Nursing professor Ann Burgess received an ATIG grant to develop a unique tool for teaching forensic science through game-based learning. In the past, she simply used manikins and fake blood to create a simulated crime scene for her students to examine, but her goal was to create a richer and more interactive environment for learning forensics methods.
To this end, Prof. Burgess worked with a project team that included IDeS staff, nursing school staff, a technical consultant, and a game developer to build the Virtual Forensics Lab. This game enables students to explore a recreated crime scene (based on an actual crime), where they can take photographs and collect evidence such as fingerprints, blood spatter, and weapons. By guiding them through the process of analyzing evidence and recreating the events of the crime, the virtual lab helps student practice the critical thinking skills involved in deducing the motivations for crimes and identifying likely offenders.
Project Team
Project Director
- Prof. Ann Burgess CSON
Project Managers
- Tim Lindgren Instructional Designer IDeS
- Scott Kinder Academic Technologist IDeS
Game Developers
- Andrew Richardson Game Developer
- Allen Burgess Consultant and Technical Manager
Research Consultant
- Sarah Gregorian CSON