Broadening forensic science students’ perspectives through an international field trip experience
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Abstract
Internationalisation is a current buzzword in in higher education institutes. But it involves more than just recruiting more international students to an institute. A holistic approach to internationalisation is recommended with a focus on the internationalisation of learning and teaching as a whole. As one aspect of internationalisation of the curriculum at De Montfort University, forensic science students were offered the opportunity to participate in a forensic anthropology field school in Guatemala. The experience was offered under the successful DMUglobal programme and in collaboration with the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG). Students travelled to Guatemala in February 2016 and participated in workshops and classes with experts from FAFG. The field school offered students practical forensic science experience. They received training about the post-conflict situation in Guatemala, the investigation process, forensic anthropology and forensic genetics. Feedback was obtained from students at the end of the trip. This poster presents the field school opportunity and the pedagogic theories that it draws upon. Quantitative data based on feedback from students will also be presented. It is hoped the poster will be of interest to other academics considering international field trips in forensic science.