NCJ Number
195240
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2002 Pages: 143-154
Date Published
2002
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article describes the use of a teaching method that was originally developed to improve the research and writing skills of graduate students and subsequently adapted for use in a police executive development program.
Abstract
The Graduate Management Institute, or GMI (now known as the Leadership Command College), the principal program offered by the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT), is one of several executive and leadership development programs available to policing professionals. All of these programs are closely allied with institutions of higher learning. In 1995, the LEMIT staff instituted the Policy Research Project (PRP), whose purpose is to provide "participants with an opportunity to develop the applied research and communications skills necessary for success at the command or policy level of a contemporary law enforcement agency." The project is divided into four parts or steps. First, the "proposal step" begins upon admission into the GMI program. Prior to and during Module I the participants have the opportunity to, independently and in small groups, develop a research proposal. This proposal eventually becomes the introduction of the PRP. Following this, the participants are introduced to the "Notebook Method," which encourages students to engage in "conversations of a community of inquiry" and to "ultimately contribute to the dialogue." Second, during the "research step," the participants receive instruction in how to locate reference material. Third, the "writing step" involves teaching the participants how to organize the relevant portions of their sources into a brief, yet comprehensive, literature review. During Module II the participants attend two 8-hour intensive writing workshops. The first workshop is designed to refocus the participants into their research by requiring a set of short writing assignments or annotation exercises. The second session, about a week later, is designed to provide the participants with detailed direction on how to progress to the next level, i.e., the first draft. Almost all participants leave Module II with a complete first draft. Between Module II and Module III, the participants work independently under the direction of a LEMIT staff member to complete the final draft. Fourth, the "presentation step" is completed at Module III. On the final instructional day, each participant defends his/her research findings and recommendations to a panel of academic or highly qualified practitioner experts. 14 references