For the past five years I have been looking at problem-based learning (PBL) as an alternative to lecturing. I have begun to incorporate some PBL into my classes and students have responded positively to the approach.

Ed is the author of the case study Filthy Lucre: A Case Study Involving the Chemical Detection of Cocaine-Contaminated Currency and its teaching notes.

Jimmie is a co-author of The Story of Dinosaur Evolution.

Karen is the author of The Unfortunate Nurse: A Case Study of Dengue Fever and Social Policy and its teaching notes.

I have been using case studies to varying degrees in teaching microbiology classes for several years. However, I had not been inclined to use them as a major part of the course until I read about the workshop, and I was intrigued by the idea of using case studies as a means of teaching an entire course and getting away from relying so heavily on lectures for the course. I plan to begin using this method of teaching in a section of microbiology this fall semester.

Bruce is a co-author of Life on Mars:  A Dilemma Case Study in Planetary Geology and its teaching notes and The Petition:  A Global Warming Case Study and its teaching notes.

I currently teach a 2-semester introductory biology course using problem-based learning strategies, and use case studies in a teaching methods course I offer for undergraduates who serve as problem-based learning group facilitators in my course and others at UD.

Deborah Allen is co-author of the book Thinking Toward Solutions: Problem-Based Learning Activities for General Biology. Deborah is also a member of the Center’s Editorial Board.

I have been working to integrate problem based learning strategies into my teaching and case studies seem like a perfect fit for microbiology. I am also interested in using case studies to teach ecology to non-science majors. I want to present a more complete picture of science to the students. Using case studies students will learn not only “the facts” but also learn about the people involved and what their work entails. This puts a human face on science. The process will also produce better consumers of science, because students who learn from case studies will be better able to evaluate scientific issues that they will face later in their lives as part of the voting public.

See Mary’s case on our website entitled Search for the Missing Sea Otters: An Ecological Detective Story and its teaching notes.

I use case studies in all of my presentations.  The length and the depth of the case varies with the audience and the time avialable.  In a typical undergraudtae lecture, I use a case study at the end of some of the modules to integrate the material to assess student learning.

See Swamy’s case on our website entitled Irradiation: Is It Consumer-Friendly? and its teaching notes.

Whether students are petrified of chemistry (and other sciences), or bound for medical school, I want to spark their interest and actively involve them in the thrill of learning and studying in the sciences. The case study approach seems like an approach that could be adapted to virtually all our science courses to engage students in life-long learning. I am also interested in the case study approach for upper level biochemistry students. Often, upper level undergraduates are focused on graduation, but lose sight of how concepts and problem solving skills are used in the industrial setting. The case study approach appears to be a tool to address this.

I am interested in case studies as an alternative way to present material to students in my class with the aim of increasing their retention of the material but also as a way of making the classes more interesting and fun. I am hoping that case studies and problem based learning can get the students more involved in the course and provide them with a good background to follow up on their own on interests they may develop in the subject. This approach also offers a way to introduce students to real-life situations associated with topics covered in the class.

See Lynn’s case study entitled Needles and Pins and it accompanying teaching notes on this website.

I would like to start incorporating the case study method in my class and tell other teachers about it. I think that my students will have a better understanding of the topics discussed.

Chris is a co-author of Snowboarding in New York State: A GIS Case Study and its teaching notes.

I began using case studies in General Chemistry following my participation in the May 2002 workshop. My first case study was published in November 2002. The laboratories I have prepared for my course could be considered case studies, although that’s not how I perceived them when I put them together.

Chris is the author of the case study Thinking Inside The Box and its teaching notes on our website.  He is also co-author of The Chemistry of Cooley’s Anemia and its teaching notes.

Very few of the students we serve come to us with an interest in chemistry. We primarily provide general education courses for other professional programs. For most of our students, the chemistry we give them will be the only direct exposure to the field they will ever have. Our hope is to place their experience within a larger personal and social context so that they might recognize the many ways in which the chemical sciences impact their lives and it seems that the case study approach would be of value in this regard.

