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Case Method Teaching and Learning

What is the case method? How can the case method be used to engage learners? What are some strategies for getting started? This guide helps instructors answer these questions by providing an overview of the case method while highlighting learner-centered and digitally-enhanced approaches to teaching with the case method. The guide also offers tips to instructors as they get started with the case method and additional references and resources.

On this page:

What is case method teaching.

  • Case Method at Columbia

Why use the Case Method?

Case method teaching approaches, how do i get started.

  • Additional Resources

The CTL is here to help!

For support with implementing a case method approach in your course, email [email protected] to schedule your 1-1 consultation .

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2019). Case Method Teaching and Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved from [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/case-method/  

Case method 1 teaching is an active form of instruction that focuses on a case and involves students learning by doing 2 3 . Cases are real or invented stories 4  that include “an educational message” or recount events, problems, dilemmas, theoretical or conceptual issue that requires analysis and/or decision-making.

Case-based teaching simulates real world situations and asks students to actively grapple with complex problems 5 6 This method of instruction is used across disciplines to promote learning, and is common in law, business, medicine, among other fields. See Table 1 below for a few types of cases and the learning they promote.

Table 1: Types of cases and the learning they promote.

For a more complete list, see Case Types & Teaching Methods: A Classification Scheme from the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.

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Case Method Teaching and Learning at Columbia

The case method is actively used in classrooms across Columbia, at the Morningside campus in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), the School of Business, Arts and Sciences, among others, and at Columbia University Irving Medical campus.

Faculty Spotlight:

Professor Mary Ann Price on Using Case Study Method to Place Pre-Med Students in Real-Life Scenarios

Read more  

Professor De Pinho on Using the Case Method in the Mailman Core

Case method teaching has been found to improve student learning, to increase students’ perception of learning gains, and to meet learning objectives 8 9 . Faculty have noted the instructional benefits of cases including greater student engagement in their learning 10 , deeper student understanding of concepts, stronger critical thinking skills, and an ability to make connections across content areas and view an issue from multiple perspectives 11 . 

Through case-based learning, students are the ones asking questions about the case, doing the problem-solving, interacting with and learning from their peers, “unpacking” the case, analyzing the case, and summarizing the case. They learn how to work with limited information and ambiguity, think in professional or disciplinary ways, and ask themselves “what would I do if I were in this specific situation?”

The case method bridges theory to practice, and promotes the development of skills including: communication, active listening, critical thinking, decision-making, and metacognitive skills 12 , as students apply course content knowledge, reflect on what they know and their approach to analyzing, and make sense of a case. 

Though the case method has historical roots as an instructor-centered approach that uses the Socratic dialogue and cold-calling, it is possible to take a more learner-centered approach in which students take on roles and tasks traditionally left to the instructor. 

Cases are often used as “vehicles for classroom discussion” 13 . Students should be encouraged to take ownership of their learning from a case. Discussion-based approaches engage students in thinking and communicating about a case. Instructors can set up a case activity in which students are the ones doing the work of “asking questions, summarizing content, generating hypotheses, proposing theories, or offering critical analyses” 14 . 

The role of the instructor is to share a case or ask students to share or create a case to use in class, set expectations, provide instructions, and assign students roles in the discussion. Student roles in a case discussion can include: 

  • discussion “starters” get the conversation started with a question or posing the questions that their peers came up with; 
  • facilitators listen actively, validate the contributions of peers, ask follow-up questions, draw connections, refocus the conversation as needed; 
  • recorders take-notes of the main points of the discussion, record on the board, upload to CourseWorks, or type and project on the screen; and 
  • discussion “wrappers” lead a summary of the main points of the discussion. 

Prior to the case discussion, instructors can model case analysis and the types of questions students should ask, co-create discussion guidelines with students, and ask for students to submit discussion questions. During the discussion, the instructor can keep time, intervene as necessary (however the students should be doing the talking), and pause the discussion for a debrief and to ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the case activity. 

Note: case discussions can be enhanced using technology. Live discussions can occur via video-conferencing (e.g., using Zoom ) or asynchronous discussions can occur using the Discussions tool in CourseWorks (Canvas) .

Table 2 includes a few interactive case method approaches. Regardless of the approach selected, it is important to create a learning environment in which students feel comfortable participating in a case activity and learning from one another. See below for tips on supporting student in how to learn from a case in the “getting started” section and how to create a supportive learning environment in the Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia . 

