Offering a Forensic Science Camp To Introduce and Engage High

Article pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc

Offering a Forensic Science Camp To Introduce and Engage High School Students in Interdisciplinary Science Topics Linda Ahrenkiel*,† and Martin Worm-Leonhard‡ †

Center for Science and Mathematics Education, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5230, Denmark Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5000, Denmark

‡

ABSTRACT: In this article, we present details of a one-week interdisciplinary science camp for high school students in Denmark, “Criminal Camp”. We describe the use of forensic science and simulated crimes as a common foundation for teaching the theory and practice of concepts in chemistry, physics, and medicine or biology. The main goal of the science camp program was to introduce the participants to the nature of science and what scientists do as the students experience easily understandable real-world scenarios. Results from a survey indicate that Criminal Camp had a positive effect on the participants’ attitudes toward science in general and the applications within forensic science in particular. From the free-response answers given in the survey, it was furthermore inferred that the participants enjoyed working with science in an interdisciplinary context, and that they gained both concrete knowledge of the subjects taught and scientific literacy in general. KEYWORDS: High School/Introductory Chemistry, Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary, Organic Chemistry, Public Understanding/Outreach, Analogies/Transfer, Inquiry-Based/Discovery Learning, Forensic Chemistry

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INTRODUCTION The state of science, technology, engineering, and health education in Denmark, like in the rest of Europe,1,2 has received considerable attention. Many initiatives have been made to enhance interest in science. Specifically, a number of science camps have been established.3,4 Science camps can improve science self-efficacy and engender a positive attitude toward science.5−7 Science camps provide immersive and relatively informal environments where young people spend periods of time outside of the normal classroom in scientific experimentation, investigation, and critical thinking. These science camps, if designed well, can provide experiences in learning that are rarely accessible in a traditional classroom and can focus on aspects of science education that may be ignored or undervalued by traditional curricula.8 Forensic science has become quite popular on television and in movies. It is assumed that many students watch television programs such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or Bones and find them fascinating. Forensics is a real scientific field that integrates chemistry, physics, and biology into one interdisciplinary context. Experiments involving simulated forensic cases can effectively engage students. Examples of such in an educational context have already been described in the literature.9,10 Many of the reported simulated forensic cases used in school teaching combines the curriculum in chemistry with the chemistry of the crime. In this paper, we report how a narrative approach on a series of simulated forensic cases can be used in an interdisciplinary approach that integrates chemistry, physics, and biology. A voluntary one-week science camp that targeted teenagers aged 16−19 living in Denmark took advantage of the assumed interest for forensics and provided an opportunity for students who already possess a keen interest in science to learn about the processes that are associated with the solution of crimes from a scientific viewpoint. A description of the science camp © 2014 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

format and the activities associated with one of the simulated forensic cases is presented in this paper, primarily focused on the teaching of chemistry.

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FORENSIC SCIENCE CAMP The objective of the one-week science camp was to expose 45 voluntary students from Denmark to scientific concepts that directly relate to real-world problems through forensic science. This science camp was called “Criminal Camp” and was designed to enhance the scientific experience, an understanding of the scientific method, and applications of inquiry and problem-solving approaches in science. Such fundamental principles are educational goals in the Danish high school curriculum.11 The fulfillment of these educational goals was not of primary importance in the planning and execution of the science camp but was taken into consideration by the organizers. The organizing team consisted of volunteer university students and scientists who worked and stayed together with the participants throughout the science camp. Thus, they interacted with the participants in both formal and informal ways. Those among the organizers who were responsible for the preparation and execution of the teaching during the camp are called “teachers” in this paper, although they were volunteer university students and scientists with no formal training in teaching. Enrollment in Criminal Camp was available to any student attending high school. The primary form of advertisement for the 2011 science camp included a poster sent to all high schools in Denmark. There was no formal application-based selection process, and enrollment occurred on a first-come, first-served basis. This form of enrollment means that participants can be assumed to already have an interest in the subject because they Published: February 5, 2014 340

dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed400321a | J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91, 340−344

