The Problem
Traditional Tasks Get Minimum Effort
It happens in every classroom:
- A reading or writing task lands on the desk
- Students skim, copy, or switch off entirely
- The work that comes back is shallow
- No real thinking has taken place
Investigation-Based Learning
Where Investigation Builds Readers and Writers
Hand your students a case file instead of a worksheet. They'll read deeper, write sharper, and think like investigators.
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Students Engaged
Cross-Curricular
English · PSHE · Library
Whole-School
One Licence, Any Class
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Used in schools internationally
Operation Crossfall - Sample Evidence
Case File Cover Sheet
Operation Crossfall case file front page
999 Call Transcript
Emergency call reporting the incident
Officer's Notebook Entry
First responder's handwritten PNB record
Public Appeal Task
Student writing task based on the evidence
Four documents from a real investigation case. Enter your details to unlock.
Free Evidence Sample
See what your students would investigate
Download four real evidence documents from Operation Crossfall, a hit-and-run investigation. See the quality your students will work with.
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Evidence unlocked
The documents are now available to download. Click the download buttons to save each piece of evidence.
Investigation-Based Learning
Reading and Writing, Powered by Investigation
Anchors Bay PD - Active Investigation
What is The Detective Experience?
Detective cases that put reading and writing at the centre of every investigation
The Detective Experience is an investigation-based learning programme where students work as detectives on immersive cases set in the fictional town of Anchors Bay. Every case demands close reading, evidence analysis, and written argument. Students don't realise they're building literacy skills because they're too busy solving the case.
The Solution
Replace the Worksheet With a Case File
TDE changes the dynamic completely:
- Students receive a real investigation to solve
- Evidence demands close reading and analysis
- Building a case requires structured, persuasive writing
- The literacy happens because the investigation demands it
Complete Case Package
Every investigation arrives ready to run: digital facilitator guide, structured student tasks, evidence packs, model answers, and extension activities. Open the case and go.
Flexible Delivery
One lesson, a week-long sequence, or a full cross-curricular project. Each case scales to fit your timetable and curriculum goals. You decide the format, TDE provides the content.
Reading With Purpose
Witness statements, forensic reports, CCTV logs, suspect profiles. Students engage with complex texts because the investigation depends on it. Every document sharpens comprehension, inference, and source evaluation.
Cross-Curricular Impact
TDE runs across elementary and secondary settings in English, Science, Social Studies, PSHE, and beyond. The reading, writing, and thinking skills students develop through investigation carry into every part of the curriculum.
Minimal Planning Required
Whole-School Licence
Any Subject Area
Transferable Skills
Whole-School Membership
Every case in the library
All current investigations, with full evidence packs and teacher guides
New releases included
Every new case we publish lands in your library automatically
Whole-school license
Every teacher, every class, no per-student or per-group limits
Direct email support
Reply straight to Joe, real human answer within a working day
School Membership
Every case, every teacher, all year
One whole-school licence covers every case in the library, every teacher in your school, and every new release while your membership is active.
See full membership details
The Student Journey
How a TDE Investigation Works
Every case follows six stages that mirror a real criminal investigation. Click each stage to see what students do and the skills they build along the way.
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of 6
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Stage 1 of 6
The Briefing
Students receive their case file and are dropped into the world of Anchors Bay. A crime has been committed, and they've been assigned to investigate. Suspense and intrigue grab attention from the first moment.
Receive the case file and crime scene briefing
Identify initial questions and unknowns
Begin forming early predictions
Skills Built
Active listening, prediction, questioning. Students begin formulating the questions that will drive their reading throughout the case.
What Students Actually Learn
The Skills Behind the Investigation
Every TDE case builds six core skills that students carry into every subject, every assignment, and every year level that follows.
Reading Comprehension
Evidence packs, witness statements, reports
Students read complex, multi-format texts because the case depends on it. They extract key details, identify inconsistencies, and draw meaning from challenging material.
Persuasive Writing
Case theories, suspect arguments, final reports
Building a case requires structured, evidence-based writing. Students learn to construct arguments, support claims with specific evidence, and write with clarity and conviction.
Critical Thinking
Theory construction, suspect evaluation, peer debate
Students weigh competing explanations, challenge assumptions, and reason through ambiguity. The case rarely has one obvious answer, and that's the point.
Source Evaluation
Witness reliability, document analysis, bias detection
Not every witness tells the truth. Not every document is reliable. Students learn to assess credibility, detect bias, and distinguish strong evidence from weak.
Collaboration
Team investigation, shared analysis, group decisions
Cases are designed for teams. Students divide responsibilities, share findings, debate theories, and reach consensus. The investigation only succeeds when everyone contributes.
Communication
Case presentations, peer questioning, oral defence
Students present their conclusions, field tough questions, and defend their reasoning under pressure. They learn to articulate complex ideas clearly and hold their position.
Where These Skills Go
Built Through Investigation. Applied Everywhere.
The skills students develop through TDE are not case-specific. They carry directly into curriculum work across every subject area.
English and Literacy
Reading, writing, comprehension
Stronger close reading, more structured persuasive writing, and deeper comprehension from day one.
Science and STEM
Evidence, hypothesis, analysis
The evidence evaluation and hypothesis-testing habits built in TDE mirror the scientific method directly.
Social Studies and PSHE
Perspective, bias, decision-making
Assessing witness reliability and detecting bias prepares students for analysing historical sources and real-world issues.
