Anchor Centric Training (ACT)
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:59 am
Some years ago I was about to teach the Henry Classification/Formula System to a new class of students in my Forensic Identification Class and had an idea. In the past years I taught the class in the manner it was taught to me. The students pre-read the chapter in the FBI’s “Fingerprint Science” book and show up for class totally confused, just in time for more confusion. I thought there must be a better way.
The next year, I asked the students several weeks in advance, to NOT pre-read the Henry classification/Formula chapter, just show up for class seemingly unprepared. I suspected it would be much easier if they were not pre-confused trying figure out the classification formula before they had acquired some good anchor like knowledge for a reference. I had prepared the formula reference/cheat sheet as normal. I always let the students use a formula cheat sheet as there is no point is memorizing such an old system, when it is more important to simply understand where to find your reference material once you learn it.
The day of class the student arrived on time, we proceeded to run classified 10-print cards through the formula without any explanation of what the formula was or how it works. The students focused entirely working the formula as a completely arbitrary device. Sure it has aspects of meaning, but the formula does not produce a product, simply a location in a drawer. Once 20 cards have been processed through the formula, I explained the history of the formula and the aspects of each part. The students now had an anchor for understanding the rest of the story without the pre-loaded confusion of the past. This first class finished the days Henry classification/formula tasks in half the time the old style teaching had accomplished. This was a 50% time savings to be applied to other tasks. The future classes had the same result. The new process was better and faster in all aspects.
The key was to cut the confusion with an experience based anchor. This anchor is use as a mental reference point in the quest to absorb the new and relevant information quickly and efficiently. Information overload is reduced with such valuable context and comprehension is therefore increased. I think informational overload is largely attributable to the lack of a contextual base. Too many loose variables to mentally juggle will obstruct the learning process.
Anchor Centric Training is the idea I am now am applying to latent print identification training. I suspect is will also offer benefits of increase comprehension, general interest, and accelerated learning in general. This new approach is designed for inexperienced examiners who wish to learn the science of latent print examination and perhaps ten-print examiners as well. While many examiners start with ten-print it is not necessary. I jumped right into latent print examination under the mentorship of several good examiners. Yet, I did it the traditional way. I did not have an experience based anchor to quickly build on.
Basically, the anchor is dropped as 6 basic steps focusing on level two detail.
---------------------------------------------------------
Without anything other than basic historical knowledge the examiner in training will complete the following tasks prior to the start of regular studies in classification, comparison, etc… These tasks are the anchor.
1.
With 10 average difficulty ten-print matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
2.
With 5 average difficulty ten-print NON matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Attempt to plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
3.
With 10 high quality latent matches (Side by side/Exemplar to latent)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
4.
With 10 low quality latent matches (Displayed side by side/Exemplar to latent)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
5.
With 10 average quality latent to latent matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
6.
With ten (10) individual latent to ten matches of average quality / placed digital files loose in a folder for comparison. Numbered the set 1-20. Students will record each match as their comparisons progress. (example: 2-15 where Latent 2 matches exemplar 15)
a. Of the total there will be one exemplar match for each latent print.
b. Basic instructions for comparison organization, such as software viewer use, etc..
c. Basic discussion of target groups to assist in the comparison
d. Compare high quality first and work toward the low quality prints.
e. When complete the results can be compared to an “unverified” key.
i. The student will explain why each of the matches is indeed a match.
ii. The Unverified key is an introduction to verification. You give them the key with the caveat that it may be in error. Their independent (blind) verification is needed.
------------------------------------------------
With this very basic 6 step introduction, the student can easily build their skills using this as an anchor. Each new step in their learning will have more meaning, more value and I expect they will learn much more efficiently. I do not expect such a brief introduction will create bad habits of level 2 comparisons only, but rather give them a great foundation for learning level 3 and an introduction to distortion as they attempt to plot every last minutia. It also provide a base for the concept of minimum sufficiency where, yet they have enough information to call a match, but continue plotting which further builds confidence in their hypothesis. They also get experience with what is not a match. With each new topic, the student has a firm contextual foundation to draw from. They have an experience based anchor.
Such a concept does not have to be very specific, the idea is simply to provide the knowledge anchor up front in the learning program and the subsequent study/reading is easily understood. An analogy for this is pulled from my favorite topic; motorsports. Imagine I am describing a new car to you. I tell you all about the macro and micro details of this new car and about its very special color and shine; I describe it as unlike anything else. The lines are this way and the grille that way or… I could show you a photograph of the car and then we study it contextually. The photograph is a knowledge based anchor. A very useable reference that could change the way we learn.