Table 2. Strategies for Engaging Students in Case-Based Learning

Approaches to case teaching should be informed by course learning objectives, and can be adapted for small, large, hybrid, and online classes. Instructional technology can be used in various ways to deliver, facilitate, and assess the case method. For instance, an online module can be created in CourseWorks (Canvas) to structure the delivery of the case, allow students to work at their own pace, engage all learners, even those reluctant to speak up in class, and assess understanding of a case and student learning. Modules can include text, embedded media (e.g., using Panopto or Mediathread ) curated by the instructor, online discussion, and assessments. Students can be asked to read a case and/or watch a short video, respond to quiz questions and receive immediate feedback, post questions to a discussion, and share resources. 

For more information about options for incorporating educational technology to your course, please contact your Learning Designer .

To ensure that students are learning from the case approach, ask them to pause and reflect on what and how they learned from the case. Time to reflect  builds your students’ metacognition, and when these reflections are collected they provides you with insights about the effectiveness of your approach in promoting student learning.

Well designed case-based learning experiences: 1) motivate student involvement, 2) have students doing the work, 3) help students develop knowledge and skills, and 4) have students learning from each other.  

Designing a case-based learning experience should center around the learning objectives for a course. The following points focus on intentional design. 

Identify learning objectives, determine scope, and anticipate challenges. 

  • Why use the case method in your course? How will it promote student learning differently than other approaches? 
  • What are the learning objectives that need to be met by the case method? What knowledge should students apply and skills should they practice? 
  • What is the scope of the case? (a brief activity in a single class session to a semester-long case-based course; if new to case method, start small with a single case). 
  • What challenges do you anticipate (e.g., student preparation and prior experiences with case learning, discomfort with discussion, peer-to-peer learning, managing discussion) and how will you plan for these in your design? 
  • If you are asking students to use transferable skills for the case method (e.g., teamwork, digital literacy) make them explicit. 

Determine how you will know if the learning objectives were met and develop a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the case method to inform future case teaching. 

  • What assessments and criteria will you use to evaluate student work or participation in case discussion? 
  • How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the case method? What feedback will you collect from students? 
  • How might you leverage technology for assessment purposes? For example, could you quiz students about the case online before class, accept assignment submissions online, use audience response systems (e.g., PollEverywhere) for formative assessment during class? 

Select an existing case, create your own, or encourage students to bring course-relevant cases, and prepare for its delivery

  • Where will the case method fit into the course learning sequence? 
  • Is the case at the appropriate level of complexity? Is it inclusive, culturally relevant, and relatable to students? 
  • What materials and preparation will be needed to present the case to students? (e.g., readings, audiovisual materials, set up a module in CourseWorks). 

Plan for the case discussion and an active role for students

  • What will your role be in facilitating case-based learning? How will you model case analysis for your students? (e.g., present a short case and demo your approach and the process of case learning) (Davis, 2009). 
  • What discussion guidelines will you use that include your students’ input? 
  • How will you encourage students to ask and answer questions, summarize their work, take notes, and debrief the case? 
  • If students will be working in groups, how will groups form? What size will the groups be? What instructions will they be given? How will you ensure that everyone participates? What will they need to submit? Can technology be leveraged for any of these areas? 
  • Have you considered students of varied cognitive and physical abilities and how they might participate in the activities/discussions, including those that involve technology? 

Student preparation and expectations

  • How will you communicate about the case method approach to your students? When will you articulate the purpose of case-based learning and expectations of student engagement? What information about case-based learning and expectations will be included in the syllabus?
  • What preparation and/or assignment(s) will students complete in order to learn from the case? (e.g., read the case prior to class, watch a case video prior to class, post to a CourseWorks discussion, submit a brief memo, complete a short writing assignment to check students’ understanding of a case, take on a specific role, prepare to present a critique during in-class discussion).

Andersen, E. and Schiano, B. (2014). Teaching with Cases: A Practical Guide . Harvard Business Press. 

Bonney, K. M. (2015). Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions of Learning Gains†. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education , 16 (1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v16i1.846

Davis, B.G. (2009). Chapter 24: Case Studies. In Tools for Teaching. Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Garvin, D.A. (2003). Making the Case: Professional Education for the world of practice. Harvard Magazine. September-October 2003, Volume 106, Number 1, 56-107.

Golich, V.L. (2000). The ABCs of Case Teaching. International Studies Perspectives. 1, 11-29. 

Golich, V.L.; Boyer, M; Franko, P.; and Lamy, S. (2000). The ABCs of Case Teaching. Pew Case Studies in International Affairs. Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. 

Heath, J. (2015). Teaching & Writing Cases: A Practical Guide. The Case Center, UK. 