Journal of Chemical Education

Article

Table 1. Schedule of the Events for the Weeka time

Sunday

8:00−9:00 9:00−9:30 9:30−10:00

Monday breakfast lecture: forensics

Tuesday

Wednesday

breakfast daily briefing teaching and lab work in teams

breakfast daily briefing teaching and lab work in teams

Thursday breakfast daily briefing teaching and lab work in teams

Friday breakfast lecture

10:00−10:30 lecture: physics of traffic accidents

11:00−11:30 11:30−12:00 12:00−12:30 12:30−13:00 13:00−13:30

14:30−16:00 16:00−16:30

19:00−19:30 19:30−20:00 20:00−23:00

concluding plenary session

lunch lunch

lunch

lunch

lunch

teaching and lab work in teams



open space

follow-up

plenary sessions:

plenary sessions:

plenary sessions:

lecture: forensic psychiatry

intra- and interdisciplinary



supper

supper

supper

supper

supper

social and extracurricular activities


lecture



welcome

introduction to the curriculum

16:30−17:00 17:00−18:00 18:00−19:00

breakfast

evaluation and follow-up

10:30−11:00

13:30−14:00 14:00−14:30

Saturday

concurrent: crime scene investigation lab safety forensic toxicology

lunch departure

concluding dinner/party


a

Note: After arrival on Sunday, the participants were enrolled in teamwork activities to encourage the formation of new friendships and a cohesive team spirit. Monday to Friday were scheduled with simulated forensic science cases with a narrative approach. Saturday was used for recapitulation of the science camp and evaluation.

interest in science, both as a subject and a career. Some of the scientific concepts used during the camp were known to the students through exposure in their schools. The rationale for this was to present already familiar concepts in a different and fun way. Criminal Camp was designed to achieve the following primary goals: • Participants should gain an understanding of basic techniques used in biology, physics, and chemistry related to forensic science. • Participants should learn to conduct a scientific investigation, including making observations and predictions, doing experiments to confirm the hypotheses, and collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from the performed experiments. Despite these very specific primary goals, no direct assessment of the participants’ achievement of these goals was done during or after the camp, owing to the narrative approach that was employed as a premise for teaching. The narrative and immersive approach meant that the participants were able to solve the daily case if, and only if, they were sufficiently capable in the scientific method to form a hypothesis and, based on this, select and perform experiments giving the most information about the case, crime, and perpetrator.

signed up for the camp, which may lead to biased opinions in the postcamp evaluation. The highest percentage of participants (54%) was entering the second year of upper secondary school after the summer holiday. The majority of the rest of the participants (39%) were entering the third year of upper secondary school, and the remainder had already finished high school. In terms of gender, the ratio of boys to girls was 1:2, and no effort was made as part of the application process to target either gender. The science camp was carried out during the summer holiday at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense. Participation in Criminal Camp costs about $85, and both the participants and the organizing team reside on campus during the week. Criminal Camp lasted seven days. Three of the seven days of the science camp were dedicated to specific cases with an interdisciplinary approach in physics, chemistry, and biology (Table 1). During the first day and the evenings, the science camp program included many different and enjoyable activities. Participation in Criminal Camp emphasized teamwork, cooperation, and creative problem solving when faced with scientific challenges. To facilitate this atmosphere, the organizers formed participants into scientific investigative teams prior to their arrival. Each team was mixed gender with participants from different schools on the same team. This setting encouraged formation of new friendships. The teams worked together during the cases. The science camp was thought of as an opportunity for the participants to do science as if they were actual forensic scientists and was designed to make it an entertaining as well as instructive experience, thereby fostering the development of an

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A NARRATIVE APPROACH The participants were immersed in the premises and concepts of Criminal Camp through a narrative approach.12 On the day 341



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the deceased. The crime scene analysts were asked to further investigate the scene and try to establish time of death. The pathologists were to perform the autopsy.

