Teaching Introduction to Criminology

Teaching Introduction to Criminology provides instructors with the tools and knowledge to effectively build and teach foundational courses in criminology. Understanding that introductory criminology courses attract a wide variety of students and also provide fundamental knowledge for more advanced courses in the discipline, this text provides educators with a framework by which they can confidently teach the information that is most important and applicable to students.

Over the course of eight chapters, educators learn tips and tricks for designing an effective course syllabus, organizing a course schedule, and engaging students and enhancing learning for both small and large courses. Additional chapters offer alternative methods for delivering course content, including guest lectures, interactive tools, and community-based strategies. Selecting a textbook, integrating media, assessing student learning, classroom management, and ethical issues are also covered. The text closes with a chapter that explores teaching introductory criminology courses in different modalities, including in-person lectures, online classes, and flipped or hybrid classes, and measuring teaching effectiveness through student and colleague evaluations.

Featuring practical advice and innovative teaching approaches, Teaching Introduction to Criminology is an effective recourse for novice and tenured educators alike.
Alison S. Burke is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Southern Oregon University, where she's taught courses in criminology, theories of criminal behavior, crime control theories and policies, juvenile delinquency, crime and the media, environmental crime, and women and crime. She earned her doctoral degree in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Catherine D. Marcum, Ph.D., graduated from Indiana University in Pennsylvania in 2008 with a Ph.D. in criminology. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed journals articles and authored and/or edited over 10 books. Her areas of expertise include cybercrime offending and victimization, correctional issues, and sexual victimization. She is currently the assistant chair of her department, and the editor of Corrections: Policy, Practice, and Research.