Although error avoidance during learning appears to be the rule in American classrooms, laboratory studies suggest that it may be a counterproductive strategy, at least for neurologically typical students. Experimental investigations indicate that errorful learning followed by corrective feedback is beneficial to learning. Interestingly, the beneficial effects are particularly salient when individuals strongly believe that their error is correct: Errors committed with high confidence are corrected more readily than low-confidence errors. Corrective feedback, including analysis of the reasoning leading up to the mistake, is crucial. Aside from the direct benefit to learners, teachers gain valuable information from errors, and error tolerance encourages students’ active, exploratory, generative engagement. If the goal is optimal performance in high-stakes situations, it may be worthwhile to allow and even encourage students to commit and correct errors while they are in low-stakes learning situations rather...

Learning from Errors.

https://dfrws.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2019_EU_paper-iot_forensic_challenges_and_opportunities_for_digital_traces.pdf

IoT forensic challenges and opportunities for digital traces

There is weak integration of digital forensics and forensic science, despite over a decade of effort to break down the borders between them. As more criminal investigations involve digital traces i...

The chequered past and risky future of digital forensics

Forensic science laboratories are being challenged by the expanding decentralization of forensic capabilities, particularly for digital traces. This study recommends laboratories undertake digital transformations to capitalize on the decentralization movement, develop a more comprehensive understanding of crime and security-relevant problems, and play a more central role in problem-solving collaboratively with law enforcement organizations and other stakeholders. A framework for the bilateral transfer of information and knowledge is proposed to magnify the impact of forensic science laboratories on abating crime, strengthening security, and reinforcing the criminal justice system. To accomplish digital transformations, laboratories require personnel with different expertise, including investigative reasoning, knowledge codification, data analytics, and forensic intelligence. Ultimately, this study encourages managers, educators, researchers, and policymakers to look beyond the usefulness of forensic results for solving individual investigations, and to realize the value of combined forensic knowledge and intelligence for developing broader strategies to deal with crime in digitalized society.

Sonja Bitzer

Papers

To analyse a trace or not? Evaluating the decision-making process in the criminal investigation.

Utility of the clue — From assessing the investigative contribution of forensic science to supporting the decision to use traces

Rapists' behaviors to avoid police detection

Factors influencing the use of forensic awareness strategies in sexual homicide

The introduction of forensic advisors in Belgium and their role in the criminal justice system