I will be using case studies in the course “Scientific Inquiry,” SCI 105, which is required of all College of Liberal Arts students at Mercer. The course introduces them to science as an inquiry-based activity using some lecture but primarily through discussion of both broad issues and specific case studies. If I can find or create enough physics case studies, I will also use them in some of the other courses I will be teaching this fall, namely Everyday Physics (for non-science majors) and Introductory Physics.

I have been using problem-based learning cases in the pharmacognosy classroom activities involving undergraduate students.

I have used case studies in professional (business, technical, and scientific) writing courses, as well as in literature and composition, to provide a context for writing assignments so that students are attentive to audience and purpose and so that they must apply knowledge. I find that case study methods force students to understand information more fully, to work collaboratively, and think critically--attributes of professionals in the various fields in and outside academe. Since case studies are inherently problem solving, they demonstrate to students the difference between knowing facts and understanding what they mean and what they can be used for. In other words, case studies prepare students for real workplaces more effectively than typical assignments since they simulate the kind of activities actually performed by practicing professionals. At the same time, they are excellent learning tools for problem solving. They require the complex activities of oral and written communication, areas which employers find important in hiring.

I’m currently employed as a physical therapist and actively working on my Doctoral Dissertation.  I am pursuing the topic of using case studies in higher education as opposed to the traditional lecture method.  I’m unfortunately not moving as rapidly as I had wanted due to a lack of information on this topic.  I would appreciate any help or suggestions from those in the field.  I formerly taught a case-based course to freshman in the area of health education for consumers.

The case study method ties the concepts and information in anatomy & physiology with real life scenarios. This relationship promotes research experiences as related to the allied health sciences.

Paramedics are a practical, hands-on type of adult learner.  The case study method provides them with a vehicle to learn the content—in a meaningful way—without the boredom of rote memorization.

Susan is a co-author of Emily and Dr. Haskins: Classroom Expectations, Pragmatics, and Clinical Acumen and the accompanying teaching notes.

John is the author of A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine and the accompanying teaching notes.

Kari is the author of My Brother’s Keeper: A Case Study in Evolutionary Biology and Animal Behavior and its teaching notes.

I am new to case study teaching, but envision using it as one of many approaches to teaching chemistry and materials science within an undergraduate engineering curriculum.

I have been involved with developing and participating in hands-on and inquiry programs for K–12 and college educators for nearly 20 years. The case study approach, including team learning, seems to me to be a natural extension of this national evolution in teaching. I am learning that developing good cases is much harder than I had hoped it would be, but watching how students interact with cases shows me that this can be a very different and powerful way for them to learn. I am looking forward to getting better at using this approach.

Team learning/case studies for general chemistry and organic chemistry.

Joe is co-author with his colleague Frank Dinan of two of the cases in our case study collection: Avogadro Goes to Court and its teaching notes and To Spray or Not to Spray: A Debate Over Malaria and DDT and its teaching notes.

I’m using case studies to organize material and exercises in a human factors laboratory course, as well as to introduce students to concepts in class.

Ann is the author of Election 2000: A Case Study in Human Factors and Design and its teaching notes; she is also a co-author of So What is it That Engineers Do, Anyway? and its teaching notes.

My goal as a new teacher is to employ multiple strategies to help my students be successful. I use case studies because everyone enjoys a good story. I like entrapping unwitting students into a story they like, while teaching them biology at the same time.

Claudia is a co-author of A Rigorous Investigation: The Relationships Between Cellular Respiration, Muscle Contraction, and Rigor Mortis and its accompanying teaching notes.

Use of the case method provides students with a new perspective to what we are trying so desperately to teach, and why the idea is important. If specific core content can be identified, then a case should be written to maximize those principles. I firmly believe that cases improve long term memory of content ideas.

Charles is the author of The Rocky Mountain Locust: Extinction and the American Experience and its teaching notes. See also But It’s Just a Bottle of Water… and its teaching notes.

Interested in the case topics of muscle physiology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, reproductive endocrinology, and cardiovascular pathology.

Melinda is the author of Gas Cylinders and Safety: A Case Study in Chemistry and its teaching notes.

Interested in case studies in biomedical education, particularly applications to bioethics, genetic testing, and pharmaceutics.

Una is a member of the Center’s Editorial Board.