of their arrival, they were told that the police had contacted the organizers of Criminal Camp and asked for assistance with a case regarding some suspicious cases of sudden illness in a nearby area. The participants were briefed about the situation via a video in which a fictional police detective told them about the case. However, because they were students, they first had to have a one-day crash-course in basic forensic science, after which they could be allowed to handle the evidence under the supervision of the teachers in the camp. This provided a context for a day (Monday) of lectures and exercises giving an overview of the different fields of forensic science; crime scene investigation, forensic pathology, and forensic chemistry, as well as basic laboratory safety and chain-of-custody, were among the subjects of the day. This was not meant to be directly relevant for or related to the casework on the following days but merely served to give participants an overview of different fields of forensic investigations and to deepen the immersion in the narrative. On the first day of “real casework” (Tuesday) the participants were, furthermore, asked to sign a document that stated that they understood the need for confidentiality when working with evidence, thus strengthening the narrative that they were working with real cases. Several teachers reported afterward that talk among the participants indicated that they accepted the cases as real, or at least were willing to suspend their disbelief, because of the formality and seriousness employed by the organizers at this stage. Criminal Camp had three days of casework, which all were structured similarly. After a short plenary briefing on the case of the day, the participants worked in three teams of 15, each team being given some physical evidence and case reports relevant to their subject for that day. One group was assigned to be forensic pathologists and medical examiners; one group was forensic chemists and toxicologists; one group was crime scene analysts and the police forensic team. Each group was taught and overseen by a team of three teachers acting as specialists in the field, in this case, doctors and medical students, chemists, and physicists, respectively. The participants’ roles were rotated every day so every participant could experience each subject. The day’s theoretical and practical work was then performed in teams, after which each team had a plenary session with their teachers where they discussed and interpreted the day’s findings and prepared them for presentation to the other groups. Finally, there was an interdisciplinary plenary session, where each team presented their findings to the others, and the combined results and interpretations were discussed. In each of these sessions, there was a strong focus on the presentation and interpretation of the results, rather than the actual work done, to better emulate the role of the forensic scientist as an expert witness and consultant who has to be able to relate her findings to nonscientific personnel. This approach was chosen to help facilitate reflection on the interpretation of the results rather than the more common pure result-oriented process.

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Investigations

The pathologists were lectured on basic anatomy and function of the nervous and circulatory system and dissected organ blocks from pigs containing a full complement of internal organs. The crime scene analysts had lectures and experiments focused on heat transfer and cooling, to be able to estimate time of death from body core temperature using Henßges nomogram.13 The chemists had lectures on general analytical chemistry and chromatography and investigated the suspect powders and biological samples from the scene using thin layer chromatography (TLC)14 and functional group analysis. Teaching Chemistry

The one-hour lecture on analytical chemistry and chromatography used examples of different drugs and toxins as examples of the variety of structural motifs commonly found in biologically active molecules and went from there to the discussion of how to identify the most common of these through simple specific reactions and attributes. With a basis in the biological samples, the concepts of interferences and separation by chromatography were introduced qualitatively through concepts of polarity, relative affinity, and solubility. This was further expanded upon as TLC was demonstrated in practice with permanent markers of different colors spotted on TLC plates and developed in two different solvent systems, showing different results, following the methodology in the literature.15 The point of the exercise that followed was then to identify the powders from the crime scene based on their Rf values in different solvent systems. The solvent systems were common TLC systems, named TA and TC,15 but the original lists of Rf values were substituted with lists specially generated to facilitate use by untrained students; Rf values were reported in brackets of 0.05 instead of 0.01 and, with the exception of the target analytes, compound names had been pseudorandomly assigned Rf values to minimize the risk of a false positive. When the participants had one or more suggestions for the identity of a compound, they were instructed in the theory and use of common tests for functional groups to confirm or refute the suggested identity. The results were then used as the origin for a discussion of the chemical and pharmacological properties of the identified compounds and how they might relate to the case in hand. The functional group tests that were performed consisted of the following: • Test for solubility in water, ethanol, hydrochloric acid solution, and sodium hydroxide solution. • Test for carboxylic acids by observing gas evolution with sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. • Test for carbonyl groups by 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. • Test for esters by hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide. • Test for alcohols and aldehydes by acidified potassium dichromate. • Test for aldehydes with Tollens reagent.

A CASE EXAMPLE: INVESTIGATION OF A DRUG-RELATED DEATH

Introduction

All of these tests are well known and already used in teaching high school chemistry. A point was made of performing tests, even though they were expected to turn out negative from the suggested substance, and discussing the information content in a positive and negative result, respectively.

