Industry standard technology is changing the way future criminal justice students are being taught how to communicate in the field. The Milo Range simulation system will be incorporated into the curriculum to assist in teaching communication objectives that criminal justice students may face as law enforcement agents.
The simulator is computer system with a large projector screen that shows a range of situations that law enforcement agents may come into contact with. From pulling over a vehicle to entering a dwelling, these scenarios can now be learned in a realistic fashion. Students must identify themselves and give a reason for their presence, but also need to handle emotions that go along with dealing with unpredictable people.
Ken Sauter, retired police officer and criminal justice instructor, believes that using industry standard technology is one way to produce strong graduates.
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“Verbal judo is a style of communication that police use in everyday situations. The simulation gets them to put the theory of what to say and when, actually into practice so that by the time students get into their later courses around crisis communication, the basics that they need to communicate are almost instinctual.”
David Peters, second year criminal justice student, believes using and learning with the latest technology is a no brainer for him. Peters uses a piece of technology called a Smart Pen to assist his studies due to his learning disability, which involves his short-term memory. As Peters writes his own notes down on paper, his pen records the lecture. When reviewing his notes, Peters can not only read his own thoughts, but also hear what his instructor was saying when he made his original note.
Peters says technology such as his smart pen could also be used in almost any field of work. For law enforcement, Peters says the Smart Pen could be used to take a written statement. With the audio recording included, there would be no mistaking what the witness had said. He goes on to say technology like the simulator also assists students learning in to fully experience what is could be like in the real world.
“You can actually have someone work on their negotiation skills and if they are not doing well, then the instructor can escalate the scene according to how it would go naturally. So it’s actually one of the closest ways you can get to training someone on an actual situation without putting them in harms way.”
Embracing technology, industry partnership and faculty engagement are key strengths of Lethbridge College according college board member, Tom McKenzie. The Governance and Human Resources Committee Member discussed how integral these strengths are to producing a quality education for students.
“The strength of the college is that willingness to listen to industry and provide that demand but to be flexible and grow. The government is looking for change, they’re looking for better ways to deliver education and the industries that we serve are looking for certain things.” McKenzie added during his time serving as Chief of police, the college was eager to know what the Lethbridge Regional Police Service needed in its criminal justice graduates to pave the way into the law enforcement industry.
Students starting in the upcoming winter and fall semesters in the criminal justice diploma will be the first to have the new Milo Range simulator integrated into their curriculum.
Criminal Justice student David Peters using his Smart Pen to take notes in written and audio form in centre core on Nov. 30.
Criminal justice instructor Ken Sauter explaining how the new simulation system works to second year student David Peters on Nov. 25 on campus.