Gayle is a member of the Center’s Editorial Board and a co-author of a 1999 article on the “Use of problem based discussion sessions in a first year pharmaceutical dosage forms course” published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (vol. 63, Spring 1999, pp. 85–97).

Peggy is the author of two case studies in our collection: Sweet Indigestion: A Directed Case Study on Carbohydrates and its teaching notes, and The Case of the Druid Dracula and its teaching notes.

As a curriculm writer I use case studies to introduce students to issues which challenge the management of our environment and natural resources. I received terrific training in the Case Study Method at a case studies conference in Buffalo. It has been essential to my development of problem based learning curricula.

I use the case method in my face to face classes; now, I am implementing it in my online clases. The case method stimulates critical thinking and is conducive to the dialogue approach to education.

Stephanie is a co-author of Case of Maria: A Cross-Cultural Study of the Therapeutic Relationship and its teaching notes.

I like to encourage students to be active learners and critical thinkers.  Cases are wonderful educational tools that I use to allow students to apply newly learned concepts to "real world" situations.  My students are health professional majors.  With cases, they do not have to wait until graduation to discover the importance of the subject that they are learning.  I use cases in all of my courses.

Alease is the author of Dem Bones:  Forensic Resurrection of a Skeleton and its accompanying teaching notes.

I believe that case studies are paramount to the preparation of advanced practice nurses, those health care providers such as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists.  Students appear to recall facts easier through case study implementation.  This method can complement a traditional lecture approach making it come alive and become more meaningful for the student.  I could not effectively teach without them!

I am using the case study method in our Pharmacotherapy sequence.

See Richard’s case on our website entitled A Light on Physics and its teaching notes.

Jeff is a co-author of Snowboarding in New York State: A GIS Case Study and its teaching notes.

Interested in using cases to teach epidemiology/biostatistics to medical students and reproductive/perinatal epidemiology to graduate students.

Case studies in veterinary practice and management, pharmacology, and gross and clinical pathology.

Scott is a co-author of Pesticides: Can We Do Without Them? and its teaching notes.

Linda is a co-author of Emily and Dr. Haskins: Classroom Expectations, Pragmatics, and Clinical Acumen and the accompanying teaching notes.

I used to teach Sociology 165, Human Ecology, and found out something interesting about critical thinking skills. Students easily understood the concepts and also developed good analytical skills after being exposed to case studies.

I teach a variety of beginning to advanced biology, ecology, and environmental studies courses at Carleton College, including global change biology, ecosystem ecology, plant physiological ecology, and introductory biology.  I use case studies in all of these courses.  I have found interrupted journal article methods to be effective for upper level courses.  Several short, in-class cases or problems work well in large introductory courses.  I am currently assessing the effectiveness of using cases for improving student learning.

Phil is a member of the Center’s Editorial Board.  See two of his case studies on our website entitled The Deforestation of the Amazon: A Case Study in Understanding Ecosystems and Their Value and its teaching notes and Watch Your Step: Understanding the Impact of Your Personal Consumption on the Environment and its teaching notes.  Phil has also published on case teaching methods in the Journal of College Science Teaching (2000,30(1):38-43).

Case studies are part of my Human Anatomy and Physiology course as well as a course I teach in pre-nursing chemistry.  These activities allow students to investigate topics in more detail than would be allowed in a traditional format and give them an opportunity to see the relevance of the information they are learning in class.

I use case studies extensively in classes such as exercise physiology, athletic injury assessment and rehabilitation, research methods and statistics.  Cases are integrated with lecture material in content heavy courses and I use the team learning concept exclusively or partially depending on the course material.  I use dilemma and directed cases that are based on actual events/patients and on fictionalized events.

Tom is the author of Left Out in the Cold: A Case Study in Thermoregulation and its teaching notes and a co-author of Brain vs. Spinal Cord: A Directed Case Study in CNS Injury and its teaching notes.

I use case studies in my introductory biology classes to teach ecological principles (such as mimicry and succession) and evolution (such as speciation and drift). I also draw upon cases to help teach the scientific method and let them experience how science works.

Lisa is the author of Conversations with Fireflies: A Case Study of Mimicry and Defense and its teaching notes.

