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CRIMJ 012: Criminology (3 credits): Explanations and measurement of crime; criminal law; characteristics of criminals and victims; violent, property, white-collar, organized, and sexual crimes..
Overview
What will be covered in this course?
This course is about explanations for why people engage in criminal and/or delinquent behaviors. This course is not about what "ought to be," rather, it is about the realities associated with crime in everyday life. There is a rich body of scholarly work that seeks to explain the relationship between crime/delinquency and a host of structural (societal) and individual factors. This course examines that literature and engages the student in an understanding of it. It also draws from those concepts found in the fields of psychology, sociology, biology, public policy, and political science.
How will this course be delivered?This course is cohort-based, which means that there is an established start and end date, and that you will interact with other students throughout the course. The course will incorporate suitable technological and pedagogical applications in order to advance student online learning experience.
It does so by employing several teaching and learning techniques: (1) the typical lecture enhanced with PowerPoint slides, video streams, various handouts, etc.; (2) instructor-facilitated interactive discussions among class members; (3) readiness assessment tests (pop quizzes to ensure students are doing their reading); (4) problem-based learning exercises; (5) writing assignments; and, (6) online examinations.
Objectives
Students should be able to think critically about criminological theory, the supporting empirical literature, and public policy in criminal justice. That is to say, students should be able to recognize the far-reaching implications of what these theories have to say about crime causation in society and to be able to distinguish between the different underlying assumptions associated with each of them. Students should be able to demonstrate a solid working knowledge of: (1) the name of the theory; (2) the author of the theory; (3) the time frame in which the theory was developed; (4) the theory’s major premise (e.g. the statement about crime causation that the theory is making); (5) the theory’s major propositions; (6) how the theory has withstood empirical testing; and, (7) how the theory has been, or could be, applied in the criminal justice policy arena.
Another objective of this course is to enhance the student’s writing ability and the ability to articulate orally major arguments associated with efforts to synthesize assigned reading materials. Students should, in all writing assignments, demonstrate a command of good essay writing skills and exhibit a grasp of the overall mechanics of writing (e.g. complete sentences that are grammatically correct). When in a course chat room or using the message board, students should make sure that any contribution to conversation is on point and that comments demonstrate that the student has come to the conversation well prepared (e.g. has read the assigned readings and has an understanding of them).
By the end of this course, students should be able to :
- Demonstrate a functional understanding of the nature and importance of criminological theory.
- Synthesize concepts into an integrated paper.
- Define and recognize the use of common terms associated with various theories of crime and delinquency.
- Demonstrate the ability to function as a contributing member of the course.
Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.This course also requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. To access these materials, click on the Library Reserves link under the Resources tab.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Assignments
- Thought-Provoking Exercises
These exercises will be at the beginning of each lesson to encourage students to explore concepts, ideas, and issues and to engage them in discussions about them. A grading rubric for how participation in these discussions will be evaluated is included under the Lessons tab. Two of the lower scores for these exercises will be dropped with ten of the scores factored into the student's final grade for this course. See Thought-Provoking Exercises Grading Rubrics for specific criteria.
- Reading Assessment Tests (RATs)
These are actually short quizzes that will be given weekly to measure the extent to which students are completing the reading assignments. These quizzes could also be used by the student to assist him/her in preparing for the three examinations that will be given in this course. The RATs will consist of multiple choice and True/False questions. You will be allowed only 10 minutes for each Reading Assessment Test (quiz on the assigned reading for that week) and will be given only one attempt at completing them. Two lowest scores for the quizzes will be dropped for your final grade.
- Wrap-Up Activities
- Journal Reviews
A series of peer-reviewed journal articles will be available to students through the PSU electronic course reserve. Using the grading rubric for this exercise (see Journal Article Review Grading Rubrics under the Lessons tab), students will write a short paper that synthesizes two articles. These articles report findings from the literature where researchers have tested some criminological theory to determine the extent to which it can predict criminal or delinquent behavior. One of the ways in which a theory is determined to be of some value to the field of criminal justice is the manner in which it has withstood empirical testing. The purpose of this writing assignment is to have the student become familiar with that process. For detailed guidelines, please read Guidelines for Review of Peer Reviewed Journal Articles (You can access the guidelines under the Lessons tab.)
