Dan,

Like Doug, I was extremely interested in your findings. I have a few additional questions.

How did each student analyze the scene, alone or within a group?

Did group dynamics play a role in the investigations/determinations? Meaning, was the group members allowed to talk with each other?

If so, were a higher percentage of incorrect origin determinations found within certain groups?

Here’s the big one – Pat’s earlier question…what patterns change from a compartment transitioning through flashover? What research are you basing your findings on? Did you perform an identical burn that did not transition through flashover to analyze what patterns exists in a pre-flashover compartment?

How long after “flashover” was the compartment allowed to burn before extinguishment? What was your indicator that flashover occurred?

Did the students use any analysis techniques to aid in the patterns analysis? (i.e. depth of calcination, depth of char)

How long were the students allowed to analyze the scenes before making a determination?

Gregory E. Gorbett, CFEI, IAAI-CFI, CFPS, MIFireE