6B088E - Major Crime Casework 01 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2033 | Version 0
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | 6B088E | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Major Crime Casework | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science | ||
| Faculty Group: | Applied Science | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Forensic Science | ||
| Module Leader: | |||
| Module Team: | |||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2027 | Final Year of Intake: | 2032 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 30 | Credit Level: | 6 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | |||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | |||
Document Version Information
| Version | 0 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2027 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2033 |
Module Aims
To enable students to critically apply criminological and criminal justice knowledge to the strategic direction of a major criminal investigation, evaluating investigative strategies and evidential priorities in response to a live, evolving case in which forensic evidence is produced by a parallel cohort of Forensic Science students.
To develop students' capacity to make, document and justify investigative decisions in the progression of a criminal case, demonstrating command of evidential requirements, suspect management and the legal and procedural frameworks governing investigative practice at Level 6.
To prepare students for the professional accountability demands of criminal casework by requiring them to communicate, defend and critically evaluate their investigative decisions in a court setting, and to work collaboratively with forensic science colleagues in the same way that investigators and scientists operate together in professional major crime investigations.
Content Summary
In this module you step into the role of a detective on a major crime investigation. Working alongside students on the Forensic Science programme — who are examining the same evidence from the laboratory perspective in their Forensic Casework module — you will act as the major incident team responsible for directing and progressing the criminal investigation. Both groups of students will have attended the crime scene in the Level 6 Complex Crime Scene Investigation module; this module is where the Forensic Investigation students take on the investigative role, determining how the case is built, managed and progressed.
Throughout the module, you will be making real investigative decisions in response to emerging evidence and intelligence— prioritising lines of enquiry, managing suspects, evaluating what the evidence does and does not support, and advancing the case within the legal and procedural frameworks that govern major crime investigation. At key points in the module, the two cohorts will come together to share findings, challenge each other's reasoning and make collaborative decisions, mirroring the genuine working relationship between detectives and forensic scientists in professional practice.
Everything you have studied about criminal investigation, criminological perspectives and investigative decision-making at Levels 4 and 5 now comes into practice. By the end of the module you will have built a professional casefile and presented and defended your case in a court setting, experiencing first-hand the accountability that comes with conducting a criminal investigation at this level.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching (Workshops, Practical's and Seminars) | 56 |
| Guided Learning - Independent (Directed Reading, VLE Tasks) | 10.5 |
| Summative Assessment and Preparation | 60 |
| Formative Assessment | 12 |
| Independent Learning (Wider Reading, Research, Reflection, Consolidation) | 161.5 |
| Total Hours Selected | 300 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Critically evaluate investigative strategies used in criminal investigations, applying criminological and criminal justice perspectives to inform lines of enquiry and evidential decision-making. |
| LO2 | Develop and justify investigative actions undertaken in the progression of a criminal case, demonstrating critical understanding of evidential requirements, suspect management, and relevant legal and procedural frameworks. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Portfolio | The assessment is built progressively across the module as the investigation unfolds. Students document investigative decisions, lines of enquiry, and their reasoning in response to emerging intelligence, including forensic findings from the FS cohort. The case file includes a witness statement for which students are explicitly permitted and required to use Generative AI as a structural and drafting tool. This is a deliberately designed exercise in critical AI literacy: the court simulation in Assessment 2 subjects all investigative decisions to cross-examination, and students must anticipate the challenges a defence barrister would raise if the AI-assisted nature of their witness statement were questioned. | 0 | 3000 | 60 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) | Requires students to present and defend the entirety of their investigation in a simulated Crown Court, giving evidence on investigative decisions and submitting to cross-examination by defence counsel. This is a joint session with the FS cohort, mirroring the professional reality that both investigators and forensic scientists are accountable to the court for the decisions they have made. | 20 | N/A | 40 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Portfolio | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Individual Presentation (Synchronous Onsite) | ✔ | ✔ | |