iPads enhance learning experience in Forensic Photography class

TEEX’s Forensic Science Academy has tapped into mobile technology to enhance the learning experience of students in its Forensic Photography training courses.

In a Forensic Photography II course held last week in Pearland, Texas, instructor Dan Zientek issued each student an iPad to use during the weeklong class. As the students captured images for course assignments, they displayed the photographs on the iPads. This allowed the instructor and other students to easily critique and provide immediate feedback on a student’s photographs.

Special photographic assignments in the class included nighttime and bloodstain photography, laser trajectories, ultraviolet and infrared photography, and flash photography.

“This was the first time we’ve used iPads in the class,” said Forensic Science Academy Coordinator Christine Ramirez with TEEX Public Safety & Security. “Participants used the iPad in conjunction with a camera connection kit to view their captured images, and the iPads worked extremely well as photo viewers. The iPad has become a valuable classroom tool to facilitate training and enhance the student’s overall learning experience.”

The iPads were purchased with U.S. Department of Justice grant funds for use by the Texas Forensic Science Academy. Participants in the course consisted of traditional law enforcement professionals as well as non-commissioned personnel responsible for the investigation of crime scenes. The Forensic Photography II course is one of the five courses required by officers seeking to obtain their Forensic Investigator II certificate.