CSAFE Learning has announced two new webinars this fall, plus an important update to one of its most popular statistics short courses.
The first webinar, “Multi-camera Smartphone Image Identification,” will be held September 23 and will introduce CSAFE’s new database of multi-camera smartphone images.
The October 24 webinar, “Cognitive Bias in Forensic Analyses: An Introduction to a Simple and Practical Solution,” will focus on cognitive bias in the forensic decision-making process. During the webinar, attendees will be able to work through implementing a popular information management framework.
For the first time, CSAFE Learning is offering its foundational statistics short course, “Statistical Thinking for Forensic Practitioners,” as a self-paced course where learners can access the course materials anytime, anywhere. Course instructor Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director, will provide learners with a series of sessions they can complete at their own pace.
“This is an exciting opportunity for forensic practitioners to gain foundational knowledge in statistics at their own pace and on their own schedule,” said Anthony Greiter, CSAFE’s learning and development specialist, “We are thrilled to offer this course as a self-paced option, and we are confident that learners will continue to benefit from the expertise of Dr. Hal Stern using this new format.”
In addition to the webinars and asynchronous short course, CSAFE Learning has also added several new resources to the online learning platform:
- Three interactive research posters were added to the CSAFE Library.
- Three Stats Starters are now available. Stats Starters are short videos and PDFs that allow learners to explore a single foundational concept at a time.
- Dive deeper into foundational concepts related to forensics with three new Foundational Learning opportunities available in error rate testing, algorithms and cognitive bias.
More information about all the new courses and resources is listed below. Signing up for CSAFE Learning and enrolling in any of these opportunities is free and open to the public.
Not on CSAFE Learning? Join the more than 1,000 active learners engaged in the available opportunities. Visit https://learn.forensicstats.org to enroll.
CSAFE Learning courses are sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through cooperative agreement 70NANB20H019.
WEBINARS
Multi-Camera Smartphone Image Identification
September 26, 11 a.m.-noon CDT
Stephanie Reinders, CSAFE research scientist
An investigator has a digital image from an unknown camera. Did a person of interest capture that image with a camera on their smartphone? Source camera identification uses small imperfections in a camera’s sensor array, called a camera fingerprint, to address this question. Most previous research and reference databases focus solely on images from smartphones’ main rear cameras. Smartphones now have front cameras and one or more rear cameras. Stephanie Reinders, CSAFE research scientist, introduces the new CSAFE multi-camera smartphone image database and discusses how she adapts traditional camera identification methods to work on multi-camera smartphones.
Cognitive Bias in Forensic Analyses: An Introduction to a Simple and Practical Solution
October 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CDT
Adele Quigley-McBride, CSAFE research and assistant professor at Simon Fraser University
This 90-minute webinar will begin with background information about human factors and cognitive biases, followed by a group activity in which attendees will work through the process of using a new, simple way to implement a popular information management framework called Linear Sequential Unmasking – Expanded or LSU-E.
SHORT COURSE
Statistical Thinking for Forensic Practitioners
Self-paced Learning Opportunity
Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and Chancellor’s Professor of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine
In this asynchronous short course, Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director, introduces fundamental concepts from probability and statistics motivated by forensic issues, followed by a detailed investigation of how they apply to assess forensic evidence’s probative value.
STATS STARTERS
Introduction to R Stats Starter
Joe Zemmels, former CSAFE graduate student researcher
This beginner-level Stats Starter introduces learners to R, a programming language often used to navigate statistics, and its application to forensic evidence.
Probability Stats Starter
Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and Chancellor’s Professor of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine
This beginner-level Stats Starter focuses on probability and its application to forensic evidence.
Conditional Probability Stats Starter
Hal Stern, CSAFE co-director and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and Chancellor’s Professor of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine
This beginner-level Stats Starter focuses on conditional probability and its application to forensic evidence.
FOUNDATIONAL LEARNING
Error Rate Testing
Jeff Salyards, CSAFE research scientist
This Foundational Learning opportunity introduces what makes a good validation study and what makes a good error rate study. Salyards will discuss:
- An appropriate lexicon for validation studies and diagnostic accuracy.
- Foundational validity versus validity as applied.
- Mistakes versus errors.
- Key resources to continue learning.
An Ounce of Prevention: A Simple and Practical Tool for Mitigating Cognitive Bias in Forensic Decisions
Adele Quigley-McBride, CSAFE research and assistant professor at Simon Fraser University
This Foundational Learning opportunity will begin with background information about human factors and cognitive biases. The two sessions will address the following questions:
- What does it mean when someone talks about human factors considerations or cognitive bias concerns in forensic science?
- Why should forensic analysts and laboratories direct their resources to address issues related to human factors and cognitive bias?
- What research-based recommendations exist to address human factors and cognitive bias issues in forensic science?
Algorithms for Forensic Science
Henry Swofford, lead scientist with the Forensic Science Research Program in the Special Programs Office at NIST
This Foundational Learning opportunity presents key components of the use of algorithms in forensic science. The three sessions will address the following topics:
- How the forensic science community is constantly called on for reform and how algorithms can play an important role in that process.
- How algorithms can cohabitate with personal judgment when implemented at various levels.
- Barriers to adoption, including issues of validation, behavioral tendencies toward algorithms and admissibility in court.
CSAFE LIBRARY
Combining Kinematic and Visual Data to Implement Various Twin Convolutional Neural Networks to Classify Writers
Andrew Lim, CSAFE graduate student researcher
A Likelihood Ratio Approach for Detecting Behavioral Changes in Device Usage Over Time
Rachel Longjohn, CSAFE graduate student researcher
Visual Diagnostics for Cartridge Case Impression Evidence
Joe Zemmels, former CSAFE graduate student researcher
