The Case - Concept Connection

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Annual Conference on Case Study Teaching in
Science SUNY Buffalo October 8, 2005
The Case - Concept Connection
Kathy Gallucci Elon University
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Pedagogy in Higher Education

• Instructors in higher education lag behind K-12
  teachers in the use of constructivist pedagogy.
• Non-science major students are often dissatisfied
  and want relevance in their science courses.
• Pedagogy may be the most important variable for
  student learning in higher education.
• Pedagogy affects attitude toward science as well
  as learning.

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How can the case method of instruction address
the crisis in higher education?

• Constructivist
• Emphasizes relevance
• Alternate pedagogy to address learning and
  attitude

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Pilot Studies
April, 2003 Carloye, one case study Fall,
2003 Gallucci, class comparison with and
without cases Winter, 2004 Gallucci, class
exclusively case studies Spring, 2005 House,
one case study Summer, 2005 Gallucci, cases
for all topics
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What do students say about cases?
I think the case studies are a great way to
stimulate thinking within the class, they
present ideas and help to give us a better
understanding of the subject. (senior) The
group work makes a huge difference and really
breaks up the time well. The discussions are
interesting and stimulating and not so specific
that a non-science person cant participate. We
connect class issues to the outside world, and
overall, this has been a great experience.
(senior) The case studies were a great way to
bring issues up because they were easy to
understand, and gave a new light on the topic.
(sophomore)
Current Issues in Biology, Winter 2004, all
case-study class
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What did you like, or not like about this case
study? (Somethings Fishy in Paxton Lake)

• I did not really like it at all, I enjoy working
  in a group though.
• It was interactive learning and it made us try to
  think and figure it out.
• Not much except it was hands-on and not lecture.
• How we worked in small groups to complete it.
• It was more interactive, which made me want to
  participate and pay more attention to what was
  going on.
• I liked that it challenged me. It made me work
  and think.
• I liked that there was a background story to
  enhance interest.
• I like the opportunity to work in groups and
  interpret data as if we had actually done the
  experiment.
• Something different from lecturing, a nice break
  from the normal, new way to learn.
• The case study was confusing at times and had to
  be explained several times to the class.
• The data was confusing and hard to comprehend at
  first.
• Took too long, too much emphasis on something
  which seemed not so important.

Intro Majors course, one case, Spring 2003
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Student comments about Desireés BabyThe case
study was

• interesting (10)
• relevant, relate to real life (8)
• enjoyable because it was based on a story (7)
• a different way of learning, not typical (4)
• enjoyable because of group work (4)
• fun (2)
• a way to personalize the concepts (1)
• beneficial (1)

• confusing (3)
• boring (2)
• hard (1)
• a bit easy (1)
• difficult because of the questions (2)
• a bit rushed (1)

Student comments from open ended questions, March
2005.
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Student suggestions

• Make them controversial.
• (Cases should) be more hands on.
• Just have students work together more.
• (Give) more complex readings for deeper
  understanding.
• We should do more of them. They are beneficial.
• I would add more studies for different topics.
• I feel that case studies help me understand
  course material - I like them.
• It is very interesting and makes learning fun.
• I would not change anything. I like working
  together in groups.

March 2005
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Do students learn concepts with the case method?
To what extent did you make gains in the
following?
Understanding main concepts somewhat
30.4 a lot 52.2 a great deal
8.7 Understanding the relationships
between concepts
Questions from Student Assessment of Learning
Gains (SALG), March 2005
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Intro Biology, student comments
Learning about specific cases was a huge help
because it puts the information in an everyday
life situation that is easier to comprehend than
reading it from a book. they werent nearly
as dull or monotonous as constantly reading text
or sitting through lectures. I loved the case
study method in this course. Not only was it a
break in simply reading, but also it helped me
learn how the information was used
practically.... The cases are one of my strongest
memories of the class because I had to think and
use my knowledge to study them. Lectures make
a class boring so the case studies were nice
hands on activities. Also you could apply them to
real life.
End-of-course comments, summer 2005
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I would keep this up for future classes because
as you know we are non-majors and this class
helped to get the basics Relating class
issues with what affects us outside of school
helps a lot. The case study method allows
students to identify with the material. I found
it very successful and helpful in allowing me to
internalize larger biological concepts that may
not have been familiar. I felt that it did
help me learn biological concepts because the
information was presented in so many different
forms. I would understand some of the info one
way and the rest another way
End-of-course comments, summer 2005
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• I would keep this up for future classes because
  as you know we are non-majors and this class
  helped to get the basics
• Relating class issues with what affects us
  outside of school helps a lot.
• The case study method allows students to
  identify with the material. I found it very
  successful and helpful in allowing me to
  internalize larger biological concepts that may
  not have been familiar.
• I felt that it did help me learn biological
  concepts because the information was presented in
  so many different forms. I would understand some
  of the info one way and the rest another way

End-of-course comments, summer 2005
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Conclusions from the Pilot Studies

• Students enjoy case studies because they are
  relevant, interesting, and fun.
• Students prefer student-centered learning over
  teacher-centered learning.
• Students are frustrated if the case is too
  difficult or not a good fit.
• Students need coaching on how to construct
  knowledge (learn concepts) from case studies.
• Cases vary in their effectiveness for student
  learning of concepts.

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Principles of Learning

• Alternate conceptions based on prior knowledge
  are resistant to change.
• Competency requires knowledge organized in a
  conceptual framework.
• Students can learn metacognition.