In the briefing session, the participants were told that a known drug abuser and petty criminal had been found dead in his home. Suspected drugs and paraphernalia were found on the scene and taken as evidence. The chemists were given the suspected drug samples as well as blood and urine samples from 342



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At the end of the laboratory work, in the plenary session for chemistry, the results obtained by the different groups were discussed and correlated. A presentation for the plenary group session was prepared with the supervisors present to answer questions and help interpret the data, and the participants were encouraged to think in terms of reporting the results and conclusions rather than the process by which they were obtained. The session was also used to prepare for questions from the other disciplines, furthering reflection on the context, and quality of evidence.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Participants were asked to complete a postcamp survey (using a 5-point Likert scale) by responding to statements about Criminal Camp. The survey included questions about participants’ enjoyment of the camp, its contribution to aspects of the participants everyday life, logistics, interdisciplinarity, applicability, and so on. The aim of the survey was to expose the participants’ view on Criminal Camp, and it was conducted to maximize the understanding of the participants’ experiences during the camp. Results from the postcamp survey are presented here with a focus on the participants’ views on their academic gain from chemistry and their sense of applicability toward their future education. It should be noted when interpreting the results from the postcamp survey that a precamp survey was not done and, as mentioned earlier, the form of enrollment may have led to a certain bias toward participants already having a positive opinion on the subjects taught and the context of forensic science. Several of the results from the postcamp evaluation presented here are not relative responses requiring comparisons to the participants’ opinions before and after the camp but are absolute responses based on the camp experience. Because gender was not a targeted parameter for enrollment, no attempt has been made to distinguish between genders or compare responses for this dimension. According to the survey, all participants had a positive experience attending Criminal Camp, with respondents reporting either that they liked the science camp “very much” (80%) or “liked” the science camp (20%). Several participants made positive comments about Criminal Camp in the survey; some typical statements follow [translation from Danish by the authors]: I think it is a fantastic concept! Carry on this way, it has been an experience for life. The camp has wildly exceeded my expectations. I hadn’t thought we would be exposed to so many different concepts, both in lectures and teaching. We asked participants about the academic program overall and for each subject individually (chemistry, physics, and biology). The academic program was liked by 98% of the participants, either “a lot” or “somewhat”. Focusing on chemistry, 36% strongly agreed and 47% agreed that they had an academic gain from the chemistry taught on the camp (see Figure 1). These results indicate that the participants at Criminal Camp to a large degree perceive an academic gain from participating in the science camp. When we asked participants whether they thought that their experiences from the camp were useful in respect to their ordinary education and everyday life, 54% of the participants agreed and 14% agreed somewhat that their experiences from the camp were useful in respect to their ordinary education and everyday life (Figure 2). We interpreted these results as

Figure 1. Participants’ views of their academic gain in chemistry. These results indicate that the participants at Criminal Camp to a large degree perceive an academic gain from participating in the science camp.

Figure 2. Participants’ views on whether they thought that their experiences from the camp were useful with respect to their ordinary education.

meaning that the camp not only contributed to their ordinary education but also brought a perspective to the science seen in movies and television. This could imply that participants had an overall gain of scientific literacy,16 but lacking precamp survey data, this cannot be assessed with certainty. The participants’ experiences of the usefulness of Criminal Camp were also reflected in the question about their future work. Most participants (83%) answered that they wholly or partially had gained skills from the camp (Figure 3) that they believed would be useful in their future career and that they would like to pursue a career in one of the fields of forensic science they had experienced. This was also supported by one of the participants commenting in the survey [translation from Danish by the authors]: I have seen a lot of new takes on the different disciplines, which I think is cool. I think I can use a lot of what I have learned here later in my education. In addition to teaching and supervising the participants, another important aspect of the science camp format is the social interaction between participants and organizers. In this way, it is possible for the participants to ask questions about university life, studying, career opportunities, and the like in an informal, private setting and discuss both scientific and personal matters, should they wish to. This leads to the organizers becoming positive role models for the participants in their selection of higher education and future occupation, an aspect 343



