This case study is centered upon the recent debate concerning the decision by Texas Governor Rick Perry to mandate the compulsory vaccination of girls in the Texas public school system against the human papillomavirus (HPV) prior to entering the sixth grade. The interrupted case method is particularly appropriate for this subject with the case…

To understand more about faculty perceptions of the instructional benefits of and barriers to using case studies, the authors surveyed 101 science faculty at universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. The results provided evidence that, overall, faculty think cases have a positive impact on student learning, critical thinking, and…

Case study teaching is difficult in large classes, especially in fixed-seat amphitheaters. The development of audience response systems, or "clickers," for use in classrooms has opened up exciting new possibilities for creating and implementing interactive case studies, particularly in large introductory science courses.

Freshmen frequently struggle with major decisions both in and out of school. Even if they attend required advisement sessions, they do not always have a clear idea which questions to ask and which information to share with advisor. Large numbers of students make poor choices and have unfortunate experiences as a result. To focus attention on some…

Case study teaching has gained a strong foothold in science education. Advances in the field include: variations on methodology, from whole class discussion to the jigsaw approach; an increase in educational resources on the topic; over a thousand studies that show improved learning when case studies are used; and a survey that illustrates…

Case studies typically do not promulgate a particular viewpoint about a subject. They may, however, take a particular stance on an issue--one the author does not necessarily personally support or believe in--to challenge students to examine a difficult subject from all vantage points. Ignoring controversial topics and striking a politically…

Introduces a dynamic form of the case instruction method that involves debate and compromise. Discusses two versions of structured controversy and presents an example of structured controversy that involves the use of DNA fingerprinting in forensic medicine. (JRH)

The author describes the workshop he presented at Desert Vista Campus of the Pima Community College System on the use of case studies in science. During the workshop the participants developed their own cases and presented their cases to a group of students that were hired to act as expert critics. The faculty, usually in pairs, presented their…

Reviews the origin of problem based learning (PBL) and variations of PBL. Suggests that PBL is simply one way of case study learning. (Author/KHR)

Every time an English professor assigns a novel, poem, or play for a class to analyze, he or she is using the case study method. Why shouldn't scientists do the same? They don't always have to write their own material. After all, there are some pretty good writers out there, and some of them actually slip a lot of science into the nooks and…

Provides insights on the use of case studies as a method of instruction. The article partitions into the following sections: (1) Case studies as a teaching technique; (2) How to write a case; (3) How to teach a case; and (4) Pluses and minuses of the case method. (ZWH)

This article is a retrospective look at how the folks in business schools look at the case method for they have been at this business a long time and have produced beaucoup cases. The author features the books by the Canadian authors on case study teaching in business. The case method described by the authors is a discussion-based learning…

In this article, the author discusses how to properly implement a case study. Specifically, he discusses how much information should be put into a case study. The author suggests to clearly know what the goals of a case study are before starting to write it. He states that in most cases, the straightforward approach without contradictions poses…

Presents a conflict scenario for a case study on whether there is evidence of past life on Mars. Includes details about the use of this case study in developing an interdisciplinary approach to scientific ethics. (DDR)

Discusses the basis of a classification scheme for types of case studies. Four major classification headings are identified: (1) individual assignment; (2) lecture; (3) discussion; and (4) small group activities. Describes each heading from the point of view of several teaching methods. (DDR)