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POL5013 - Suspects and Offenders

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

This module is centred on suspects and offenders, paying particular attention to the theories which underpin the nature of offending, and the contributors to an offending lifestyle. Students will examine the importance of offender rehabilitation and look at OCG in detail in the offender cycle. The role of MAPPA, and community intelligence as a source of prevention as well as the importance in recording and sharing relevant information, and the potential consequences.

Students will also look at the legal framework and process with dealing with a detained person and understand the custody environment in an investigative context. The learning in this module will be combined with the practical skill of investigative interviewing, which will be introduced and the importance of key aspects relating to ethical, professional, and legal conduct will be examined, aligning to the PIP2 standards.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lectures will build on theory and foundational concepts, utilising where possible digital learning tools, such as vevox and Padlet to assist students in their understanding.

Workshops will embed more inclusive learning methods, such as visual elements – gamification, storyboards, videos etc which assist in breaking down more complex material, and ensure students are confident with basic concepts.

Modules at this level will introduce more practical elements of legislative practice, and examination of cases to start critical review work. Evidence-based policing will form the corner stone of the curriculum, encouraging students to build on their research skills, and understand how academic practice influences operational professional work.

Some modules will build on the problem-based learning which students were introduced to a Level 4, which will become more pertinent at this level with more complex decision making and problem-solving ideas introduced. Simulation of the ‘real world’ investigative environment both within and outside policing will be introduced, and the differing methods looked at in more detail.

Formative assessment will be built into weekly sessions to aid understanding, clarify misconceptions, and enable staff to ensure learning is being understood, and students are able to apply it correctly to their work.

Particular to this module will be the exploration of suspects and offenders in a societal, and criminal justice context, which will provide opportunity for students to examine media and digital outputs in a practical way. Analysis of historical attitudes and changes which have occurred because of review, particularly around the language used in relation to offending and the impact this has. Workshops will assist with breaking down the more traditional lectures as the foundation of learning to bring the curriculum to life with more experiential context.

Lectures
Hours: 30
Intended group size: 25 - 60

Workshops
Hours: 30
Intended group size: 25-60

Guided independent study
Hours: 260

Further details relating to assessment

Component 1: Case File Review: Students will write a 2000-word Case file review, on theoretical perspectives of offenders and evaluate how this has influenced the perception and understanding of offenders and offending using a case study example.

Component 2: Practical Scenario: Students will conduct an investigative interview, where they will interview both the suspect, and the victim as part of a criminal investigation. This will be integrated with the assessment for Module 5 Victims and Witnesses.

Please Note: The module must be passed (minimum 40) as a requirement of the College of Policing and cannot be condoned for marginal failure.

Assessment:

001 Case File Review; 2000 words; End Sem 1 70%
002 Practical Scenario; 1 hr; End Sem 1 30%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Jon Hyslop
Level - 5
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1