Margaret is the author of The Effects of Coyote Removal in Texas:  A Case Study in Conservation Biology and its teaching notes.

Our department has made a commitment to revising our curriculum—making it more learner-centered.  Case studies seem to be one good way to facilitate this change.

Merri Lynn is the author of Nanobacteria:  Are They or Aren’t They Alive? and its accompanying teaching notes.

I assist faculty with course and curriculum innovations and help faculty broaden their use of all types of cases and active learning strategies throughout the pharmacy curriculum.

See Christine’s case on our website entitled The Case of Ruth James and its teaching notes. She is also a co-author of Discovering Long-Term Care Pharmacy Practice: A PBL Case for Pharmacy Students and its teaching notes.

The focus of the Science, Technology and Society Program is to teach science as one of the liberal arts, thereby increasing scientific literacy.  We teach in a multidisciplinary format incorporating societal aspects into the science curriculum and using real-life scenarios as vehicles to teach the basics of scientific method and applications of scientific research in technology and society.  To make the material relevant to the students, I have used case studies in many formats, including books that contain cases (some fictional and others non-fictional), in-class informal interrupted case work, student-written cases, and final exams and projects based on case studies.

Katayoun is the author of two case studies on our website: Niños Desaparecidos: A Case Study About Genetics and Human Rights and its teaching notes, and MDR Tuberculosis: A Case Study for Non-Science Majors Focused on Social Justice and its teaching notes.

Also see Katayoun’s set of case-based curriculum supplements—Cell Biology for Life Project—at http://www.garlandscience.com/textbooks/cbl/.

I have incorporated active learning into my classes in a number of ways (e.g., student research projects, student-led discussions, debates) and I believe that the case study method is a powerful addition to these methods.

See Karen’s case on our website entitled A Case of Mistaken Identity? and its teaching notes.

I have used the travel cost method (TCM) and the contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the recreational use value of Chandigarh city’s urban greenery. This planned city of India is well known for its parks, gardens, boulevards, etc. I have been awarded a PhD degree for a case study entitled “Valuing Recreational Benefits of Urban Forestry—A Case Study of Chandigarh City.”

After obtaining a BS degree in Physics, a MS degree in Bioengineering and a PhD degree in Biophysics, I’ve been doing biomedical research in NIH and universities since 1994. My research experience taught me that the traditional method of teaching science is inadequate in preparing students to solve real world problems. I think the learning process used by students resembles the discovery process used by researchers. It is a process of constructing new understanding and new knowledge from what was already known. Therefore I believe that Case Study methods provide effective ways to draw students into constructive leaning of science. I’m currently seeking to use my research skills and multidisciplinary education in physics, physiology and cell biology to contribute to the reform of science education in K–16 grades.

Ye is the author of How a Cancer Trial Ended in Betrayal and its teaching notes.

See Barry’s case on our website entitled In Sickness and in Health: A Trip to the Genetic Counselor and its teaching notes.

I’ve included case studies when writing the textbook for our nonmajors introductory Biology course because good storytelling engages students.  I plan to expand the use of case studies for the nonmajors course through NSF funding.

I am adapting the case study technique to provide relevance in a series of hands-on laboratories in undergraduate photonics.  The case studies involve building an actual device, and stretch over a 3–5 week period.

Alan is the author of several cases in our collection: A Classic Case of Serial Murder: Forensics Meets Photonics and its teaching notes; The Zoom Lens and its teaching notes; and An Electrical Storm on the Horizon and its teaching notes.

Bill has co-authored two papers on the directed case method: (1) Cliff, W.H., and A.W. Wright. 1996. Directed case study method for teaching human anatomy and physiology. In: Advances in Physiology Education 15:Sl9–S28; and (2) Cliff, W.H., and L. Nesbitt Curtin. 2000. The directed case method. In: Journal of College Science Teaching 30(1):64–66. Bill has shown particular interest in case studies on human anatomy and physiology, problem-based learning, computer-based instruction, and case studies in high school biology. See also his Human Anatomy and Physiology Case Study Project.

On this site you can read Bill’s co-authored case, A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed: A Case Study on Human Respiratory Physiology and its teaching notes.

Jeffrey is a co-author of The Story of Dinosaur Evolution.