NRC, 2005. How students learn science in the
classroom.
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Conceptual Change

• Students come to the classroom with alternative
  conceptions that are highly resistant to change.
• Biology education has unique challenges in
  confronting students alternative conceptions.
• Cases can be used to create dissonance,
  accommodation, and promote conceptual change.

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Student Attitude

• Positive attitudes can be fostered by
  student-centered activities and student-perceived
  relevance.
• Attitude improves with deeper understanding and
  less content.
• Addressing problems with student attitude may
  help solve problems with disinterest in science
  and low achievement.

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Research Questions

• Does the case method of instruction address
  students alternative conceptions and help to
  promote conceptual change?
• Does the case method of instruction change
  student attitude toward science and learning?

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Project Design

• Pre and posttest open-ended questions on
  concepts, scored with a rubric.
• Pre and post inventory of attitude toward science
  (SAI II).
• Teach concepts with cases.
• Interview subset of students after each topic.
• Student evaluations SALG, open-ended questions.

First step inventory course concepts.
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conceptual framework
Bio 101 course design
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Case Method and Concept Learning

• Students have a positive attitude toward case
  studies as part of their coursework (results of
  5 pilot studies at Elon University).
• A positive attitude enhances learning.
• The Case Method can be used as a pedagogical
  strategy for concept learning.
• Howeverpedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of
  the instructor is required for selection of
  appropriate cases.

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How can I teach course concepts using case
studies?
How do students learn concepts with case studies?
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Nature of Science
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Nature of Science Cases

• Dragon in My Garage, scenario from Carl
  Sagans, The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a
  Candle in the Dark. Promotes critical thinking
  and emphasizes the testability and falsifiability
  of scientific hypotheses.

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Nature of Science Cases

• Dragon in My Garage, scenario from Carl
  Sagans, The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a
  Candle in the Dark. Promotes critical thinking
  and emphasizes the testability and falsifiability
  of scientific hypotheses.
• Smoking scenarios, from Radford University,
  Biology in Action conference (1996). Leads a
  student from anecdote, descriptive research,
  correlation, to controlled experiment.

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Nature of Science Cases

• Dragon in My Garage, scenario from Carl
  Sagans, The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a
  Candle in the Dark. Promotes critical thinking
  and emphasizes the testability and falsifiability
  of scientific hypotheses.
• Smoking scenarios, from Radford University,
  Biology in Action conference (1996). Leads a
  student from anecdote, descriptive research,
  correlation, to controlled experiment.
• Junk Science video clips (Breast Implants, Dioxin
  in Times Beach). Shows how there is no
  correlation between breast implants and
  auto-immune disease and how the US reaction was
  much different than Italys, with similar
  information.
• The Mozart Effect, UB Case Study site. Leads
  students through an exercise to evaluate
  knowledge claims with skepticism.
• Prayer Study, UB Case Study site. Discusses the
  difference between scientific and religious
  points of view.

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Biodiversity
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Biodiversity Cases

• E. O. Wilson interview
• Terry Erwin and the counting of tropical
  rainforest insects
• Norman Myers and the burning of the tropical
  rainforest in Rondonia
• Michael Soulé and the coyote as keystone species
  in the chaparral
• Life in a Hot Fudge Sundae
• Cancer Cure or Conservation. UB Case Study site.
• How to be a plant by Paul Cox
• Biosphere II
• You are what you eat
• Aliens here and abroad
• Cane Toads, an unnatural history

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Evolution
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Evolution Cases

• Desirees Baby, UB Case Study Site
• Barn flies, NAS, Evolution and the Nature of
  Science
• Fatu and Malaria, Secret of Life, part 4
  (video)
• Sasha and drug-resistant tuberculosis, Evolution
  (WGBH)
• Iguanas make biological history, news article
• Using Family Photos as Evidence ABT
  presentation.
• Little Mito UB Case Study site
• Data on atmosphere of earth, Venus, and Mars,
  James Lovelock
• Something Fishy at Paxton Lake UB Case Study
  site.
• Evolution-Creationism Continuum, Genie Scott,
  NCSE
• Grand Canyon sells creationist book (news
  article)
• Latest ID news.

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How can I align cases with my course topics?
What cases will be a good fit for the concepts?
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a sundae?
data
an organism
news articles
videos
debates
research studies
scenarios
(Adapted from Herreid)
Sources of Case Ideas
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Where do I obtain cases for my courses?

• Ready-made cases choose carefully, alter as
  necessary
• websites University of Buffalo, University of
  Delaware
• publishers, text boxes, practitioner journals
• Video segments change to an inductive
  perspective
• Media scenarios and anecdotes tailor your
  questions
• movie clips
• cartoons
• news stories
• advertisements
• Debates
• Casify data, problems, or organisms

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How do I know which cases will be the most
effective for my courses?
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Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or PCK

• that special amalgam of content and pedagogy
  that is uniquely the province of teachers, their
  own special form of professional understanding
• (Shulman, 1987, p. 8).

PCK is a transformation of general pedagogical
content knowledge and subject matter
knowledge. (Gess-Newsome, 1999)
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Choosing Cases

• Concept mapping to clarify concepts and their
  connections
• Personal collection of ideas
• Peer coaching
• Colleague exchange
• Action research

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Case choices depend on many factors!

• knowledge of the discipline
• teaching experience
• experience at the particular institution
• experience with student population
• particulars class size, class time, room set-up
• collaboration with colleagues
• trial error

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Acknowledgments

• My colleagues Herb House Lisa Carloye
• My advisor, Glenda Carter, NC State University

Credits
Funnel graphic adapted from UB Case Study site.