Observation Skills: What Every CSI Needs to Know

Observation skills are crucial that all forensic personnel must have and use every day in their field work. This course will show what factors influence our observation skills and how these factors influence what we see.

What we think we see isn’t necessarily what is being seen. Our brain can sometimes play tricks on what we perceive is around us.

To be good observers, investigators must be systematic of how and what is seen. Doing so will reduce assumptions being made.

There have been many cases in which individuals have been wrongly convicted of a crime because of faulty eye witness testimony. Events are often remembered differently than how they actually happened.

This course will introduce related terminology, observation exercises, and review related cases.

Content from this course is from Forensic Science Fundamentals and Investigations (Anthony J. Bertino).

About the Instructor

Terri Armenta

More courses by this instructor

Founded in 1998, the Forensic Science Academy was created to meet a need of offering forensic personnel and aspiring crime scene investigators hands-on forensic training. Courses such as fingerprint patterns, fingerprint classification, forensic photography, forensic toxicology, and death investigations were included in an academy type program. The Academy established itself as the premier forensic training program devoted to students seeking entry level positions and to law enforcement related personnel seeking a career change or additional training.

To meet the growing demands of additional training, workshops and seminars were added to the Academy’s schedule, which provided additional training hours such as DNA and Forensic Science, Ballistics, Forensic Anthropology, and Case Studies, such as Domestic Violence and The Night Stalker/Richard Ramirez Case.

With the onset of online learning, I began developing online courses to help students gain forensic training, establish a professional portfolio, and help students supplement their formal education with specific training, From this offering, I restructured the flagship program, The Forensic Science Academy (FSA), to operate under Forensic Training Unlimited (FTU). FTU’s instructors are experts in their respective fields and have training in teaching and educating others.

Many of our graduates are involved with local police agencies, coroner’s offices, and other active investigation units, both with local and county agencies, as well as on the Federal level.

I continue to specialize in developing hands-on courses designed to equip students for work in the field of forensic science. In doing so, I’ve been able to merge my professional training (POST, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, Orange County Sheriff, CA) with my formal education (teaching credential and MS in Forensic Science) to bring quality training to students, no matter their location. I hold professional memberships in The International Association for Identification, Southern California Association for Fingerprint Officers, and other local law enforcement supportive groups.

My mission is helping students convert their forensic goals into a forensic career.
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~Terri
Forensic Training Unlimited
terriarmenta@forensictrainingunlimited