Herreid, C.F. (2011). Case Study Teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. No. 128, Winder 2011, 31 – 40. 

Herreid, C.F. (2007). Start with a Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science . National Science Teachers Association. Available as an ebook through Columbia Libraries. 

Herreid, C.F. (2006). “Clicker” Cases: Introducing Case Study Teaching Into Large Classrooms. Journal of College Science Teaching. Oct 2006, 36(2). https://search.proquest.com/docview/200323718?pq-origsite=gscholar  

Krain, M. (2016). Putting the Learning in Case Learning? The Effects of Case-Based Approaches on Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Engagement. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. 27(2), 131-153. 

Lundberg, K.O. (Ed.). (2011). Our Digital Future: Boardrooms and Newsrooms. Knight Case Studies Initiative. 

Popil, I. (2011). Promotion of critical thinking by using case studies as teaching method. Nurse Education Today, 31(2), 204–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.06.002

Schiano, B. and Andersen, E. (2017). Teaching with Cases Online . Harvard Business Publishing. 

Thistlethwaite, JE; Davies, D.; Ekeocha, S.; Kidd, J.M.; MacDougall, C.; Matthews, P.; Purkis, J.; Clay D. (2012). The effectiveness of case-based learning in health professional education: A BEME systematic review . Medical Teacher. 2012; 34(6): e421-44. 

Yadav, A.; Lundeberg, M.; DeSchryver, M.; Dirkin, K.; Schiller, N.A.; Maier, K. and Herreid, C.F. (2007). Teaching Science with Case Studies: A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Using Cases. Journal of College Science Teaching; Sept/Oct 2007; 37(1). 

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Second Edition. Jossey-Bass.

Additional resources 

Teaching with Cases , Harvard Kennedy School of Government. 

Features “what is a teaching case?” video that defines a teaching case, and provides documents to help students prepare for case learning, Common case teaching challenges and solutions, tips for teaching with cases. 

Promoting excellence and innovation in case method teaching: Teaching by the Case Method , Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning. Harvard Business School. 

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science . University of Buffalo. 

A collection of peer-reviewed STEM cases to teach scientific concepts and content, promote process skills and critical thinking. The Center welcomes case submissions. Case classification scheme of case types and teaching methods:

  • Different types of cases: analysis case, dilemma/decision case, directed case, interrupted case, clicker case, a flipped case, a laboratory case. 
  • Different types of teaching methods: problem-based learning, discussion, debate, intimate debate, public hearing, trial, jigsaw, role-play. 

Columbia Resources

Resources available to support your use of case method: The University hosts a number of case collections including: the Case Consortium (a collection of free cases in the fields of journalism, public policy, public health, and other disciplines that include teaching and learning resources; SIPA’s Picker Case Collection (audiovisual case studies on public sector innovation, filmed around the world and involving SIPA student teams in producing the cases); and Columbia Business School CaseWorks , which develops teaching cases and materials for use in Columbia Business School classrooms.

Center for Teaching and Learning

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers a variety of programs and services for instructors at Columbia. The CTL can provide customized support as you plan to use the case method approach through implementation. Schedule a one-on-one consultation. 

Office of the Provost

The Hybrid Learning Course Redesign grant program from the Office of the Provost provides support for faculty who are developing innovative and technology-enhanced pedagogy and learning strategies in the classroom. In addition to funding, faculty awardees receive support from CTL staff as they redesign, deliver, and evaluate their hybrid courses.

The Start Small! Mini-Grant provides support to faculty who are interested in experimenting with one new pedagogical strategy or tool. Faculty awardees receive funds and CTL support for a one-semester period.

Explore our teaching resources.

  • Blended Learning
  • Contemplative Pedagogy
  • Inclusive Teaching Guide
  • FAQ for Teaching Assistants
  • Metacognition

CTL resources and technology for you.