These aren't abstract skills taught in isolation. They're built through investigation and applied across the entire curriculum. That's the difference.
Beyond the Case
From Investigation to Independent Learning
TDE doesn't just engage students for the duration of a case. It builds habits of reading, writing, and thinking that stay with them long after the investigation closes.
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The Investigation Hooks Them
A real case with real stakes captures attention. Students are invested from the first briefing because they want to know what happened.
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Skills Build Through the Case
As they investigate, students read closely, write persuasively, evaluate sources, and construct arguments. The skills develop because the case demands them.
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Students Recognise What They've Learnt
The reveal stage makes thinking visible. Students see where their reasoning was strong, where they were misled, and what skills made the difference.
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They Apply It Everywhere
Close reading, structured writing, evidence evaluation, and critical thinking become second nature. Students carry these skills into every subject and every assignment.
During the Case
Students Are Doing the Work Without Being Told
There are no reminders to "read carefully" or "support your answer with evidence." The investigation creates those demands naturally. Students read because they need information. They write because they're building a case. The effort is self-directed.
After the Case
The Habits Carry Into Everyday Classwork
Teachers report that students approach reading tasks differently after TDE. They question sources, look for evidence before forming opinions, and structure their writing with more clarity. The investigation trains them to think this way by default.
Proven in Classrooms Worldwide
Trusted Across Schools and Districts
Schools around the world are using TDE to drive reading, writing, and critical thinking through investigation, from elementary through secondary.
John Therry Catholic College
St. Monica's College
Penola Catholic College
Mercy Regional College
St. John's Regional College
Padua College
St. James College
Sacred Heart College
Mount St. Joseph's College
Catherine McAuley College
John Therry Catholic College
St. Monica's College
Penola Catholic College
Mercy Regional College
St. John's Regional College
Padua College
St. James College
Sacred Heart College
Mount St. Joseph's College
Catherine McAuley College
TDE in Schools
50,000+
Students Engaged
60%
Library Traffic Increase
6
Core Skills Per Case
100%
Classroom Ready
What Educators Are Saying
Inquiry in Their Own Words
Educators across schools describe the impact of TDE on student inquiry, engagement, and the transfer to independent thinking.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked
Everything you need to know about implementing TDE as your school's gateway to inquiry-based learning.
What exactly is The Detective Experience?
TDE is an inquiry-based literacy intervention that uses immersive mystery investigation to build critical thinking and transferable inquiry skills. Students work through structured detective cases set in the fictional world of Anchors Bay, analysing evidence, evaluating sources, constructing arguments, and presenting findings. It's designed to serve as the high-engagement gateway to independent inquiry, building the skills and confidence students need to pursue research on their own.
How does TDE align with our school's inquiry framework?
TDE is designed to work with any inquiry framework. Each case maps naturally to Barbara Stripling's Model of Inquiry (Connect, Wonder, Investigate, Construct, Express, Reflect) and aligns with Guided Inquiry Design (Kuhlthau/Maniotes), the 5E Model, IB PYP/MYP, and Project-Based Learning approaches. You don't need to change your framework. TDE provides the engagement layer that makes your existing framework come alive for students.
Is this just gamified reading, or something more?
This is not gamification. TDE is a pedagogically grounded inquiry intervention that positions reading as investigation. Students read because they need the information to advance the case, not because they've been told to. They build six core inquiry skills in every case: questioning, investigating, evaluating evidence, constructing arguments, communicating findings, and reflecting on process. Reading is the vehicle. Inquiry is the destination.
What age groups and subjects does TDE support?
TDE cases are available for elementary through secondary students, with investigations calibrated to appropriate reading levels and complexity. While the programme is most commonly used in library and English settings, the inquiry skills transfer to any subject area. Schools use TDE in Science, Social Studies, PSHE/Wellbeing, and as a cross-curricular inquiry project. The skills are universal because inquiry is universal.
How much preparation is required for staff?
Each case comes as a complete inquiry package: facilitator guides, structured tasks, evidence packs, model answers, and extension activities. The programme is designed so the focus stays on teaching inquiry, not organising materials. Most educators are up and running within a single planning period. You can run a case in one session, across a sequence of lessons, or as an extended inquiry project.
How do I make the case for whole-school adoption?
TDE solves a problem that every inquiry-driven school faces: students resist traditional research projects. By framing TDE as the high-engagement on-ramp that builds inquiry habits, you position it as essential infrastructure, not an optional enrichment tool. The programme aligns with your school's existing inquiry framework, builds transferable skills across subject areas, and has demonstrated results including increased library engagement and measurable skill transfer. We can provide resources to help you build your case for leadership.
Can TDE be used for safeguarding education?
Yes. Several TDE cases incorporate safeguarding themes woven naturally into the investigation, covering topics like online safety, peer pressure, and community responsibility. Students engage with these themes through the lens of investigation rather than direct instruction, which research suggests leads to deeper understanding and retention. The inquiry format allows students to discover these lessons through critical thinking rather than being told what to think.
What does "transfer" actually look like in practice?
Transfer means that the inquiry skills students build in TDE carry over to other learning contexts. Schools report that after running TDE, students approach their next research project differently: they generate better questions, evaluate sources more critically, build stronger arguments, and reflect on their own thinking process. The metacognitive element of TDE, where we explicitly name the inquiry skills being used, is what makes this transfer possible. Students don't just do inquiry. They become aware that they're doing inquiry.