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FSC-20031 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

FSC-20031 - Crime Scenes: Blood, Marks and Prints
Coordinator: Georgina Handley Room: LJ0.17B Tel: +44 1782 7 33581
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734921

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

In this module you will further develop your CSI skills and learn the scientific basis behind the enhancement of different types of evidence found at a crime scene. You will learn the principles behind blood dynamics and blood spatter analysis; forensic imaging techniques as well as the chemical and physical enhancement of forensic marks, prints and impressions. You will develop these skills through practical lab work and through simulations. You will develop scientific writing skills to prepare you for Level 6 and will be assessed on your practical lab skills.

Aims
This module covers the scientific principles and their applications to the imaging and characterization of a range of materials of forensic interest. It includes the development of forensic laboratory and reporting skills.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/fsc-20031/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

describe, explain and critically assess the scientific principles underpinning some key areas of criminalistic science and their application to physical evidence: 1
critically evaluate experimental data and communicate methodology, results and interpretation effectively by comprehensible and impartial written reports to a specialist audience: 1
demonstrate personal skills in recording observations and experimentation in a comprehensive and contemporaneous manner: 1,3
communicate effectively to an audience of peers via poster presentation and demonstrate skills in defending their work under oral examination: 2
describe, select and apply a range of established experimental techniques within criminalistic science to effectively investigate physical evidence including examples of setting up casework related experiments: 3

Study hours

Lectures (24 hours)
Laboratory work (30 hours)
Independent learning and assessment completion (96 hours)

School Rules

Successful completion of FHEQ Level 4 modules or equivalent.

Description of Module Assessment

1: Laboratory Report weighted 30%
Laboratory Report
A laboratory report of 1,500 words based on a given laboratory experiment.

2: Group Assessment weighted 20%
Group Poster Presentation
Working in a group of 4 students to produce an electronic poster to the equivalent of 500 words, based on one of the completed laboratory experiments. The poster will then be presented in a 10-minute presentation with an additional 5 minutes of questions based on the poster and presentation content.

3: Practice Based Assessment weighted 50%
Laboratory based practical assessment
A 2 hour laboratory based practical assessment to assess the application of skills to case based scenarios and evidence. This will be based on the practical and theoretical work completed throughout the semester and will be the equivalent to 2,000 words.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025