Module Information
Module Identifier
LC14120
Module Title
Criminology in Action
Academic Year
2024/2025
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2
Pre-Requisite
Co-Requisite
Exclusive (Any Acad Year)
Reading List
Other Staff
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 1500 words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Group Oral Presentation | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 1500 words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Assignment If Oral Presentation failed complete a 1,500 word assignment on allocated topic. | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Review and appraise a range of key readings, theories and concepts relating to criminology and criminal psychology.
2. Apply theoretical criminological and psychological concepts to contemporaneous events and issues relating to crime, social control and criminal justice.
3. Understand, utilize and communicate critical arguments about criminological and psychological issues in both oral and written form.
4. Be capable of constructing and substantiating logical criminological and psychological arguments in written work, oral presentations and group work discussions.
5. Display an understanding of major theories, concepts, debates and approaches in the study of criminology and criminal psychology.
6. Display an understanding of how crime, deviance and victimization are socially, legally and psychologically constructed and examined.
Brief description
The study of criminology requires an ability to read and digest many different types of research material from a number of disciplines. This module aims to help students in their quest to achieve the requisite skills.
Studying Criminology, however, is much wider than just understanding theory and reading research. It also requires an ability to apply what is learned to real situations, so the theories and research can enable better understanding of harmful social phenomena, their causes, outcomes, and potentially, measures that mitigate their negative impact. Once students have gained a good understanding of a variety of key areas on knowledge (through preparing for and partaking in presentations and discussions), there will then be an opportunity to see how these can apply and make sense of a range of real-life situations.
Studying Criminology, however, is much wider than just understanding theory and reading research. It also requires an ability to apply what is learned to real situations, so the theories and research can enable better understanding of harmful social phenomena, their causes, outcomes, and potentially, measures that mitigate their negative impact. Once students have gained a good understanding of a variety of key areas on knowledge (through preparing for and partaking in presentations and discussions), there will then be an opportunity to see how these can apply and make sense of a range of real-life situations.
Content
The lectures in this module have two functions:
a) to introduce you to the module, the learning aims, the assessments, and what skills you will seek to improve.
b) to bridge the gap between studying criminology and applying it. This will be done by listening to various speakers with experience applying criminological theory/research in their own research and/or profession. The guest lectures are mandatory to attend and will be a core part of your first assessment, which will be a reflective report on ONE topic you learnt about through the lectures and chose to research more about .
The seminars are interactive sessions in which the students are expected to prepare for and discuss a key topic assigned by the module coordinator. There will be three seminars, discussing three different topics, and the students must attend all of them. The aim of these seminars is to further the students’ understanding of the topics by discussing the research around them in a collaborative manner.
During the seminar, the lecturer will lead a collaborative discussion among the students on the topic they have prepared for. That might include responding to the questions on the handout, identifying contemporary policy/legislation relevant to the topic, debating controversial/ethical issues, and discussing potential measures that could be applied in real-life (depending on what the topic is).
a) to introduce you to the module, the learning aims, the assessments, and what skills you will seek to improve.
b) to bridge the gap between studying criminology and applying it. This will be done by listening to various speakers with experience applying criminological theory/research in their own research and/or profession. The guest lectures are mandatory to attend and will be a core part of your first assessment, which will be a reflective report on ONE topic you learnt about through the lectures and chose to research more about .
The seminars are interactive sessions in which the students are expected to prepare for and discuss a key topic assigned by the module coordinator. There will be three seminars, discussing three different topics, and the students must attend all of them. The aim of these seminars is to further the students’ understanding of the topics by discussing the research around them in a collaborative manner.
During the seminar, the lecturer will lead a collaborative discussion among the students on the topic they have prepared for. That might include responding to the questions on the handout, identifying contemporary policy/legislation relevant to the topic, debating controversial/ethical issues, and discussing potential measures that could be applied in real-life (depending on what the topic is).
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | Students will be introduced to the key concepts of reading and understanding studies relating to criminology and criminal psychology. They will be required to engage with empirical data and be able to understand the nature of social scientific research in various forms. Most importantly, they will learn how criminological theory and research is practically produced and applied to solve real societal problems. |
| Communication | Group Oral: Students will develop oral communication skills by presenting in a workshop as part of their assessment. They will learn not only to collaborate, but to delegate responsibilities. They will learn to be clear and direct with their discussion. Written Report: Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format and their written communication will be assessed according to effective expression of ideas, good language skills and a coherent argument. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Interactive seminars will encourage the critical and lateral thinking of students with exercises planned to deliver a range of opportunities to facilitate the learning of abstract concepts, and will allow students to reflect on their own learning. |
| Information Technology | Searches of on-line electronic information sources and accessing information from electronic journals will provide practice in IT skills. Module information on Blackboard will be accessed using IT skills. Students will submit their assessed work in word-processed format. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Preparation for seminars and the assessed assignments will develop time management skills. The collation of sources for assessments will nurture research skills. Building an appreciation of complex theoretical issues and applying these to contemporary issues and events will develop critical thinking skills. All of these skills will contribute to students’ wider portfolio of transferable skills. |
| Problem solving | The module will require students to engage with, debate and utilise a range of theories and concepts relating to criminology and criminal psychology. They will then be required to develop their problem-solving and lateral thinking abilities by applying their learning to relevant contemporary issues and events. |
| Research skills | The study of criminology requires an ability to read confidently across a range of different research materials and disciplines. The module actively encourages the development of this necessary ability. |
| Subject Specific Skills | |
| Team work | Workshop activities will foster team working skills and the group poster presentation will necessitate the development of team working abilities. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4