This trail may have already been blazed by educators, yet I have not yet seen it previously applied out our field. If so, I would be interested in your lessons learned.
The next year, I asked the students several weeks in advance, to NOT pre-read the Henry classification/Formula chapter, just show up for class seemingly unprepared. I suspected it would be much easier if they were not pre-confused trying figure out the classification formula before they had acquired some good anchor like knowledge for a reference. I had prepared the formula reference/cheat sheet as normal. I always let the students use a formula cheat sheet as there is no point is memorizing such an old system, when it is more important to simply understand where to find your reference material once you learn it.
The day of class the student arrived on time, we proceeded to run classified 10-print cards through the formula without any explanation of what the formula was or how it works. The students focused entirely working the formula as a completely arbitrary device. Sure it has aspects of meaning, but the formula does not produce a product, simply a location in a drawer. Once 20 cards have been processed through the formula, I explained the history of the formula and the aspects of each part. The students now had an anchor for understanding the rest of the story without the pre-loaded confusion of the past. This first class finished the days Henry classification/formula tasks in half the time the old style teaching had accomplished. This was a 50% time savings to be applied to other tasks. The future classes had the same result. The new process was better and faster in all aspects.
The key was to cut the confusion with an experience based anchor. This anchor is use as a mental reference point in the quest to absorb the new and relevant information quickly and efficiently. Information overload is reduced with such valuable context and comprehension is therefore increased. I think informational overload is largely attributable to the lack of a contextual base. Too many loose variables to mentally juggle will obstruct the learning process.
Anchor Centric Training is the idea I am now am applying to latent print identification training. I suspect is will also offer benefits of increase comprehension, general interest, and accelerated learning in general. This new approach is designed for inexperienced examiners who wish to learn the science of latent print examination and perhaps ten-print examiners as well. While many examiners start with ten-print it is not necessary. I jumped right into latent print examination under the mentorship of several good examiners. Yet, I did it the traditional way. I did not have an experience based anchor to quickly build on.
Basically, the anchor is dropped as 6 basic steps focusing on level two detail.
---------------------------------------------------------
Without anything other than basic historical knowledge the examiner in training will complete the following tasks prior to the start of regular studies in classification, comparison, etc… These tasks are the anchor.
1.
With 10 average difficulty ten-print matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
2.
With 5 average difficulty ten-print NON matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Attempt to plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
3.
With 10 high quality latent matches (Side by side/Exemplar to latent)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
4.
With 10 low quality latent matches (Displayed side by side/Exemplar to latent)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
5.
With 10 average quality latent to latent matches (Displayed side by side)
a. Plot level 2 minutiae to the fullest extent in Adobe Photoshop or MS Paint
6.
With ten (10) individual latent to ten matches of average quality / placed digital files loose in a folder for comparison. Numbered the set 1-20. Students will record each match as their comparisons progress. (example: 2-15 where Latent 2 matches exemplar 15)
a. Of the total there will be one exemplar match for each latent print.
b. Basic instructions for comparison organization, such as software viewer use, etc..
c. Basic discussion of target groups to assist in the comparison
d. Compare high quality first and work toward the low quality prints.
e. When complete the results can be compared to an “unverified” key.
i. The student will explain why each of the matches is indeed a match.
ii. The Unverified key is an introduction to verification. You give them the key with the caveat that it may be in error. Their independent (blind) verification is needed.
------------------------------------------------
With this very basic 6 step introduction, the student can easily build their skills using this as an anchor. Each new step in their learning will have more meaning, more value and I expect they will learn much more efficiently. I do not expect such a brief introduction will create bad habits of level 2 comparisons only, but rather give them a great foundation for learning level 3 and an introduction to distortion as they attempt to plot every last minutia. It also provide a base for the concept of minimum sufficiency where, yet they have enough information to call a match, but continue plotting which further builds confidence in their hypothesis. They also get experience with what is not a match. With each new topic, the student has a firm contextual foundation to draw from. They have an experience based anchor.
Such a concept does not have to be very specific, the idea is simply to provide the knowledge anchor up front in the learning program and the subsequent study/reading is easily understood. An analogy for this is pulled from my favorite topic; motorsports. Imagine I am describing a new car to you. I tell you all about the macro and micro details of this new car and about its very special color and shine; I describe it as unlike anything else. The lines are this way and the grille that way or… I could show you a photograph of the car and then we study it contextually. The photograph is a knowledge based anchor. A very useable reference that could change the way we learn.
This trail may have already been blazed by educators, yet I have not yet seen it previously applied out our field. If so, I would be interested in your lessons learned.