Welcome to the Forensic Field Training Officer Virtual Academy!

We created this academy based on the feedback we received from field training officers around the country. You guys wanted the in-person course content in a flexible, virtual option - so here it is!

Not many forensic trainings are taught virtually over a period of several weeks, so the format of a Virtual Academy may be new to you! We know you probably have questions on how this will work, so let's answer all the questions you may have before we get started at the first live Zoom session.

Before we get started, please watch the Welcome Video:

Watch the Welcome Video

Please watch this video in its entirety. We tried to be as thorough as possible and answer the most common questions students ask.

Of course, if you still have questions please don't hesitate to reach out through the Gap Science Community or email us at [email protected].

Course Platform

Right now, you're inside the Course Platform hosted through Teachable. This is where you can access the links to the Live Zoom Sessions, weekly Workbooks, and any helpful links and handouts in the Resource Vault.

Pro Tip: Go ahead and add this link to your Bookmarks or Favorites!

Why can't I see everything inside each module?

The Course content is released on a schedule. At the beginning of each week, you'll gain access to the corresponding Course content (i.e. Live Zoom Session information and Resource Vault). By the end of the academy, all content for the entire Virtual Academy will be available.

When trying to access a section that has not yet been released, you will see a message letting you know when that section of the course will become available.

Academy Schedule

The Virtual Academy will run for a total of 6 weeks!

Every Friday you'll join us for a live Zoom session. The live Zoom Sessions will begin at 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time with a 1-hour break for lunch.

The schedule for the live Zoom sessions is as follows (please note all times are in Eastern Time):

• Week One - January 12, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Week Two - January 19, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Week Three - January 26, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Week Four - February 2, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Week Five - February 9, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Week Six - February 16, 2024 @ 10:30am - 4:30pm Eastern Time
• Course Closes - February 19, 2024 @ 11:59pm Eastern Time

NOTE: The final day to access all course content and receive your certificate for the Virtual Academy is February 19, 2024. Make sure to complete your final exam and download any curse materials by this date.

What if I'm not able to attend the live Zoom Session?

Although we do recommend attending the live Zoom Sessions to get the most out of this Virtual Academy, we do understand the how busy your schedule is - some students are in different time zones and others work different shifts. Should you be unable to attend live, the replay link will be posted within 24 hours after the live Zoom Session ends. You can watch the replay and catch up on any content you missed during the week.

Please expect that if you do not attend the live Zoom sessions, there will be homework you will have to submit which will replace the interactive projects and exercises that happened during the live session.

How long with the replay videos be available?

The replays will be available throughout the six weeks until the Virtual Academy closes. Feel free to go back and re-watch any information you need to while the academy is going on!

Participation

Our courses are very interactive, so be prepared to participate.

You will only get out of the academy what you put into it. We always recommend that you attend the live sessions to interact with the instructors and other students in real time, and engage with the private Student Community so you can make the most of this experience.

Here is our list of expectations for all students:

1. For the live Zoom sessions, be sure to log in on a computer, tablet or phone that has a microphone and camera. Although you may not use the microphone and camera every time, you should expect that you will have to speak and be seen on camera throughout the class.
2. Students will be working together on a variety of projects and exercises. We expect that when students are placed in breakout rooms, they will communicate with one another in a face-to-face manner (camera on, microphone on).
3. If you do not attend any live Zoom session, there will be homework you will have to submit which will replace the interactive projects and exercises that happened during the live session.
4. We provide a private Student Community so that you may engage with other students, work on activities or exercises together, share resources and communicate with the instructors. We expect that you will join the Student Community so that you can fully participate in this course.

It can be easy to default to hiding behind the scenes. But you signed up to learn something, so commit to making the most of this Virtual Academy and fully engage as much as you can. The relationships you will build with the instructors and other FTOs are sure to last you a lifetime!

Private Student Community

You'll want to make sure you have access to the Gap Science Community. Inside the community, you'll be able to connect with other forensic professionals across the globe.

We have also set up a private discussion board ONLY students and instructors from Virtual Academy can access. Throughout the course, you can come back to this discussion board to chat amongst each other, share resources and work on activities or exercises together.

Pro Tip: Download the Circle Communities app on your mobile device for easy access into the private Student Community!

Final Exam & Course Certificate

There will be a final exam based on material covered during the Virtual Academy.

The final exam needs to be successfully completed with an 80% or higher by February 19, 2024 to receive a certificate for the course. Your certificate will be automatically generated and ready for you to download once you have completed all of the modules, your course eval, and have successfully passed your final exam.

I passed the final exam. Why wasn't a certificate automatically generated?

The Course platform will automatically generate a certificate once you have completed all lessons in the course. Go back and make sure you clicked "Complete and Continue" at the bottom of each lesson.

Still Need Help?

If you still need help with anything, feel free to message us in the virtual community or email us at [email protected].