ABSTRACT This paper details experiences using computer forensics as a teaching tool to improve student performance and engagement in the "Introductory Hardware and Systems Software" course at a small, liberal arts institution. Students majoring in information systems often approach the hardware course expecting the standard lecture and textbook readings supplemented by an occasional hardware lab. Computer forensics, on the other hand, captures the interest of most students immediately. How to use hardware, software, and networking tools to help solve computer crimes is a problem most students can be easily motivated to investigate. This paper addresses whether the same hardware concepts can be taught using computer forensics as a motivator as would be taught in a "traditional" information technology (IT) hardware class, and whether there are any additional benefits to doing so. Metrics will include: student performance on examinations and an analysis of the breadth of subjects covered and the associated depth of the covered subjects in both scenarios. The discussion includes strategies for matching traditional IT hardware course content to related computer forensics techniques. Additionally, ideas for forensic lab activities in each subject area are outlined.

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