Using Case Studies to Increase Student Learning

“Cases are stories with a message. They are not simply narratives for entertainment. They are stories to educate.” -Clyde Freeman Herreid

Types of case study

  1. Analysis (Issues) Cases
  2. Teach skills of analysis – ask what happened?
  3. Examples: Description of the Valdez oil spill, or a collection of papers and data showing the possible effects of vitamin C on the common cold
  4. Dilemma (Decision) Cases
  5. Ask what happened and what do we do about it?
  6. Examples: FDA official faced with a decision of releasing a controversial AIDs remedy with serious side effects, or President Clinton trying to decide what to do about the logging industry and spotted owl controversy.

Some methods for teaching cases:

  • Individual directed case
  • Discussion – Instructor asks probing questions and students analyze problem in case. Best class size for this type of case is 20-60 students
  • Debate
  • Public Hearing
  • Trial
  • Problem-based learning – Small groups are given a scenario. Group must decide what terms need to be defined, what aspects need to be researched. Students divide up work and go do the research. They return and share information. Group formulates answers to questions.
  • Interrupted Case Method – progressive disclosure of information

Sources for cases

What makes a good case?

A good case……

  • Tells a story
  • Creates empathy with the central characters
  • Includes quotations
  • Is relevant to the reader
  • Has pedagogic utility
  • Is conflict provoking
  • Is decision forcing
  • Has generality
  • Is short

Use of cases increase student learning and engagement

A survey done under the auspices of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science reported data from 152 faculty across the USA testing the use of case studies in their classes.

  • 97% reported students learned new ways to think about an issue due to the use of case studies.
  • 95% reported that students take a more active part of the learning process when they use case studies.
  • 92% report that students are more engaged in class compared to when no case studies are used in class.
  • 68% said student demonstrated, in some way, that they learned more in classes using case studies.

Cliff and Wright (1996) used the Directed Case method in an undergraduate course and reported that students said the use of cases made it easier to learn the subject (74%) and deepened their understanding (70%). Statistical differences were measured showing improvement in student test scores when cases were used.

Herreid has compared 20 years of data in a general biology lecture course with those from a team learning/case study based course on the same subject and taught by the same instructor. Attendance in the lecture course varied from 67-85% throughout the semester while the team-learning/case course was 95-100%. The average grade was “C” for the lecture course and B+ for the4 Team-learning/case course.

For more information

Click on “UB Case Study Collection” for cases in Anatomy & Physiology, Anthropology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Science, Ecology, Evolution, Food Science, Geography, Geology, Math/Statistics, Medicine, Microbiology, Molecular Biology/Genetics, Nutrition, Physics/Engineering, Plant Science, and Psychology . Also provides a wealth of information about using case studies in teaching.