I use case studies in my non-majors botany/science class to illustrate how science is done.  I also use cases instead of lectures to teach environmental science and to cover diseases in my microbiology class.  I find that students are more interested and participate more fully when I use case study discussions instead of lectures.

Joseph is a co-author of Genetic Testing and Breast Cancer: Is a Little Knowledge a Dangerous Thing? and its teaching notes.

Case study teaching is used to supplement conventional lectures and/or to introduce students to new material in:  general chemistry, analytical biochemistry, instrumental analysis, graduate electrochemistry, and a general seminar course entitled "Scientific Serendipity."

Christa is the author of several cases on our website, including: The Van Deemter Equation: A Three-Act Play and its teaching notes and Childbed Fever: A Nineteenth-Century Mystery and its teaching notes.

I used cases in the teaching of a graduate course in The Vitamins. This was a relatively small course (12-16 students) which I taught using the discussion format. In this context I found the case approach to be effective in providing opportunities for analytical thinking, classroom discussion, and underscoring concepts and principles.

See Gerald’s case on our website entitled All That Glitters May Not Be Gold and its teaching notes.

Using cases in Psychology of Prejudice, Psychology and Sexual Orientation, Statistics and Research Methods.

See Jane’s case on our website entitled Studying Racial Bias and its teaching notes.

Case studies are especially helpful as a review guide and as a unit introduction. I believe in supporting the lecture form of instruction with visual aides that encourage cognitive learning. I feel the case study method fits well with that portion of my teaching philosophy.

See Kathleen’s case on our website entitled Biological Terrorism: The Anthrax Scare of 2001 and its teaching notes.

I would like to improve instruction integration between technical understanding of a subject and technical writing.

I use case studies to show the students how the concepts they learn in class relate to real-life situations.

I have used case studies in my Chemistry for Health Services and General Chemistry classes.  The response from the students has been very positive.  We typically use a group method and brainstorm ideas and then report back to the class.  There is always good debate and discussion with these excercises.  Everyone can be on the same side of an issue and still generate very good discussion.  This integrates very well with the cooperative learning style of teaching.  Student involvement is nearly 100%.  So far I love it!

Tom is the author of Living Downstream: Atrazine and Coliform Bacteria Effects on Water Quality—A Debate Case and its teaching notes, and Oak Clearcutting: To Cut or Not to Cut? A Debate Case and its teaching notes.

David is the author of a number of medical cases on our site. See A Case of a Pheochromocytoma and its teaching notes; A Case of Seasonal Affective Disorder and its teaching notes; A Case of Diabetes Insipidus and its teaching notes; A Case of Spinal Cord Injury and its teaching notes; A Case of Cerebrovascular Accident and its teaching notes; A Case of Neurocardiogenic Syncope and its teaching notes; A Case of X-linked Agammaglobulinemia and its teaching notes; A Case of Iron Deficiency Anemia and its teaching notes; A Case of Thrombocytopenia and its teaching notes; and A Case of Pharyngitis and its teaching notes.

Sarah is a co-author of SNPs and snails and puppy dog tails, and that’s what people are made of…: A Case Study on Genome Privacy and its teaching notes.

I use cases in chemistry, environmental science, and biology. I teach introductory science courses for non-science majors that focus on connections between science and society. Students analyze case studies throughout the semester in topics as diverse as cloning, global warming, transgenic plants, air pollution, DNA fingerprinting and Mars meteorites. I am also developing a course on the Ccemistry of art conservation that will involve the study of “real-life” chemistry questions applied to the degradation and conservation of art materials. Case studies will work best in addition to lab experiments for such a course.

Eleonora is one of the co-authors of the case As Light Meets Matter: Art Under Scrutiny, and its accompanying teaching notes.

I currently use case studies sparingly, however I would like to increase this frequency.  Students respond quite well to this method of instruction.  I know I need more guidance in the implementation of case studies and I wish to improve my understanding of how to construct them.  I learned a great deal at the 2002 Annual Conference on Case Study Teaching in Science.  I plan to incorporate them more and more into the courses I teach and, eventually, write several of my own.

Preeti is the author of Thiamin Deficiency: A Directed Case Study and its teaching notes.

I have authored several classroom case studies in applied epidemiology used at CDC, and have edited several others. I use these case studies in a course at the Harvard School of Public Health and in short courses given to public health practitioners throughout the country. Epidemiology case studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently available at: http://www.cdc.gov/eis/casestudies/casestudies.htm and http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/phtn/casestudies/default.htm.

Lynn is the author of My Dog is Broken! A Case Study in Cell Signaling and its teaching notes.

Frank is a member of the Center’s Editorial Board and author of Bilirubin: E-/Z-, But Not Easy and its teaching notes, and Kermit to Kermette? Does the Herbicide Atrazine Feminize Male Frogs? and its teaching notes. Frank has also co-authored several cases, including: An Adventure in Stereochemistry: Alice in Mirror Image Land and its teaching notes (with Gordon T. Yee); Avogadro Goes to Court and its teaching notes (with Joe Bieron); and To Spray or Not to Spray: A Debate Over Malaria and DDT and its teaching notes (also with Joe Bieron).

I use case studies in addition to lectures in two semesters of Introductory Biology.  A new case study, or problem, is introduced each week to cover each of the major topics in the course.  These include cell chemistry, metabolism, molecular and Mendelian genetics, evolution, and various topics in plant and animal physiology and ecology.

We use case studies to introduce water quality concepts to high school students enrolled in Maine Coast Learning Expedition, a semester-long interdisciplinary environmental stewardship program for 11^th and 12^th graders. Students are presented with scenarios from past and on-going environmental research projects and asked to review and discuss the relevance of these projects to their own work. Each student’s research project becomes a case study for future semesters.

Steven is a co-author of As Light Meets Matter:  Art Under Scrutiny and its teaching notes.

The case study method has been a true “life-saver” system in my Medical Microbiology classes. I am looking forward to introducing more case studies to my Genetics class this year, as well as to my 10th Grade Biology coursework. The cases are very engaging and the students walk away with a wealth of knowledge researched and processed by themselves!

I will be using the case study method in a senior level class on Critical Issues in Nutrition and Healthcare in order to teach research methods, professional issues and bioethics. I also plan on using this method in two graduate level courses, one on Nutrition and Immunology and the other on Vitamins and Minerals. I also plan on looking at incorporating this method into a large (200+) introductory nutrition course.

I use clinical case studies in my pre-med physiology course. We have content lectures but always follow through with entire days dedicated to patient cases and analysis. I attended the case study workshop last spring (2007) at University of Buffalo and was inspired and convinced that this was the way to captivate students and promote long-term retention of concepts. Students prefer case-based teaching in my classes over traditional lecture.

I use case study method in most of my classes (Intro to Soils, Intro to Environmental Science, and upper level classes). Case studies help to get students involved in discussion of the subject matter.

Debbie is the author of To Be Who I Am: An Issues Case on Identity and the Physical Body and its teaching notes.

I have been using a form of case study in my anatomy and physiology classes for several years now. I present my students with situations in which they must identify a condition (if any), additional tests that need to be performed, and the ultimate cause. Finally, I sometimes ask them to propose specific treaments. The way I usually present these things is as if they were potential crimes: “Identify the ’victim’ (an organ, maybe),” “Is the individual dead or merely in a coma,” “Is it a crime (suicides are not crimes in most states; viz: autoimmune diseases),” “What weapon was used (neurotoxins?),” and “Who was the perpetrator.” I have fun and the students learn to put things together.

See David’s case on our website entitled Lost in the Desert and its teaching notes.

Susan is a co-author of I’m Looking Over a White-Striped Clover: A Case of Natural Selection and its teaching notes.

My ultimate goal is to use case studies not only in science courses, but also in training and orientation activities for chemistry graduate students.

Interested in case histories, specifically those for dental hygiene. Have integrated cases into my textbooks and contributing texts. Have an associated web page for students that lists case websites related to the study of dental hygiene. Please send any case history websites found to my email address to add to the list.

Interested in cases in general biology.

