Thousands set to start `Identifying the dead’
Published On Wed 2 Sep 2015 by Roddy Isles
Thousands of amateur forensic investigators are set to start unpicking a Val McDermid-penned mystery next week in a massive open online course launched by the University of Dundee.
The free online course - `Identifying The Dead: forensic science and human identification’ – has already attracted more than 16,000 participants ahead of its launch on Monday September 7th. There is still plenty of time to sign up as organisers say anyone wanting to take part can join the course any time before September 20th.
Participants do not require any specialist knowledge and the course is suitable for anyone aged 14 or over. Registration for the course, which is free, is open now at www.futurelearn.com/courses/identifying-the-dead/
“We are really excited to be nearing our launch date and opening up this case to thousands of people from around the world,” said Dr Helen Meadows, Project Director for the course at the University of Dundee.
“At CAHID we work on this kind of investigation all the time, helping police in criminal investigations and identifying individuals in all manner of different circumstances.
“We know from the queries we get from the public, and also from the huge audiences for programmes like `CSI’ and the sales of crime writers like Val, that there is a huge interest in how this works. What we are doing with this course is giving everyone a chance to find out for themselves how we do it.
“This course will give a real insight into the work we do.”
The course will last six weeks, with around three to four hours study time each week for participants. They will pick their way through the plot, which will unfold over each of the six modules and require them to solve the mysteries presented by the discovery of a dead body.
They will be presented with pieces of evidence and video footage around the case.
The background story for the course has been written by crime author Val McDermid and has all the ingredients you may expect – a body found on a hill in the centre of Dundee, a mystery as to its identity, police looking for the help of a forensic investigator.
The dream of all crime fiction fans is that they be the one who steps into that vital role. Now they can, thanks to the course.
Filming for the course has already sparked an alert after locals who spotted people in uniform and police tape thought there had been an actual incident on the Law.
The course will be accessed entirely online. The story by Val McDermid which underpins the course will also be available to download but only when the course is completed. Participants can take an exam at the end of a course for a fee, although this is entirely optional.
The course is the second MOOC – massive open online course – launched by the University of Dundee after signing an agreement with the FutureLearn platform. FutureLearn reaches almost two million people in more than 190 countries around the world with free online courses from some of the world’s leading educators.
MOOCs are free to access and enable a wide audience to engage with higher education. The first course offered by Dundee is on Antimicrobial Stewardship, delivered in partnership with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and focusing on one of the world’s emergent health problems.
Notes to Editors
About CAHID
The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee is headed by Professor Sue Black. It is one of the world’s foremost institutions for the study and application of human anatomy, forensic human identification, disaster victim identification and forensic and medical art. It was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education 2014.
About FutureLearn
FutureLearn is a social learning platform based in the UK and providing free, online courses from world-class educators. The partnership consists of higher and specialist education institutions from the UK and around the world, alongside cultural icons like the British Library, British Council and the British Museum. All these offer high quality courses to anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world. The FutureLearn course experience centres on social interaction, whereby people learn by engaging in conversations around the learning material. FutureLearn is wholly owned by The Open University (UK), which has over 40 years’ expertise in distance and online learning. For more information, visit www.futurelearn.com
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk