How to Teach Science With Case StudiesDo you want your students to actually remember what you teach them? | ||
Many of us struggle while teaching science. Students sit in class with glazed expressions and forget everything we’ve worked so hard to teach them the moment they walk out of the classroom. The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science is offering two videos that will help change this scenario. These videos do not focus on how to be a better lecturer. They show you how to teach science in a meaningful way using case studies in classroom discussions and small group learning. They are short, easy to understand, yet will completely change your approach to teaching. Both videos demonstrate how to effectively involve students in the learning process. They show real classes in action. Dr. Clyde Herreid is your guide on these videos. He holds the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor and is, ironically, the American Physiological Society’s 2000 Claude Bernard lecturer of the year. |
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| Video #1 The Use of Case Studies and Group Discussion in Science Education (Release Date: 01/10/2002, Duration: approx. 26 minutes, Price: $35.00 for DVD format, $20.00 for VHS in U.S. dollars.) | ||
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This hands-on video shows the classical method of running a case study class employed by Harvard law and business school professors for almost 100 years—the art of using successful group discussion. In 26 minutes you will learn how to insure that your large group discussion is not a free-for-all or an exercise in futility as you try to get students to say something intelligent. Large group discussions can be an excellent learning tool, or a complete flop, but most science teachers do not have the experience to run these types of classes. Preparation and control are the key ingredients. For preparation students must read a case study ahead of time. But it is more than that. In this video, which focuses on a case study involving genetically modified food, you will see how an actual class is given a “warm-up” by breaking into small groups to discuss the reading they’ve done ahead of time. Then you will see how a large group discussion is successfully controlled as Dr. Herreid demonstrates control is not domination. It’s the important, yet subtle, use of appropriate questions, body language, blackboard planning, and summarization that makes it all work. The video has a detailed written discussion of the approach, which is accessible on this site. | ||
| Video #2 Team Learning: Cooperative Learning in the Science Classroom (Release Date: 01/10/2002, Duration: approx. 26 minutes, Price: $35.00 for DVD format, $20.00 for VHS in U.S. dollars.) | ||
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Having students work in small groups is arguably the best way to teach science and this includes teaching science via cases! But how can we run a classroom this way? Here is one answer using a revolutionary method called Team Learning. The 26-minute video shows you how to establish groups, how to set up a grading system that encourages group participation, how to answer students questions and, most importantly, why this is a superior method of teaching. The video follows students through the first day of a biology class where they are expecting the “same old thing,” to the formation of small groups where the students are learning from one another. You will be able to see first hand how the students are convinced that team learning is preferable to lectures, how the groups are formed, how performance is evaluated, what kind of homework is assigned, how tests are given to both individuals and groups, and how problems are dealt with. The video has a detailed written discussion of the approach, which is accessible on this site. | ||
| About the Author | ||
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| Clyde Freeman Herreid is a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Biological Sciences Department of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Dr. Herreid is also Academic Director of the University Honors Program at UB. In his capacity as Director of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, his work to develop case-based teaching methods in the sciences has been supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Herreid has conducted numerous workshops around the country on case method teaching, team learning, and problem-based learning and is the author of a regularly featured case study column in the Journal of College Science Teaching. | ||
| Purchasing Information | ||
To purchase these videos (available in either VHS or DVD format) for your teaching effectiveness library, please complete the ORDER FORM and send it along with your check, money order, or purchase order made out to “UB Foundation, Inc./Nat’l Ctr. Case Teaching Science.” We also accept credit card orders by mail, via the order form, or by telephone. The cost for the DVD format is $35.00; for VHS it is $20.00. The address to send your order and payment is: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science Shipping and handling charges are already included in the purchase price for orders shipped to the U.S. and Canada—additional shipping charges may be necessary for other destinations. Videos will be sent via United States Postal Service (USPS). Please expect delivery approximately two to four weeks from receipt of payment. For additional information, please contact Carolyn Wright via email (cwright2@buffalo.edu) or by phone (716-645-2363 x111) or fax (716-645-2975). | ||
| Reviews | ||
The following are independent reviews of our training videos.
These videos are a production of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Production was made possible with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Science Foundation. Last Modified: 10/09/07 |
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