The Alma Mater Statue.

Now taking open enrollments for Dr. Walker's Internet Based Police Education and Training Net, tested by over 20,000 graduates, running via the Internet for Microsoft Windows equipped personal computers (PCs) on the World Wide Web (WWW) at local Internet telephone rates without download delays associated with many other education and training delivery systems.

This vital Internet program may be appropriate for local, state, and federal law enforcement officers; public, private, and Homeland Security officers; high school, college and university students; peace officers; reserve and auxiliary police officers; constables; military police officers in domestic and foreign assignments on land or sea; correctional officers; fire service officers; insurance investigators; local, state, federal, and citizen's police academies; probation and parole officers; prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and jurors; social workers and others in human services.

These materials were developed and are owned exclusively by Dr. Walker or by the stated author(s). The materials benefit from experience gained while the author(s) belonged to the organization or organizations shown as their present or past affiliations. Obviously the design of methods for most efficiently and effectively teaching concepts and skills of criminal science is best tested by use. However, the materials were created on the personal time of the author(s) and are exclusively owned by the author(s).

As over 20,000 of my graduates can tell you, I am convinced that computers have a vital role to play in cost-effective police education and training. Contact me by e-mail if you have any questions about computer-based instruction that might be answered by my experience since 1978.

I am an experienced police training instructor and associate professor emeritus with over 35 years of service presently at the Police Training Institute (PTI), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Over the years some solutions to important education and training problems have been developed by PTI faculty and staff associates. Our current pioneering state of the audience microcomputer and Internet lessons are based on instructional techniques proven effective in training over 20,000 sworn police officers of city, town, county, state and federal agencies.

My experience in computer courseware development began many years ago with central computer systems. In the past 20 years, I have logged over 5,000 hours of computer programming and formatting using the TenCORE Language Authoring System.

I have numerous PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, COURSES AND ACTIVITIES to report.

Again, I welcome your questions on computer based police education and training with Internet-based delivery components. 

Table of Modules:

Crisis Management Leadership e-Course (52 hours).

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation e-Course (72 hours).

Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation e-Course (20 hours).

Traffic Accident Investigation: Stabilizing the Accident Scene e-Course (6 hours).

Criminal Investigation e-Course (42 hours).

Emotional Stability, Variant Behavior, and Police Community Relations e-Course (30 hours).

Historical Overview.

Acknowledgments.

It should be noted the e-lessons upon which these instructional modules are based might be mixed and matched from module to module and even used in a new module depending on the setting in which they are to be used.

All instructional modules are based on an "ITERATIVE" INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PROCESS.

Alternative modules have been developed for correctional officers, private security officers, social workers and human service workers.

These modules have been proven successful in on-the-job training, academy training and criminal justice college courses.

My hobby is my work in the field of educational computing. I enjoy fresh-water fishing.

I would like to hear from you.

Send your inquiries by e-mail to: Dr. Roy O. Walker , Ph.D., 2316 Winchester Drive, Champaign, IL 61821.

Information about my educational background, research, teaching and professional work experience with over 36 years of service can be found in my Resume.

A. Crisis Management Leadership e-Course (52 hours).

This module is designed to provide the police officer with a variety of competencies intended to insure appropriate development of effective crisis management leadership skills, sexual harassment, leadership styles, problem personnel management, collective behavior, use of force, crisis intervention and conflict management, and understanding what is happening under physical and psychological stress. The e-lessons upon which this module is based follow:

1. Sexual Harassment in Policing e-Lesson (6 hours).
2. Leadership Styles e-Lesson (8 hours).
3. Management: Problem Personnel e-Lesson (6 hours).
4. Stress Management e-Lesson (8 hours).
5. Crowd-Mob-Riot Behavior e-Lesson (6 hours).
6. Police Use of Deadly Force e-Lesson (6 hours).
7. Crisis Intervention and Conflict Management e-Lesson (12 hours).
8. Pretest and Posttest, a paper-and-pencil test reserved for group training and analysis.

B. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation e-Course (72 hours).

The instruction in this module covers a constellation of occupational skill areas required for effectively coping in the street environment. The instruction assists officers in recognizing and differentiating between those situations requiring formalized police action, and those that may be less significant, but just as provoking to persons who may be involved. Basic police skills related to investigation are reviewed in a manner that provides a new approach to understanding the occupational tasks involved. The lessons upon which this module is based follow:

1. Communication in the Police Environment e-Lesson (8 hours).
2. Observation and Perception: Street Communication e-Lesson (6 hours).
3. Interviewing and Interrogation e-Lesson (12 hours).
4. The Functional Components of Interrogation e-Lesson (2 hours).
5. Test Your Evidence Potential I.Q. (2 hours).
6. Packaging and Transmittal of Physical Evidence (Parts 1 and 2) e-Lessons (4 hours).
7. Motor Vehicle Theft e-Lesson (2 hours).
8. The Arson Crime Scene Search e-Lesson (6 hours).
9. Emotional Stability e-Lesson (10 hours).
10. Variant Behavior e-Lesson (12 hours).
11. Community Policing: Police Community Relations e-Lesson (8 hours).
12. Pretest and Posttest, a paper-and-pencil test reserved for group training and analysis.

C. Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation e-Course (20 hours)

This module is intended to address the problem of oversimplified perceptions of a sophisticated multidimensional social phenomena, coupled with the need for a wider focus during the initial stages of the investigation of child abuse and neglect allegations. The e-lessons upon which this module is based follow:

1. The Police and the Underprotected Child e-Lesson (16 hours).
2. Child Sex Exploitation e-Lesson (4 hours).
3. Pretest and Posttest, a paper-and-pencil test reserved for group training and analysis.

D. Traffic Accident Investigation: Stabilizing the Accident Scene e-Course (6 hours).

This module consists of common and often overlooked skills needed for stabilizing the traffic crash scene. Initial actions at the collision scene are covered based on the severity and type of accident. The e-lesson upon which this module is based follows.

1. Stabilizing the Traffic Accident Scene e-Lesson (6 hours).

E. Criminal Investigation e-Course (42 hours).

The instruction is designed to provide the student with a variety of competencies intended to ensure appropriate development of effective skills in criminal investigation. The nine (9) e-learning lessons that follow are also utilized in the 72-hour CSI: Crime Scene Investigation e-Course.

1. Communication in the Police Environment e-Lesson (8 hours).
2. Observation and Perception: Street Communication e-Lesson (6 hours).
3. Interviewing and Interrogation e-Lesson (12 hours).
4. The Functional Components of Interrogation e-Lesson (2 hours).
5. Test Your Evidence Potential I.Q. e-Lesson (2 hours).
6. Packaging and Transmittal of Physical Evidence (Parts 1 and 2) e-Lessons (4 hours).
7. Motor Vehicle Theft e-Lesson (2 hours).
8. The Arson Crime Scene Search e-Lesson (6 hours).
9. Pretest and Posttest, a paper-and-pencil test reserved for group training and analysis.

F. Emotional Stability, Variant Behavior, and Police Community Relations e-Course (30 hours).

This module is intended to address selected major operational problems, e.g.: in terms of emotional stability, a misunderstanding of the stressful situations that are encountered in the normal work of a police officer and everyday life; on-scene operational ineffectiveness in responding to disturbed persons calls; and bettering the relationship between the police and those alienated toward law enforcement because of the need to improve the quality of that relationship. The e-lessons upon which this module is based that follow are also utilized in the 72-hour CSI: Crime Scene Investigation e-Course.

1. Emotional Stability e-Lesson (10 hours).
2. Variant Behavior e-Lesson (12 hours).
3. Community Policing: Police Community Relations e-Lesson (8 hours).
4. Pretest and Posttest, a paper-and-pencil test reserved for group training and analysis.

Prior to 1955, only local departments did training of new police officers in Illinois. Consequently, there was no uniformity or standardization of basic training for new officers throughout the state. In small and medium departments, little or no training was provided to many new police officers upon their appointment. In addition to the problems in basic training, there was no coordinated or organized state delivery system for advanced and technical courses.

A number of law enforcement officials and associations, such as the Illinois Police Association, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Illinois Sheriffs Association, were concerned about this problem. They prompted the 69th General Assembly to legislate an Act in 1955 which established the University of Illinois Police Training Institute (PTI) at Champaign, Illinois USA. During the 35-year period from 1955 through 1990, the Institute trained over 100,000 Illinois police officers in various programs and activities. The history of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute is one in which all members of the law enforcement community should take pride. It is a frame of reference for the future development of training programs to meet the needs of the law enforcement officials in the State of Illinois in the years ahead. Thus, it was not surprising for PTI to take advantage of technical advances in computer-based instructional delivery systems.

In 1978 the Police Training Institute (PTI) began exploring the instructional feasibility of using teaching computers for police occupational training on the University of Illinois PLATO Computer-based Education System. This activity was encouraged and supported by the Illinois Local Governmental Law Enforcement Officers Training Board. The legacy of PTI Professor Emeritus Frank L. Manella is that his Illinois Juvenile Court Act was the first PLATO lesson that got PTI started on the road to what is being currently offered today. In 1980, aided by funding from Control Data Corporation (CDC), the Institute initiated a large-scale effort to introduce computer-managed instruction (CMI) into the police-training academy. Since 1981 the Institute faculty has developed Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) and Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) lessons on the University of Illinois Wide Area Network (WAN) PLATO and NovaNET systems.

Since 1983 PTI has made CAI/CMI PLATO lesson ware available to local police agencies at remote locations for in-service training. One limitation of using PLATO and NovaNET lesson ware at remote police department locations is that the cost of communication links between a main computer and remote terminals is prohibitive even in light of recent advances in multi-plexed telephone and satellite communication links.

A final limitation is the recurring cost of the central system (e.g., salaries, space, utilities) paid by users. Consequently, in 1985 a microsystem was selected as the medium of choice for delivering computer based CAI/CMI lesson ware for in-service on-the-job training to those who could not afford the PLATO system. This microsystem is TenCORE.

Florida A and M University's Professor M.D. Roblyer, in a 1989 review based on a telephone survey of police education and training organizations in all 50 states in the U.S., reported that the University of Illinois, Police Training Institute was by far the most active in developing and using computer based training (CBT) resources. There is reason to believe that this pattern has not changed. PTI Associate Professor R.O. Walker, in a 1992 Macmillan encyclopedia review and subsequent presentations with colleagues at the 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005 Meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Kansas City, Chicago, Boston, Louisville, Albuquerque, Orlando, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and Chicago USA respectively, reported empirical research findings and new developments and usage of microcomputer and Internet e-lesson materials.

Dr. Walker, John Janssen, and Allen Avner first published a review of one of the authors (row) microcomputer lessons and associated materials on the Internet in Spring 1996. For his presentation of the paper, Early Experiences in the Utilization of the Internet: Distance Learning: One solution to increasing quality of instruction while lowering cost at the 1997 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Louisville, Kentucky USA, Dr. Walker coined the term Web CBT to introduce demonstrations of interactive, computer based training (CBT) lessons running live via the Internet from his home page. His microcomputer, Internet lessons run unit-by-unit providing a fast and secure method of remotely delivering instruction without download delays often associated with other CBT delivery systems. The power of Internet delivery of CBT is to essentially broadcast live to an enormous world-wide audience. This 1997 ACJS paper is listed in the bibliography of publications and presentations section of this home page. This paper was excerpted and favorably reviewed by the Mary Ellen Michael, Editor, Instructional Microcomputing Newsletter of the Educational Technologies Assistance Group (ETAG), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois USA. For a copy of these papers, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker. The authors can be contacted at www.tencore.com/rw.

A paper by Dr. Walker, John Janssen, and Allen Avner was presented at the March 12, 1998 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. The title and abstract of that ACJS paper follow: Creating Effective Distance Learning Environments on the World Wide Web for Police and Allied Criminal Justice Personnel: Distance learning is one way to increase quality of instruction while lowering cost. But practical experience with distance learning has revealed many drawbacks. The authors share their three decades of experience in overcoming most of these drawbacks; discuss the virtual classroom; show criminal justice educators, trainers and practitioners how to develop a presence on the World Wide Web featuring Live Web Computer Based Training (CBT); and describe their distance learning materials - used successfully since 1978 in training over 20,000 sworn police officers and allied personnel with multiple learning preferences. For a copy of this paper, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker. The authors can be contacted at www.tencore.com/rw.

A paper by Dr. Walker, John Janssen, and Allen Avner was presented at the March 11, 1999 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Orlando, Florida USA. The title and abstract of that ACJS paper follow: How NOT to Use Instructional Computers. Present and recognized experience during the past 25 years of Computer Based Education (CBE) has amply demonstrated the difficulty of finding techniques guaranteed to produce effective instructional material for the medium. On the other hand, new CBE authors appear to have no difficulty in rediscovering, at substantial cost to their progress, a number of approaches, which virtually insure production of poor material. This paper: (1) states ten such techniques that have been thoroughly tested (and found wanting); and (2) gives answers to important questions about CBE asked of the authors on the Internet during the past year here. For a copy of this paper, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker. The authors can be contacted at www.tencore.com/rw.

