Integrating Public Criminology into the Classroom

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Criminology and Criminal Justice from Classroom to Boardroom: Teaching, Research, and Related Agencies

Abstract

Community-engaged teaching methods can be achieved through incorporating public criminology research. Public criminology involves transcending traditional academic networks to include practitioners in research and the dissemination of research findings in everyday language comprehendible to the general public. In this presentation, I will discuss how working with a grassroots community coalition, including research and program evaluation, can be used to bolster effectiveness in connecting concepts, content, and theories to “real world” situations and improving long term knowledge retention. I will provide examples of how the “lessons” can be incorporated into curricula. The goal is to guide students towards more critical thinking. My pragmatic approach is inclusive for both students interested in graduate school and students who will be working as practitioners in the field of criminal justice.

Author

• Aimée X. Delaney, Worcester State University