NCJ Number
214869
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 73 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 23-25
Date Published
June 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The article discusses the need for and describes the features of an Internet-based training program on the use of DNA evidence.
Abstract
County Sheriffs of Colorado in cooperation with Knowledge Factor, Inc., which specializes in online training, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have developed an Internet-based training program on the use of DNA evidence that has reduced costs and increased learning efficiency. Prior to this training program, only a few officers had sufficient knowledge of DNA and DNA evidence collection, preservation, and submission procedures and techniques. These topics have not been taught in most basic training academies. The online course, entitled "Using DNA as Evidence," is based on a training methodology that has proven itself in other public safety and health care areas. The process, called Confidence-Based Learning (CBL), is designed to ensure that learners achieve 100-percent mastery of the training material. A pretest identifies what each student knows, what they do not know, and what they think they know. Students are trained at their own speeds and may log off and return as many times as required to master the material. The CBL system provides employers with a record of the employee's progress and mastery of the material. The course has two modules. The first addresses the basic science of DNA and its use as evidence. The second module covers the basics of identifying DNA evidence, collecting and preserving it, and submitting DNA evidence to the lab for testing. The course is intended for patrol officers, investigators, evidence technicians, and prosecutors. Although designed for Colorado officers, the material applies across jurisdictions.