TU Dublin’s DNA & Forensic Analysis programme consists of a 3 and 4 year degree. Both cohorts are taught together - the 2025/2026 intake consisted of 50 students. In each year, there is a practical-based module with multiple components related to complementary theoretical modules. The activities of this project were implemented in the year 1, semester 1 ‘Laboratory Skills’ module, ‘Introduction to Forensic Science’ component. This component consists of 8 weeks of practicals and one final assessment at the end of the term.

The objectives of the project:

1. Introduce forensic science LearnSci Smart Worksheets.
2. Develop and pilot a 360 degree virtual tour of the mock crime scene created in the Scenes of Crime Facility on campus.
3. Survey the students using MS Forms on their experiences of the module and activities.

Implementation:

There are 8 weeks of practical activities in this module and generally the students have one week to complete the post-lab activities, e.g. submission of worksheets, reflections, Brightspace quizzes. Two of the 8 weeks involved the integration of LearnSci Smart Worksheets into the activities of that week.

Week 1 “Introduction to Crime Scene Management”: this practical involved the students being introduced to the crime scene kits, PPE etc. and following that they were brought to a mock outdoor scene where they had to document the scene (photography, sketching, note-taking etc.), identify, collect and package ‘evidence’. The assignment that week included completing two Smart Worksheets - “Introduction to Smart Worksheets” and “Scene management: prior to the examination”.

Week 5 “Mock Crime Scene”: for this practical, the students had time to examine the mock crime scene both in-person and via the 360° virtual tour. The students’ assignments for that week included the Smart Worksheet “Incident scene: assessments and examination”, and to submit a sketch and exhibit list of the mock crime scene. The students had one hour at the mock scene in-person, but had access to the 360° virtual tour for the whole week, to explore and utilise for their assignments.

The student survey was approved by the Research Ethics Committee and run in the last week of the semester, with 27 respondents. The students were asked a variety of questions including their use and experience of LearnSci and the 360° virtual tour. Responses were very positive, for example 96% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Smart Worksheets improved their understanding of forensic science, and 82% agreed or strongly agreed that LearnSci resources should continue to be used in the module.

The 360 Virtual Tour was created in collaboration with the Digital Education team. The students are limited in the earlier years in terms of how much time they get at Scenes of Crime Facility, and the development of the virtual tour enabled the students to engage with the scene in a novel way and in their own time. It follows the UDL approach of ‘Plus One’ whereby the students have an additional way of engaging with the material for their assignment and aren’t restricted by the in-person experience. 100% of survey respondents agreed that the resource was an informative way to explore mock crime scenes and should continue to be used in the module. One student noted: “I find the educational technology tools we used to be extremely helpful in my learning and understanding of forensics. I find retaining information to be quite difficult in some aspects difficult but these tools made it much easier”.

This project also aligns with the TU Dublin Strategic Intent, Graduate Attributes and Digital Capabilities Framework for Students, the DigCompEdu and UDL.