Lessons

 Introduction

    This course contains nine lessons. You must complete the lessons in their proper order. Each lesson contains the following components: 

1. Textbook Reading Assignment

     Always read the chapter reading assignments first. The chapter reading assignments form the basic structure of the course.

2. Supplemental Information

     The information presented in the chapter readings is enhanced by supplemental information which may be in the form  of written materials, web links, sound-slide shows, audio clips, and videos. This supplemental information is contained within each lessons webpage.

     The videos and sound-slide shows are best viewed from a computer having high speed internet access, usually cable as opposed to a phone connection. If you do not have cable home, your local library may have such a hookup. If not, you can come to the campus and use one of the computers in the computer lab or go the Video Library and watch the video there. (The videos are treated as reference material so you must view them in the library.) If none of these options work for you, call the instructor.

3. End of Lesson Test

     Each lesson contains an end of lesson test. Each end of lesson test contains questions from the textbook reading assignment and the supplemental information. You may only take each end of lesson test once. The end of chapter tests are "open book" tests. You may use the text, additional topic information and your notes to help you when taking the tests. You may not use other people, especially forensic scientists.

     It is suggested that you first answer each end-of-lesson test on the work copies of each test provided to you in the Test Manual. After you are sure of your answers and finish the whole test for that lesson, then go to the Classmarker test webpage and enter your answers from the work copy onto the online test. When all the answers are filed in, submit the test. You will be immediately told your grade and you can open the test on your student page on the Classmarker website and see what questions you answered wrong and the correct answers for all questions. Note the correct answers in the Test Manual and use the Test Manual as a study guide for the final exam.

   Note: The final exam will consist of 200 multiple choice questions. All final exam questions come from the end-of-lesson tests.

The Lessons

     To go to and begin a lesson, click on its picture or title below.

	Lesson One: Introduction To Forensic Science, The Crime Lab, and The Forensic Scientist		Lesson Six: Forensic Serology
	Lesson Two: Understanding Evidence		Lesson Seven: DNA
	Lesson Three: Hair and Fiber Analysis		Lesson Eight: Processing The Crime Scene
	Lesson Four: Drugs		Lesson Nine: Biological Evidence Collection
	Lesson Five: Forensic Toxicology

The Final Exam

    The final exam is a comprehensive test that is worth 40% of your grade. The final exam differs from the end of chapter tests in three significant ways:

1. The final exam is a comprehensive test. It is based upon all of the materials from lessons one through eight, unlike the end of chapter tests, which only covered individual chapters. A comprehensive exam is included because it makes you review all of the materials presented, which will help you retain the information in your long-term memory. Adding a final exam worth 40% of the grade, also helps boost the final grades of those who may not have done so well on some of the end of chapter tests.

2. The final exam is a closed book test which must be proctored by a responsible person. "Closed book" means that you cannot use your textbook, notes, or any other study aids. It will be just you and your brain taking the test. (Cheating will result in a failure grade.)

3. Very technical questions that forensic scientists are not expected to know by memory, such as what color stopper to place on blood sample vials being submitted to a lab, will NOT be on the final.    

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