A workshop by Dr. Walker, Lt. Gary L. Hoffman, and Allen Avner was presented at the March 22, 2000 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in New Orleans, Louisiana USA. The title and abstract of that ACJS paper follow: Why Should I (and How do I) Develop and Utilize a Teacher-Made Internet Records System? Drawing on a total of over 50 years of first-hand experience in the field of educational computing (used to produce over 20,000 graduates in police and corrections education and training), the presenters identified concrete distance learning problems amenable to computer solutions and gave generalizable solutions that combine the benefits of currency, branching, tailored feedback, required responses, repetition, simulation, and virtual resources that would be present in the best tutoring environment. A teacher-made Internet Records System based on preliminary empirical research was demonstrated. The dynamic distance learning materials presented led Dr. Walker and Lt. Hoffman to coin the term active distance learning. The authors can be contacted at www.tencore.com/rw. For a copy of this workshop paper, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker . Dr. Walker was also on this ACJS 2000 program as a participant in the Roundtable The Future of Distance Learning in Criminal Justice: A View of the Experts in 2000 -- to be continued in 2005, with co-participants Steve Cooper, University of California, Irvine; Cecil Greek, Florida State University; Frank Schmalleger, Justice Research Association; Tom O'Connor, North Carolina Wesleyan; and Steven H. Cooper, University of California, Irvine.

For the April 3-7, 2001 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Washington, D.C. USA, with Lt. Gary L. Hoffman and Allen Avner, Dr. Walker prepared a paper for presentation. The title of the paper and abstract follow: Distance Learning: Combining the Best/Most Useful/Most Needed Aspects of Both Criminal Justice Education and Training. Experience in police education and training is merged to inform the creation of educational computing sequences, which have proven effective in improving the preparation of police and corrections officers. We now examine this process. A structure is presented for assessing the needs of the practitioner as a teacher, a teacher of teachers, and/or a researcher in the police specialty field. The authors draw on a total of over 50 years of first-hand experience developing materials used by over 20,000 graduates in police and corrections education. For a copy of this paper, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker. The authors can be contacted at www.tencore.com/rw.

F.Y.I.: In an effort to give something back for an astonishing 36-year career in police service including the field of educational computing, Professor Emeritus Roy O. Walker continues to respond to relevant e-mails initiated from this site that might be answered based on his experience in training over 20,000 sworn police officers since 1978 at the University of Illinois, Police Training Institute. His classes also included in-service corrections and security personnel. Contact Dr. Walker.

A paper by Dr. Walker, John Janssen, and Allen Avner was presented at the March 17, 2005 Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in Chicago, Illinois USA. The title and abstract of the ACJS paper follow: Computer Based Police Training: Using Time as Your Ally. Training needs for those in the criminal justice occupations have changed dramatically since 9/11. Technical advances in instructional computing offer cost effective (though not cost-free) methods of meeting many of these expanded needs. Based on recent experience in responding to such newly expressed needs, plus several decades of experience in e-learning, the authors summarize practical issues in production of e-learning materials and the time it takes to achieve student mastery of those materials. Emphasis is given to techniques proven effective in training over 20,000 sworn police officers spanning over a decade and a half at the University of Illinois, Police Training Institute (PTI) and the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL), as certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. We seek in this paper to summarize those practical findings from our experience that are most likely to be useful for computer courseware developers and their administrators in efficient development and use of high quality materials for their special instructional needs. In brief, to allow them to take advantage of this medium not only to speed the learning of students, but also to speed preparation of instructional materials. For a copy of this paper, contact Dr. Roy O. Walker. This e-mail address also can be used to contact the authors.

ACKNOWLEDGING OUR TEAM: I am indebted to active and emeritus honorary members of the University of Illinois (UI) faculty for making significant contributions toward this presentation, i.e.: Allen Avner*, Richard Dennis, Chris Flammang**, Mike Hoefling, Albert Johnston*, Frank Manella**, Dillon Mapother, and Clifford Van Meter. I would also like to recognize the assistance of the Police Training Institute staff and especially JoAnn Schwallier and Lois Welling. It should be noted here that Al Avner was particularly helpful in reviewing this page. HTML and TenCORE Language Authoring System help from Ron Klass.