See an online document "Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It" <http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml#original> to avoid inappropriate paraphrasing in your journal reviews. You can also access this document under the Lessons tab.
- Problem-Based Exercises
There will be three problem-based exercises associated with this course. The purpose of this exercise is to encourage students to think about a crime/delinquency problem in a way that allows for a robust discussion among class peers related to how that problem might best be handled, from a criminological theory perspective. These exercises are posted under the appropriate lesson with additional detail about them as well as expectations of student engagement in them. See Problem-Based Exercise Grading Rubrics for specific criteria. Also, these exercises are to be completed with your group members, and only one posting per group is necessary.
- General Discussions
- Exams
There will be three exams throughout the semester which will be of both an objective (multiple-choice, matching, etc.) and short answer (fill in the blank) format. You will have a certain amount of time to complete the exams (45 minutes for each), and will be given only one attempt at completing them. The total possible points for each exam will be 100. All exams will be non-cumulative, focusing exclusively on the topics covered in the previous class sessions. Make-up exams will be given only with prior notification in emergency/medical situations. The student is encouraged to complete scheduled exams when humanly possible; make-up exams will be of a completely different format and they may be considerably more difficult than regular exams.
In addition to class discussions related to the problem-based exercises, other opportunities for discussion will occur in which students will interact with the instructor and their peers on issues covered in the reading materials. This will occur through posts on the course discussion forums or “live” discussions in the course chat room. Students should be sure that they answer all parts of the question asked and ground their thinking in the related course materials. Again, these general discussions are to be completed with your group members and only one posting per group is necessary. See General Discussions Grading Rubrics for specific criteria.
Peer Evaluation
Each student may earn up to 20 possible points based on how their peers evaluate their performance associated with group exercises. Peer evaluation is important as it gives the instructor insight into how well group members interact with their peers. At the end of the course, students will have access to a peer evaluation form to be used for this purpose. The average of the total points assigned to each student by his/her group peers will be added to the overall possible points for the course. This process is completely anonymous such that no student will be able to see how his/her peers evaluated him/her. Students are encouraged to actively participate in the group assignments in a timely manner and to be respectful of their group peers.
The evaluation will be based on the following four criteria:
- Actively participated in the activity, e.g. frequently posting and commenting ideas, keeping close contact with the group members,
- Exhibited a positive attitude through the process, e.g. providing constructive feedback, helping keep the group focused on the task
- Was wiling to be a real group player, e.g. willing to take responsibilities, respect the group member's opinions, helping make decisions
- Contributed to the final post to the discussion forums, e.g. initiating and sharing ideas/resources
Further, you are on the honor system when it comes to taking these quizzes and the three exams (e.g. no collusion with other students and all should be closed books/closed notes). Although I will be dropping the two lowest scores for the quizzes, this will not be the case for the exams. I encourage you to prepare for these by always completing the reading assignments, actually studying that reading for some period of time, before taking the RAT (reading assessment test). The same is true for the exams. On the course calendar, I have posted three reminders for the dates of the exams and also there are reminders within the lesson content. For the three exams, all course materials are fodder for questions (course content, reading assignments, any films associated with the lessons covered, PowerPoint slide, websites to which you were directed, etc.). Again, the key is to study all of these materials before signing in and attempting to take the exams.
Extra credit is not available in this course.
Finally, incomplete grades are not automatic; rather a grade of incomplete will be granted at the instructor’s discretion, with sufficient documentation by the student of hardship necessitating extra time to complete course requirements. Completion of an incomplete grade shall follow Penn State’s timetable outlined in each year’s Academic Calendar.