Law students turn detectives as murder-mystery boosts education during Covid restrictions
A MURDER-MYSTERY unlike any other has seen the University of Chichester’s new law students turn detectives for a week in an initiative to boost their education experience amid Covid restrictions.
The whodunnit was hosted entirely online for the first-years’ opening week of university as an introduction to the course and to safely meet their cohort.
It comes just weeks after the institution was named the UK’s number one for student satisfaction in the 2021 Guardian University Guide.
The super-sleuths, all studying for an LLB Law degree, were challenged to unearth the truth behind a shocking crime with help from performers from UK theatre team MurderedForMoney, who provided the week-long task for free as a one-off gesture.
The virtual experience saw the students solve the historic death of a wealthy aristocrat – and only used Microsoft Teams to communicate clues and evidence.
Aspiring lawyer Gabi Carr said: “It was a good activity to get us talking to our course mates, giving us something to bond over.”
Fellow student Alice McBrearty said: “I really enjoyed the murder mystery induction and working together to figure out who was the killer. It was so much fun looking at all the clues and videos and to come to our conclusion as a group.”
The University’s three-year LLB Law degree prepares students for a career in the legal profession.
It covers seven vital core areas for the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination including Public, Criminal, Tort, Contract, Land, and EU law, alongside Equity and Trust.
Senior lecturer Dr Amy Elkington, who leads the Law degree, said: “The intrigue of the mystery kept the students guessing until the big reveal at the end of the week. More importantly, it helped them settle into university and get to know one another during a particularly challenging time. We are extremely appreciative to MurderedforMoney for enabling us to provide this engaging and Covid-safe activity for our students for free.”
The award-winning MurderedforMoney team provides murder-mystery entertainment across the UK but has recently found success in its virtual challenges, which can be performed around Covid restrictions.
Founder Bridget Wilkinson said: “We were delighted to work with Chichester’s students, whom were all engaged with the case, unravelling clues, analysing witness statements, and ultimately uncovering who dunnit. Having worked with higher education providers for many years, I was aware of the potential impact of Covid on student induction and wellbeing, and was therefore pleased to help.”
For more about the University of Chichester’s LLB (Hons) Law degree go to www.chi.ac.uk/humanities/undergraduate/llb-law.
Find out more about MurderedForMoney and its award-winning virtual and traditional murder-mystery challenges at www.murderedformoney.co.uk.
