CRJ 475 - Computer Applications in Criminal Justice

Course Structure

All assignments in this course will be completed online. Students are expected to monitor the online course content regularly and complete assignments in a timely manner. Online courses require self discipline - keep up with your work and you will learn. This course outline is posted online and all assignments will be completed in the cjcampus classroom. Online course content includes this site, the cjcampus website and other websites. We will be experimenting with a variety of technologies, striving for a 'hands on" understanding of computer applications available to justice professionals.

Course Objectives

UNCP Catalog description: An overview of the applications and emerging issues of computer technology in law enforcement, corrections, jurisprudence, and criminological research. Special attention is paid to the application of computer technology to decision-making in the criminal justice system. A variety of computer applications are presented.

Readings

Pattavina, A. (2005). Information Technology & Criminal Justice System. Sage. (ISBN: 0-7619-3019-1)

Taylor, R.W., E.J. Fritsch, J.R. Liederbach, T.J. Holt (2011) Digital Crime, Digital Terrorism, 2nd Ed. Pearson (ISBN: 0-1370-0877-5)

Please consider used textbooks. Recycled textbooks are a more sustainable option and will this choice will not have a negative impact on your learning.

Online discussions will be required every week. In general, students will be expected to formulate an informed response to a discussion question and post in the discussion area designated for the activity. Each student should also post at least two comments in response to other students. Posts must demonstrate the ability to recognize scholarly sources, use these sources to support your arguments, properly reference all sources, and properly use APA citation style. Posts must demonstrate your understanding of the readings and/or your analysis of assigned reading, videos, or other media content. Posts that are limited to personal opinion are not acceptable.

Each of these activities will be completed in the online discussion forum, with submissions evaluated and commented on by classmates. The rating of these activities, on a scale from 1 to 5 stars, is an important component of the class participation score. More information, including a discussion rating rubric, is included in the classroom.

Online Exercises (40%)

Six online assignments will be posted in the cjcampus online classroom. These assignments will vary in difficulty but will typically require web site review, various computer-related activities, outside reading, and/or other preparation. In each case a written essay will be required.

Specific instructions will be provided for each exercise, but in general, your work should have sufficient breadth and depth to indicate more than a passing awareness of the issues raised in the assignment. Grading will be determined based on the thoroughness of response and the ability to properly apply knowledge gained through reading and additional research. Essays submitted for these exercises should be "term paper quality." Pay attention to spelling, sentence and paragraph structure, organization, and citations. Your papers should use APA style, which is described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition, 2009).

All written assignments must be in Word format. If you do not have Microsoft Word you may want to try the free alternative, OpenOffice. This program also includes a spreadsheet and other tools, including an HTML editor. Go to http://openoffice.org to download and install. Other word processing programs may work, but if you cannot save your files in the .doc or .docx format, please "save as" an rtf file.

Participation and Engagement (10%)

This course will be better if you talk more and I talk less. I prefer not to dominate the discussion so each of you will need to remain active throughout the course. You all have interesting ideas and viewpoints and we learn more by sharing and trying to understand various views.

Note that this criteria includes participation and engagement. While we may be able to assess participation through a simple count of posts, we are also interested in active engagement throughout the course. Engagement is demonstrated by remaining active each week, submitting assignments on time, joining discussions at the beginning of each week, and helping each other create a vibrant learning environment.

This course has been designed as an "online learning environment." You are all familiar with the dynamic of the classroom - the professor may lecture while students listen and occasionally interact. Most classrooms are designed as "teaching environments." Students may not be an integral part of a teaching environment and in some cases the class could be held even if no students were in attendance.

In contrast, the online learning environment requires student engagement. In fact, the environment fails to function if students are not engaged. This course contains materials that if consumed, will result in learning. Like the story of "leading a horse to water," this course environment is the water. To make it work, you must each "take a drink." an open mind is also quite important.

You are all expected to help each other. Your professor has a great deal of knowledge about the subject matter. Each student in this class also has knowledge that can help us learn. For example, if a student posts a question to the discussion forum we do not need to wait for an "official" response form the professor. Help each other learn as we make our way through the materials.

Deadlines are not suggestions. All written material will rapidly lose points in the days following the due date. Zero points will be awarded for missed assignments.

Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please contact Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695. Please see http://www.uncp.edu/dss/ for more information.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has a legal and moral obligation to accommodate all students who must be absent from classes or miss scheduled exams in order to observe religious holidays; we must be careful not to inhibit or penalize these students for exercising their rights to religious observance. To accommodate students’ religious holidays, each student will be allowed two excused absences each semester with the following conditions:

1. Students, who submit written notification to their instructors within two weeks of the beginning of the semester, shall be excused from class or other scheduled academic activity to observe a religious holy day of their faith. Excused absences are limited to two class sessions (days) per semester.

2. Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance.

3. Students should not be penalized due to absence from class or other scheduled academic activity because of religious observances.

A student who is to be excused from class for a religious observance is not required to provide a second-party certification of the reason for the absence. Furthermore, a student who believes that he or she has been unreasonably denied an education benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student grievance procedure.

A very high price can be paid when you are caught cheating. Too high to risk. All written material must be your own composition. Appropriate credit must be given for sources used in developing your ideas and arguments. Provide appropriate citations. It is easy to see when large sections of text have been lifted from other Web pages. This is quite easy to verify as well.

It is not appropriate to submit work that was originally completed for another course.

NOTE: The penalties for engaging in any of these acts of academic misconduct will be determined on a case-by-case basis, but will follow general university guidelines as to severity.

Class withdrawal is your responsibility. If you disappear, we will wonder where you are. However, we will not drop you from the class. Withdrawals should follow University procedure. The student is responsible for obtaining all necessary signatures on drop slips.

Classroom climate is not solely the Professor's responsibility. We encourage each of you to engage in conversation on any issue. The University is a place for free speech, limited through individual choice. These choices may be altered with awareness of the real or potential reaction of others. However, you should not be intimidated into keeping quiet. We do not condone racist, sexist, homophobic, or other hateful speech. You are all adults, capable of understanding generally accepted rules of conduct and modifying your behavior in an effort to comply with these social or legal expectations. You are responsible for your behavior.

If grades are made available online, be advised that if there is any error the grade you receive from the registrar is your official grade. Grade changes will be made only in cases of data or computation error. Please do not ask, beg, or otherwise attempt to change a properly computed grade.

This course outline is intended to define much of what will happen throughout this course. Changes are possible. Any changes will be clearly presented to the class and will often include class discussion. Changes will apply to all students enrolled in this course, without regard to whether they were involved in the discussion.