate current events into the course work.
Discussion boards are due by Wednesday evening at 11:59 pm (MST) each week. This is your initial post which should be a minimum of 250 words. Your responses to fellow classmates and/or myself will be due by Saturday evening at 11:59 (MST). At least two responses per discussion board are required. They must be of substantial substance, no less than 100 words. Outside sources are encouraged to support posts but not required. If outside sources are used, make sure to cite them properly using APA format.
****You will lose (5) points if your initial post is not completed on time. You will also be docked (5 points each missing response) points for not responding to at least 2 people's posts. You will also lose points if your posts do not meet the minimum word requirements mentioned above.*****
Written Assignments
These are short, one to two-page papers (one page will rarely accomplish it), due at the end of each module. Papers should be formatted with 12-point font and one-inch margins. It is required to have at least two reputable sources cited in APA format. The use of parenthetical citations within the body of the paper is also required. The topic of each week’s written assignment corresponds with a subject in one of the chapters we read and discussed in that module.
***You will lose points if there are not two sources cited*****
Quizzes
Quizzes are open book, open note, but will be timed. Each quiz is 10 questions* and multiple choice. The purpose of each quiz is to give you a more thorough review of the material and main topics in each chapter.
Course Project
For this project you will write a final project paper on a criminal investigation that has been completed and is available for open-source research. You will take a deep dive into the investigation and outline all the parties involved, what their roles were, what types of crimes were investigated, the techniques used to investigate, and the final outcome of the criminal investigation. You will also include a narrative on what was done well, what could have been done better, and other opinions you may have after learning about the investigation. There is no minimum or maximum page length, but the assignment should be thorough (a 2-page paper will not be thorough enough...hint). Examples of potential investigation projects could be Nichole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, Caylee Anthony, Susan Powell, Teresa Hallbach, Odin Llyod, etc.
Papers should be formatted with 12-point font and one-inch margins. At least three reputable sources cited in APA format are required. The use of parenthetical citations within the body of the paper is also required.
Final Exam
The final exam is 50 questions. Like the quizzes, the final exam is multiple choice. The final exam will include material from the entire course.