Introduction to Forensic Science

Nanyang Technological University via Coursera

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Details

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Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

18 hours
Sessions

On-Demand
Subtitles

Arabic, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Greek, Kazakh, Hindi, Swedish, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Ukrainian, Japanese, Indonesian, Polish, Dutch, Turkish

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Overview

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We have all seen forensic scientists in TV shows, but how do they really work? What is the science behind their work? The course aims to explain the scientific principles and techniques behind the work of forensic scientists and will be illustrated with numerous case studies from Singapore and around the world. Some questions which we will attempt to address include: How did forensics come about? What is the role of forensics in police work? Can these methods be used in non-criminal areas? Blood. What is it? How can traces of blood be found and used in evidence? Is DNA chemistry really so powerful? What happens (biologically and chemically) if someone tries to poison me? What happens if I try to poison myself? How can we tell how long someone has been dead? What if they have been dead for a really long time? Can a little piece of a carpet fluff, or a single hair, convict someone? Was Emperor Napoleon murdered by the perfidious British, or killed by his wallpaper? *For Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students, please be noted that this course will no longer be eligible for credit transfer.

Syllabus

Information
Introduction to Forensic Science
Chemical Analysis in Forensic Science
Time of Death; Blood
DNA in Forensics
Fingerprinting; Polymers & Fibres; Firearms
Narcotics
Toxicology
Case Studies

Taught by

Roderick Bates

Reviews

4.4 rating, based on 18 Class Central reviews

4.9 rating at Coursera based on 2469 ratings

Start your review of Introduction to Forensic Science

Adelyne Chan @adelyne

This course is a great foundation for anyone interested to learn the basics of forensic science, and the assignments are both challenging and interesting. The assignments take a bit of time to think through and work on. I would say the only real dow…

This course is a great foundation for anyone interested to learn the basics of forensic science, and the assignments are both challenging and interesting. The assignments take a bit of time to think through and work on. I would say the only real downside of this course was the nature of the peer-reviewed assignments, as we were not really given clear instructions e.g. on the structure and how much detail is required, and as a result many people who could have done much better were not happy with the results of their peer assessments.

I also loved the way in which the last week of lectures was not assessed, but the instructor instead went through a range of case-studies CSI style which was a very interesting way to finish off a course on forensic science! Some of the more technical lectures tend to get a little draggy, though the material is presented in a manner that is extremely easy to understand.
Anonymous

There are 2 main problems with that course 1. The information is unreliable! examples: a. The source that he gives for the Gareth Williams case said exactly the opposite of what he said. b. He completely misrepresented the George Metesky case. c. He…

There are 2 main problems with that course
1. The information is unreliable!
examples:
a. The source that he gives for the Gareth Williams case said exactly the opposite of what he said.
b. He completely misrepresented the George Metesky case.
c. He also gave partial information about blood testing at the scene of a crime - talking only about old methods.
d. In a fictional example that he gives, he tells us that,
the killer threw a bloody weapon that was never found OUT the window (apparently there is no one on the streets of Singapore), WITHOUT opening the window first, and the broken window glass (because he didn't open the window) was INSIDE the room. this shows how stupid the lecturer think the students are.

2. The course staff does nothing - they do not answer questions or address problems.

people who liked this course thought it was a CSI episode on TV, so they were dazzled by the information, but failed in checking it or really think what they were given.
Shelby Nichols @SHELBYNICHOLS918

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS COURSE SO GOOD AT HELPING YOU LEARN AMAZING THINGS ABOUT FORENSIC SCIENCE THAT YOU DON'T GET TO SEE EVERYDAY!!
Chloe

I have completed this course. This is the first MOOC class I have took. But from what I heard from my peers, they said that this is the best course that they have taken. I agree with them. Prof Bates explain things clearly and simplify some subject that may be difficult for those who don't have more in depth background in chemistry.

No pre-requisites is required, except knowledge of high school science. Prof Bates's occasional humor really helps liven up the dull, and sometimes dry material. So for anyone interested in forensic science, CSI fans? Wants to know more about forensics works? It is highly recommended.
Kristina Šekrst

This is one of the best courses in Coursera. It has a great scientific overview with carefully chosen real-life examples from previous historical cases, and even ones that happened a couple of years ago, which makes the forensic science even more al…

This is one of the best courses in Coursera. It has a great scientific overview with carefully chosen real-life examples from previous historical cases, and even ones that happened a couple of years ago, which makes the forensic science even more alive. The instructors goes over the most important parts of forensic analysis: determining the time of death, analyzing hair, fibres, DNA and fingerprints, studying about ballistics and bullet trajectories, analyzing toxins and poisons, giving scientific considerations about crime scenes etc. The quizzes were easy, but the course features also peer-reviewed exercises with fictional cases you had to describe and solve, and that was the most entertaining part. The teaching style was great, there's almost a perfect ratio of theory and practice, and I've really enjoyed prof. Bates' sense of humor and his methodological approach. I've learned a lot, and I'm recommending this course to everyone!
Erick Calabrano

It was a nice course, having two cases to solve was definitely fun. It's helpful because you start seeing things better, and avoid thinking that cases are easy to solve, as an example: In one of the cases reviewed, each time they had to take more…

It was a nice course, having two cases to solve was definitely fun.

It's helpful because you start seeing things better, and avoid thinking that cases are easy to solve, as an example:

In one of the cases reviewed, each time they had to take more and more fingerprints to expand the search for the killer, reaching even 50000 fingerprints at a time when there were no electronics databases availables. Despite not being checked in the door to door, avoid paying taxes and not voting, all things that made it harder for them to track the killer, they were able to pinpoint the one guy whose fingerprints finally matched.

Now obviously, maybe some cases aren't seen in that much detail, but remember, we're talking about cases that sometimes lasted for several years. So overall they did a great job in making a compact yet educational course for this subject.
Kristina Bogovic

Professor Bates takes extra time to explain material regarding forensic science, making it simplifed for beginners but also introducing us to more complex fields of work. Lectures are clear and notes are presented on screen for easy following. Lots of case studies and additional reading for understanding lectures and connecting them with real life forensics. Looking forward to finishing the course!
Mahnoor Khan

this course is extremely interesting and very well presented. prof roderick bates speaks and explains eloquently, you understand everything. the slides are attractive and simple.
do join! have fun!
Michael Avila

This is the best MOOC class that I have taken. The instructor is incredible. He explains everything and uses videos top show what he is talking about. I recommend this course to anyone interested in forensic science.
Remy Tankel Carroll

I thoroughly enjoyed this MOOC. If you have any interest in forensic science, I can't think of a better place to start than here. There is a lot of fascinating information that's broken down into manageable sections. It can get very technical at some points, but not so much that a beginner couldn't understand.
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