I use case studies during the laboratory component of my Human Gross Anatomy and Neuroscience courses to teach Occupational Therapy students, Athletic Trainers, and Speech and Hearing Science students the clinical aspects within each discipline.  Case studies for these classes are written to illustrate the use of clinical information given in lecture.  I am also having my students in senior seminar produce formal case study presentations instead of the traditional seminar format.  The process for conducting this course was published in the Journal of College Science Teaching in the Case Study column (Feb 2003).

See the case Patrick has written with Tom Cappaert for our website entitled Brain vs. Spinal Cord: A Directed Case Study in CNS Injury and its teaching notes.

I am currently using investigative case-based labs (ICBLs) that utilize collaborative learning and the program Case-It to study the genetics of disorders such as Huntington’s Chorea (for an introductory A&P nervous system section), Fragile-X syndrome and Sickle-Cell (protein structure; genetics; evolution). In addition to using the cases as ways to excite students about the biology underlying these disorders, they are also written with inherent ethical issues to explore. One set of cases utilizes a formal debate as the assessment; others have multiple options including formal lab reports. I am interested in adding a series of cases as introductory “hooks” and enrichment exercises to my Anatomy and Physiology courses for Allied Health students.

I would like to use case studies as an alternative pedagogical approach to teaching and as a means by which students can improve other critical skills such as group work, oral communication, etc. I see case studies as providing a wonderful opportunity to discuss ethical and moral issues that relate to various topics in the sciences.

Case studies place content in a relevant context and are more likely to engage students in learning than more traditional methods of instruction.  With so many ethical dilemmas arising from our increased genetic knowledge as a result of the human genome project, the case study method is a perfect "fit" when teaching a Human Genetics course.

Km is the author of The "Lady" of Charleston:  A Case of Wrongful Gender Assignment? and its accompanying teaching notes.

History of science and technology.

I am interested in the case study method of teaching because it seems to be an excellent method of teaching Anatomy and Physiology. This is my first year teaching Anatomy and Physiology, and I believe that the case study method will inspire active thinking.

I’ve used case studies in Introduction to Physiology and Advanced Physiology.  I’ve also used them for clinical correlates, which are taught in conjunction with Advanced Physiology.

Dayton is the author of Woe to That Child:  A Case of Cystic Fibrosis and its accompanying teaching notes, and Football Fanaticism: An Integrated Physiology Case Study and its teaching notes.

Tom is a co-author of Exploring Unintentional Racism: The Case of Tim Hanks and its accompanying teaching notes.

I use case studies in ecology, behavior, and wildlife management to engage students and create an active learning environment.  I have authored two cases on the SUNY Buffalo website.

Gary is also a member of the Center’s Editorial Board.  For his contributions to our case collection, see Rabbit Calicivirus Disease:  Magic Bullet or Pandora’s Box?  A Case Study on Biological Controls and its teaching notes and The Wolf, the Moose, and the Fir Tree:  Who Controls Whom on Isle Royal?  A Case Study of Trophic Interactions and its teaching notes.

After attending a mini-workshop in case studies at the University of Texas, I am working to incorporate case studies into a large introductory biology lecture using the weekly discussion groups.

I am interested in adapting the case study approach to the sciences, particularly to courses in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics. I believe that our students will learn more about how the scientific method works and how to apply their knowledge if they are taught using a case method approach. I also think that it will make scientists seem more human, give students other careers to consider, and will encourage students to more actively learn the subject material. Let’s teach them how to think rather than what to think.

See the case Susannah wrote with Jessie Klein for our website entitled A Right to Her Genes and its teaching notes.  She is also a co-author of A Recipe for Invention:  Scientist Biographies.

See Susan’s co-authored case entitled On a Wing and a Prayer: A Wetland Mitigation Dilemma and its teaching notes.

Anne is a co-author of several cases on our site; see Not An Old Person’s Disease and its teaching notes and Sometimes it is All in the Genes and its teaching notes.

I attended the June 2002 workshop and have used cases from the website, some in their entirety, others only in part.  I have always used examples and relevant events in class to help students learn.  This is also what case studies provide.

Kathy is the author of Prayer Study: Science or Not? and its accompanying teaching notes.

Interested in chemistry, non-science major (general education), and environmental case studies.

