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Northern Essex Community College

Module 8 Prep Activity

Review the activity overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

Advances in science and technology have transformed modern criminal investigations. Traditional criminalistics focuses on the collection, preservation, and analysis of physical evidence, while modern investigations increasingly rely upon digital evidence, social media platforms, and electronic communications. Law enforcement agencies now use technology to identify suspects, establish timelines, locate witnesses, and gather evidence that may not exist in physical form.

This activity asks you to evaluate the benefits and challenges of technology in criminal investigations. You will prepare arguments supporting competing viewpoints regarding the growing role of digital evidence and social networking sites in modern policing.

Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the prep activity and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Explain the role of criminalistics and forensic science in criminal investigations. (SLO6)
  • LO2: Evaluate how technology and social media contribute to modern investigative practices. (SLO6)
Prep Topic
  • Modern investigators increasingly rely on social media, digital communications, and online activity when solving crimes. At the same time, traditional criminalistics and forensic science continue to play critical roles in criminal investigations.
  • Create a bullet list of arguments supporting both positions below.
  • Position A: Social media and digital investigations have become the most valuable tools available to modern law enforcement agencies.
  • Position B: Traditional criminalistics and forensic science remain the most reliable and important methods for solving crimes.
  • Prepare at least five talking points supporting each position.
  • Consider issues such as:
    • DNA evidence
    • Fingerprint analysis
    • Ballistics
    • Digital footprints
    • Cell phone data
    • Social media postings
    • Privacy concerns
    • Search warrants
    • Reliability of evidence
    • Costs of investigations
    • Speed of investigations
    • Wrongful convictions
  • Consider examples from contemporary investigations, including the January 6th investigations, where social media evidence played a significant role.
  • After preparing arguments for both positions, identify one type of evidence you believe will become most important in criminal investigations over the next decade and explain why.
  • Be prepared to defend either position during the in-class debate regardless of your personal opinion.
Acceptable & Ethical Use of AI
  • You may use AI tools to help identify examples of forensic science, criminalistics, or digital investigations; however, you should independently verify any information before including it in your prep activity.
  • If you use AI to assist with brainstorming or research, your final prep must reflect your own analysis, conclusions, and understanding of the course material.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your prep activity.

  • Your prep should be no longer than 1 page.
  • This NOT a paper but rather talking points in bullets for our in-class meeting.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Sources are NOT needed.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
  • Stop over-thinking this activity. It should be a simple list of talking points.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your prep activity through the designated submission area.
  • Accepted formats include Word or PDF unless otherwise specified.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
  • Submissions are checked using both a plagiarism checker and AI detection software.
  • Direct quotations should not exceed 15% of the total submission.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. AI may be used only in the limited and ethical ways described above. Using AI to write your submission is considered academic dishonesty. This activity is intended to prepare you for class discussion, so focus on creating your own talking points and analysis.