  • Overview of all CTL Resources and Technology
  • The origins of this method can be traced to Harvard University where in 1870 the Law School began using cases to teach students how to think like lawyers using real court decisions. This was followed by the Business School in 1920 (Garvin, 2003). These professional schools recognized that lecture mode of instruction was insufficient to teach critical professional skills, and that active learning would better prepare learners for their professional lives. ↩
  • Golich, V.L. (2000). The ABCs of Case Teaching. <i>International Studies Perspectives. </i>1, 11-29. ↩
  • </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Herreid, C.F. (2007). </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Start with a Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. National Science Teachers Association. Available as an </span><a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/cul/resolve?clio12627183"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ebook</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> through Columbia Libraries. ↩
  • Davis, B.G. (2009). Chapter 24: Case Studies. In <i>Tools for Teaching. </i>Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. ↩
  • Andersen, E. and Schiano, B. (2014). <i>Teaching with Cases: A Practical Guide</i>. Harvard Business Press. ↩
  • Lundberg, K.O. (Ed.). (2011). <i>Our Digital Future: Boardrooms and Newsrooms. </i>Knight Case Studies Initiative. ↩
  • Heath, J. (2015). <i>Teaching & Writing Cases: A Practical Guide. </i>The Case Center, UK. ↩
  • Bonney, K. M. (2015). Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions of Learning Gains†. <i>Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education</i>, <i>16</i>(1), 21–28.<a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v16i1.846"> https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v16i1.846</a> ↩
  • Krain, M. (2016). Putting the Learning in Case Learning? The Effects of Case-Based Approaches on Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Engagement. <i>Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. </i>27(2), 131-153. ↩
  • Thistlethwaite, JE; Davies, D.; Ekeocha, S.; Kidd, J.M.; MacDougall, C.; Matthews, P.; Purkis, J.; Clay D. (2012). <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22578051">The effectiveness of case-based learning in health professional education: A BEME systematic review</a>. <i>Medical Teacher.</i> 2012; 34(6): e421-44. ↩
  • Yadav, A.; Lundeberg, M.; DeSchryver, M.; Dirkin, K.; Schiller, N.A.; Maier, K. and Herreid, C.F. (2007). Teaching Science with Case Studies: A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of Using Cases. <i>Journal of College Science Teaching; </i>Sept/Oct 2007; 37(1). ↩
  • Popil, I. (2011). Promotion of critical thinking by using case studies as teaching method. Nurse Education Today, 31(2), 204–207. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.06.002">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.06.002</a> ↩
  • Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. ↩
  • Herreid, C.F. (2006). “Clicker” Cases: Introducing Case Study Teaching Into Large Classrooms. <i>Journal of College Science Teaching. </i>Oct 2006, 36(2). <a href="https://search.proquest.com/docview/200323718?pq-origsite=gscholar">https://search.proquest.com/docview/200323718?pq-origsite=gscholar</a> ↩

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Case-based learning.

Case-based learning (CBL) is an established approach used across disciplines where students apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, promoting higher levels of cognition (see Bloom’s Taxonomy ). In CBL classrooms, students typically work in groups on case studies, stories involving one or more characters and/or scenarios.  The cases present a disciplinary problem or problems for which students devise solutions under the guidance of the instructor. CBL has a strong history of successful implementation in medical, law, and business schools, and is increasingly used within undergraduate education, particularly within pre-professional majors and the sciences (Herreid, 1994). This method involves guided inquiry and is grounded in constructivism whereby students form new meanings by interacting with their knowledge and the environment (Lee, 2012).

There are a number of benefits to using CBL in the classroom. In a review of the literature, Williams (2005) describes how CBL: utilizes collaborative learning, facilitates the integration of learning, develops students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learn, encourages learner self-reflection and critical reflection, allows for scientific inquiry, integrates knowledge and practice, and supports the development of a variety of learning skills.

CBL has several defining characteristics, including versatility, storytelling power, and efficient self-guided learning.  In a systematic analysis of 104 articles in health professions education, CBL was found to be utilized in courses with less than 50 to over 1000 students (Thistlethwaite et al., 2012). In these classrooms, group sizes ranged from 1 to 30, with most consisting of 2 to 15 students.  Instructors varied in the proportion of time they implemented CBL in the classroom, ranging from one case spanning two hours of classroom time, to year-long case-based courses. These findings demonstrate that instructors use CBL in a variety of ways in their classrooms.

The stories that comprise the framework of case studies are also a key component to CBL’s effectiveness. Jonassen and Hernandez-Serrano (2002, p.66) describe how storytelling:

Is a method of negotiating and renegotiating meanings that allows us to enter into other’s realms of meaning through messages they utter in their stories,

Helps us find our place in a culture,

Allows us to explicate and to interpret, and

Facilitates the attainment of vicarious experience by helping us to distinguish the positive models to emulate from the negative model.

Neurochemically, listening to stories can activate oxytocin, a hormone that increases one’s sensitivity to social cues, resulting in more empathy, generosity, compassion and trustworthiness (Zak, 2013; Kosfeld et al., 2005). The stories within case studies serve as a means by which learners form new understandings through characters and/or scenarios.