I use pharmacology-based cases in our elective “Evidence-Based Pharmacology: A Problem-based Approach.” Various pharmacology topics are covered in the course. The goal is to develop a collaborative and active learning environment for the students.

I have used case studies in my general biology and vertebrate natural history classes as group work. They seem to generate discussion and give the students great applied examples of concepts. I would like to use them more often.

I became interested in using case studies years before I knew what I was doing with them—the movies "The Andromeda Strain," "Jurassic Park," and "Lorenzo’s Oil" really hammered home the idea.  I found the Case Studies website by accident last spring, and the rest is history.  Now I can give clinical applications to all the topics in A & P.

Karin is the author of Si el Norte Fuera el Sur: A Case of Squirrel Monkey Identities and its teaching notes.

I am not a teacher or professor, but a director of educational programs at an independent, non-profit cancer and mammalian genetics research laboratory.  We have students come to our lab for a number of programs, and we use case studies to introduce basic genetics concepts and the ethical use of animals in research.

Interested in cases dealing with evolution, population or community ecology, and climate change.

Judy is a co-author of Gender:  In the Genes or in the Jeans?  A Case Study on Sexual Differentiation and its accompanying teaching notes.

I’m interested in cases for biomechanics, both for physical therapy and exercise/sport science.  Although I don’t use formal cases, I do use a team learning approach to teach Critical Inquiry, a course designed to introduce students to reading peer reviewed journal articles.

Sheryl is a co-author of A Rush to Judgment? A Case of Research Ethics and Design and its teaching notes.

My area of study is in Forensic Sciences, Biological Anthropology. I teach nursing students in Anatomy and Physiology. I have been using case studies in my instruction since I attended the summer workshop.

Use of historical cases to teach scientific method and chemistry content.

I believe the lecture method is not the most effective way of teaching.  I have therefore turned to case studies.  I have used a pilot case study in a non-majors introductory biology class.  I plan to introduce more and more case studies into my teaching.

I primarily teach non-majors biology and related life science courses for adult learners in an accelerated program, as well as in an online format. Cases present an opportunity to connect classroom theory with real world application. Using cases enhances and expands active, collaborative and experiential teaching strategies, which are in line with my teaching philosophy in terms of adult pedagogy.

Mary Rose is the author of Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail and its teaching notes.

Bob is the author of A Strange Fish Indeed: The “Discovery” of a Living Fossil and its teaching notes.

Karin is a co-author of When Drug Sales and Science Collide and its teaching notes.

I have used cases in my courses for lectures, cooperative learning activities, and exams over the past 25 years. My two main interests are increasing the depth of student learning and helping them to retain the material they learn. I find cases help me achieve both of these goals. If they have to apply what they are leanring to cases they seem to develop a deeper grasp of the material. In later courses they also seem to remember the material better and relearn it faster if I have coupled their learning with a case that has some interesting features.

Bob is a co-author of the case Are You Blue? and its teaching notes, and also Exploring Unintentional Racism: The Case of Tim Hanks and its teaching notes.

After taking the workshop in May of 2002, I decided to change the teaching approach for my "Food Chemistry and Analysis" course over to a "peer-learning with case studies" approach.  I am in the process of developing 5 case studies on the 3 macronutrients in foods (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) as well as one case study on food additives and the fifth one on GMOs in foods.

Ingolf is the author of Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Grease Fire:  A Case Study in Food Science and its teaching notes.

I incorporate use of the case study method in the Natural Resources Management Graduate / Undergraduate Seminar, which serves as the "capstone course" for our program.  The case study method provides an excellent opportunity for upper-classmen to apply what they have learned in undergraduate studies and graduate studies to "real life" situations and appreciate the complexity involved in developing practical solutions to problems involving natural resources management issues.

I’m trying to use and develop case studies to fit into those areas that I think are more difficult or less interesting for students. Some of these areas include research methods/scientific method, the complexity of human behavior, and the history of psychology.

Lisa is the author of The “Mozart Effect:” A Psychological Research Methods Case and its teaching notes.

Bryan is a co-author of Certified Cultured Beef: Raising Beef Without the Cow? and its teaching notes.

See the case that Jan has written for us on the drug development process entitled Is That Pill You’re Taking Safe? and its teaching notes.