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Solution Orientated Policing

Module description

An innovative blended-learning module, providing learners with authentic assessments to develop their autonomy and employability within the public sector and beyond. Developing critical leadership, transferable skills, expert knowledge and obtaining real-world experience and insight of policing. This module will enable students to think creativity, apply critical academic theories and methodologies to solving real world problems, through authentic assessments developed with stakeholders.  A mixture of sophisticated support learning examples e.g. audio-visual material developed in conjunction with local police forces, to enhance the realism, to simulated exercises of investigations and developing community trust and confidence e.g. dealing with press, developing crime prevention strategies.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to give students first hand experience of real world policing, running through everything from operational policing responding to demands from the public, to conducting investigations, building public trust and confidence and creating innovative prevention measures to safeguard communities and vulnerable members of society. Enabling students to develop their critical and creative thinking, to become an effective communicator both orally and written, and to be socially, ethically and environmentally aware, while building real world experience and knowledge for their CVs.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Generate and justify approaches and recommendations around contemporary real world policing challenges
• 2. Ability to present an in-depth evidence-based argument and approach to real world problems

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Effectively and critically apply criminological research methods, approaches and theories to real world issues
• 4. Critically analyse and evaluate contemporary policing challenges and issues

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. To critically apply creative and innovative thinking to solve real world problems
• 6. To develop independent learning skills, oral and communication skills

Syllabus plan

While the precises content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

• Crime prevention
• Operational policing
• Investigations and intelligence
• Leadership
• Community engagement
• Cybercrime
• Forensics
• Psychology
• Legal

Simulated exercises – looking at real life missing people cases and conducting open source investigations, potential to run through an simulated investigation/operational policing response.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Assessment for this module comprises of a problem solving case study with the topic set in conjunction with local police forces, submitted to the module convenor for assessment.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Blackstone’s Handbook for Policing Students (2025), Wood, D., Bradshaw, S., Dickens, T., Parker-McLeod, J., & Davis, C., (19^th edition). OUP Oxford.
• Understanding Crime Prevention From Theory to Practical Application (2025) Henson, B., Reynes, B., Snyder, J., & Scherer, C., Routledge.
• Mechanisms of Legal Effect: Criminological Theories (2023) Jennings, W., & Mieczkowski, T. A Methods Monography for the Centre of Public Health Law Temple University Beasly School of Law.
• Student Study Guide of Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, Application (6^th Edition) (2013) Oxford University Press.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• College of Policing What Works

Key words search

Problem-solving policing, transferable skills, leadership, authentic assessment, real-world experience