I would also like to acknowledge my off-campus associates for their significant contributions: Professors Robert Russo** and Susan Thomas**, Psychology Department, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville USA.; Paul Tenczar and Ronald Klass, Computer Teaching Corporation, Champaign, Illinois USA; Darlene Chirolas, Urbana, Illinois USA; Paul Vallandigham***, Attorney at Law, Urbana, Illinois USA; Professors Clifford Van Meter, Jon White, and Brian Johnson, School of Criminal Justice, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan USA; John Janssen and Shirley Major**, Illinois Local Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Springfield, Illinois USA; Professor Thomas A. Johnson, University of New Haven, Connecticut USA; Professor Jagen Lingameni, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois USA; and Lt. Gary L. Hoffman, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, Florida.
_________________________
....*Consultant in the field of educational computing.
..**Co-author of selected microcomputer based training lessons presented on this page.
***Attorney with expertise in criminal law and forensic science involving tracking suspects at the crime scene.

Through the use of innovative computer technology, designed specifically for education and training, students set their own pace for learning, mastering each lesson, program, unit, and subject before moving to the next. Students who need to repeat the instruction can do so with the press of a key. Students who learn quickly can progress rapidly through a review of basic knowledge/skills toward more challenging learning at their own pace. Despite individual differences in learning capacity and background, each student receives individualized instruction, which produces maximum interest and challenge to his/her learning potential.

Another plus for individualized CBE and CBT is that, once materials have been produced, quality standards are assured and the instruction can be presented effectively anywhere there is a compatible personal computer -- such as a college or university, police or fire department, home, elementary and secondary schools, or library. This instruction is best followed by opportunities to apply what the student has learned through self-study in an organized exercise or other form of practical application. In advanced instruction, supervised, pre-planned applications of learning in real-life situations assure greater learning and better performance in less time. These activities are interactively coordinated with computerized pretesting and posttesting to insure that the students have the prerequisites for learning, and, when completed, that they have demonstrated the required level of learning. An overview of the history of computer based police education and training can be found in the "Table of Contents."

The CBE and CBT materials featured in this page are designed to provide the police officer with a variety of competencies intended to insure appropriate development of effective skills involving critical operational problems. All of these materials are developed and continually updated to reflect results of the latest research and field experience.

The unique aspect of this CBE and CBT approach is the computer-based pretesting and posttesting interactively coordinated with tutorials, intermittent questioning, drills, and final examinations. After use of the microcomputer, direct classroom instruction may culminate with hands-on activities to insure application of selected course content and ultimate learning certification.

Thus, the microcomputer materials featured by this page are designed to permit the best learning outcomes to occur within an environment that motivates and challenges student involvement.

It should be noted that one example of this CBE and CBT approach is Computer Managed Instruction (CMI).

Instructional Goals:

The purpose of the pretest and posttest is to verify that the students have the prerequisites for instructional modules, and when completed, that they have demonstrated the required level of learning. This learning certification module uses criterion referenced, automated question banks to provide a basis for state of the audience testing and measurement to manage the instruction by computer.

Computer managed instruction (CMI) has the capability to keep and maintain explicit individual records of the performance of each student. This becomes immediate feedback to the instructor on the progress of each student and the extent of student achievement. These results summarize the collected data and allow a statistical treatment of them. Through this means, record keeping capabilities are truly remarkable and can be of important assistance to individual students, instructors, field training officers, and the training program itself.

Student Performance Objectives:

1. Verify prerequisites for the instructional modules.
2. Demonstrate the required level of learning of the instructional-modular materials.

This program is designed for Microsoft Windows equipped personal computers (PCs). It is based on techniques found effective in training numerous police officers at the University of Illinois, Police Training Institute, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois USA.

*Equivalent Classroom Hours (ECH's) represent an estimate of at least the time it would take to deliver these materials in the traditional classroom setting. Actual microcomputer time varies among students.

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These materials were developed and owned exclusively by Dr. Walker or by the stated author(s). The materials benefit from experience gained while the author(s) belonged to the organization or organizations shown as their present or past affiliations. Obviously the design of methods for most efficiently and effectively teaching concepts and skills of criminal science is best tested by use. However, the materials were created on the personal time of the author(s) and are exclusively owned by the author(s).