ONLINE FORENSICS: AN EXAMINATION OF VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, STRATEGIES, AND TECHNIQUES FOR TRANSFORMATION

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, forensic means “relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes or suitable to a court of law.” However, like all changing terms and applications in today’s modern word, technology has caused many new words to be adopted. More than two decades ago, no one could have imagined that the term “Google” could be later used as noun, but more importantly a verb that would have a huge impact on the future Internet and many users of the web and it many components. In consideration of the ever-changing world of technology, along with the evolution of Learning Management Systems (LMS), in the field of online education, more scientific knowledge and methodology has to be explored, examined, and evaluated as more people are involved in online education. Thus, what was not considered as an equal to Face-to-Face (F2F) education, online education has not reached to a plateau of even surpassing the typical form of education and now demands more specific attention. As a result, this paper will focus on the conceptualization of a new field of study in the realm of online education, which will be referenced herein as “online forensics.” Online forensics is defined here as “the exploration or examination of scientific knowledge or methods used in online education in terms of understanding the creation and implementation of virtual strategies and techniques used to nurture and enrich the online learning experience.” Further, online forensics may be used in the understanding of instructional characteristics of not only the instructor/facilitator, but characteristics of the instructional Learning Management Software and its impact on the online learning experience. This paper will serve as a start point for the exploration and examination of the discovery of and beginning foundation for literature in the field of online forensics. While the term forensics is used in many different contexts, it is the intent of this paper to explore how forensics, in the virtual learning context, can help instructors, administrators, and researchers learn more about the impact of in the virtual learning order in the mission to understand more about what are key instructional characteristics, strategies, techniques used by other organizations, perhaps in the area of best practices, and expand the literature in this field towards a more scientific, but educational, perspective.