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REFERENCES

(1) Rocard, M.; Csermely, P.; Jorde, D.; Lenzen, D.; WalbergHenriksson, H.; Hemmo, V. Science Education Now: A Renewed Pedagogy for the Future of Europe; Office for Official Publications of the European Communities: Brussels, Belgium, 2007. (2) Busch, H. 15-Åriges Interesse for Naturvidenskab, Teknologi, og Naturfag i Skolen: De Første Resultater fra den Danske ROSEUndersøgelse; Forskningsenhed for Naturfagsdidaktik ved Danmarks Pædagogiske Universitet: Aarhus, Denmark, 2004. (3) Ungdommens Naturvidenskabelige Forening [The Danish Youth Association of Science]. http://www.unf.dk/english.php (accessed Jan 2014). (4) Danfoss Universe. http://universe.dk/science-camps/ (accessed Jan 2014). (5) Barab, S. A.; Hay, K. E. Doing Science at the Elbows of Experts: Issues Related to the Science Apprenticeship Camp. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2001, 38 (1), 70−102. (6) Fields, D. A. What Do Students Gain from a Week at Science Camp? Youth Perceptions and the Design of an Immersive, ResearchOriented Astronomy Camp. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 2009, 31 (2), 151−171. (7) Duschl, R. A.; Hamilton, R. J. Philosophy of Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Educational Theory and Practice; State University of New York Press: New York, 1992. (8) Saul, W. Science Workshop: Reading, Writing, and Thinking Like a Scientist; Heinemann:: Portsmouth, NH, 2002. (9) Harmon, K. J.; Miller, L. M.; Millard, J. T. Crime Scene Investigation in the Art World: The Case of the Missing Masterpiece. J. Chem. Educ. 2009, 86 (7), 817. (10) Beussman, D. J. The Mysterious Death: An HPLC Lab Experiment. An Undergraduate Forensic Lab. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84 (11), 1809−1812. (11) Ministeriet for Børn og Undervisning Uddannelsesbekendtgørelser for de Gymnasiale Uddannelser. http://www.uvm.dk/ Uddannelser-og-dagtilbud/Gymnasiale-uddannelser/Love-og-reglerfor-gymnasiale-uddannelser/Uddannelsesbekendtgoerelser-for-degymnasiale-uddannelser (accessed Jan 2014). (12) Bruner, J. The Narrative Construction of Reality. Crit. Inquiry 1991, 18 (1), 1−21. (13) Henßge, C.; Madea, B. Estimation of the Time since Death in the Early Post-Mortem Period. Forensic Sci. Int. 2004, 144 (2−3), 167−175. (14) Ahrenkiel, L.; Worm-Leonhard, M. Sagen Opklaget [Criminal Camp]. Center for Naturvidenskabernes og Matematikkens Didaktik, Syddansk Universitet: Odense, Denmark, 2012. http://static.sdu.dk/ mediafiles//C/3/A/%7BC3AD8DA9-0191-4543-93A73544D739CD45%7DVol11_elev.pdf (accessed Jan 2014). (15) Clarke, E. G. C.; Moffat, A. C. Clarke’s Isolation and Identification of Drugs in Pharmaceuticals, Body Fluids, and Post-Mortem Material; Pharmaceutical Press: London, United Kingdom, 1986. (16) Sjøberg, S. Naturfag som Allmenndannelse: En Kritisk Fagdidaktikk; Gyldendal Akademisk: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009.

Figure 3. Participants’ experiences of the usefulness of Criminal Camp were reflected in the question about their future work. Most participants (83%) answered that they wholly or partially had gained skills from the camp that they believed would be useful in their future career.

that should be considered an important part of the organizers’ responsibilities when running a science camp.

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CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVES At the end of this study, it was concluded that the science camp had a positive effect on the participants’ attitude toward science in general and the applications within forensic science in particular. From the free-response answers given in the postcamp survey, it was furthermore inferred that the participants had enjoyed working with science in an interdisciplinary context and that they had gained both concrete knowledge of the subjects taught and scientific literacy in general. This conclusion is supported by the experience of the teachers who worked with the participants throughout the week and gave daily oral feedback to the organizers during planning sessions. Overall, the results from the survey indicate that the participants enjoyed participating in Criminal Camp and gained both academically and personally from the experience. The interest shown in the different subjects taught can, to a large degree, be ascribed to the use of forensic science in a narrative context as a means of demonstrating the application and usefulness of scientific methods.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*L. A. E-mail: [email protected]. Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the entire staff of the 2011 Criminal Camp for all of their effort and for doing a great volunteer job in The Danish Youth Association of Science. Thanks to the University of Southern Denmark and sponsors in the form of donations to Criminal Camp. A special acknowledgment goes to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for support in the form of lectures and donations of supplies. The creation of this article is partly funded by the EU Interreg 4a Programme in the regions of Southern Denmark, Schleswig, and K.E.R.N. 344


Offering a Forensic Science Camp To Introduce and Engage High

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