A free online course that explores the effectiveness of the law and justice system from a psychological perspective is running for a second time.

The University of Queensland’s CRIME101x: The Psychology of Criminal Justice follows a fictional murder, investigation and trial played out as a drama purpose-built for the course.

The weekly episodes of the drama are accompanied by video lectures and other resources from UQ School of Psychology instructors Associate Professor Blake McKimmie, Associate Professor Barbara Masser, and Associate Professor Mark Horswill. 

Course Coordinator Blake McKimmie said that the course is designed to challenge some common misconceptions about what results in a fair criminal justice system.

“We’re hoping that people who take CRIME101x will be better equipped to take part in the debate about justice by learning about what research says leads to fairer or more reliable outcomes in the criminal justice system.”

The eight week UQx course opens 25 August and requires 1-2 hours of effort per week to complete.

No prior knowledge about psychology or the legal system is necessary, just a curiosity about the criminal justice system.

A new trailer for the course is available here.

Almost 15,000 students took the course when CRIME101x was first offered in October 2014 on edX, a leading provider of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

edX was founded by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012 and offers free online education using cutting-edge technologies, innovative pedagogy and rigorous courses.

Sign up now for CRIME101x: The Psychology of Criminal Justice.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crime101x

Twitter: https://twitter.com/crime101x

Media: Blake McKimmie, Course Coordinator, +61 7 3346 9519 or b.mckimmie@psy.uq.edu.au

Catherine Bennett, UQx Course Project Manager, +61 7 3346 0850 or enquiries@uqx.uq.edu.au.