CBL is often described in conjunction or in comparison with problem-based learning (PBL). While the lines are often confusingly blurred within the literature, in the most conservative of definitions, the features distinguishing the two approaches include that PBL involves open rather than guided inquiry, is less structured, and the instructor plays a more passive role. In PBL multiple solutions to the problem may exit, but the problem is often initially not well-defined. PBL also has a stronger emphasis on developing self-directed learning. The choice between implementing CBL versus PBL is highly dependent on the goals and context of the instruction.  For example, in a comparison of PBL and CBL approaches during a curricular shift at two medical schools, students and faculty preferred CBL to PBL (Srinivasan et al., 2007). Students perceived CBL to be a more efficient process and more clinically applicable. However, in another context, PBL might be the favored approach.

In a review of the effectiveness of CBL in health profession education, Thistlethwaite et al. (2012), found several benefits:

Students enjoyed the method and thought it enhanced their learning,

Instructors liked how CBL engaged students in learning,

CBL seemed to facilitate small group learning, but the authors could not distinguish between whether it was the case itself or the small group learning that occurred as facilitated by the case.

Other studies have also reported on the effectiveness of CBL in achieving learning outcomes (Bonney, 2015; Breslin, 2008; Herreid, 2013; Krain, 2016). These findings suggest that CBL is a vehicle of engagement for instruction, and facilitates an environment whereby students can construct knowledge.

Science – Students are given a scenario to which they apply their basic science knowledge and problem-solving skills to help them solve the case. One example within the biological sciences is two brothers who have a family history of a genetic illness. They each have mutations within a particular sequence in their DNA. Students work through the case and draw conclusions about the biological impacts of these mutations using basic science. Sample cases: You are Not the Mother of Your Children ; Organic Chemisty and Your Cellphone: Organic Light-Emitting Diodes ;   A Light on Physics: F-Number and Exposure Time

Medicine – Medical or pre-health students read about a patient presenting with specific symptoms. Students decide which questions are important to ask the patient in their medical history, how long they have experienced such symptoms, etc. The case unfolds and students use clinical reasoning, propose relevant tests, develop a differential diagnoses and a plan of treatment. Sample cases: The Case of the Crying Baby: Surgical vs. Medical Management ; The Plan: Ethics and Physician Assisted Suicide ; The Haemophilus Vaccine: A Victory for Immunologic Engineering

Public Health – A case study describes a pandemic of a deadly infectious disease. Students work through the case to identify Patient Zero, the person who was the first to spread the disease, and how that individual became infected.  Sample cases: The Protective Parent ; The Elusive Tuberculosis Case: The CDC and Andrew Speaker ; Credible Voice: WHO-Beijing and the SARS Crisis

Law – A case study presents a legal dilemma for which students use problem solving to decide the best way to advise and defend a client. Students are presented information that changes during the case.  Sample cases: Mortgage Crisis Call (abstract) ; The Case of the Unpaid Interns (abstract) ; Police-Community Dialogue (abstract)

Business – Students work on a case study that presents the history of a business success or failure. They apply business principles learned in the classroom and assess why the venture was successful or not. Sample cases: SELCO-Determining a path forward ; Project Masiluleke: Texting and Testing to Fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa ; Mayo Clinic: Design Thinking in Healthcare

Humanities - Students consider a case that presents a theater facing financial and management difficulties. They apply business and theater principles learned in the classroom to the case, working together to create solutions for the theater. Sample cases: David Geffen School of Drama

Recommendations

Finding and Writing Cases

Consider utilizing or adapting open access cases - The availability of open resources and databases containing cases that instructors can download makes this approach even more accessible in the classroom. Two examples of open databases are the Case Center on Public Leadership and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Case Program , which focus on government, leadership and public policy case studies.

  • Consider writing original cases - In the event that an instructor is unable to find open access cases relevant to their course learning objectives, they may choose to write their own. See the following resources on case writing: Cooking with Betty Crocker: A Recipe for Case Writing ; The Way of Flesch: The Art of Writing Readable Cases ;   Twixt Fact and Fiction: A Case Writer’s Dilemma ; And All That Jazz: An Essay Extolling the Virtues of Writing Case Teaching Notes .

Implementing Cases

Take baby steps if new to CBL - While entire courses and curricula may involve case-based learning, instructors who desire to implement on a smaller-scale can integrate a single case into their class, and increase the number of cases utilized over time as desired.

Use cases in classes that are small, medium or large - Cases can be scaled to any course size. In large classes with stadium seating, students can work with peers nearby, while in small classes with more flexible seating arrangements, teams can move their chairs closer together. CBL can introduce more noise (and energy) in the classroom to which an instructor often quickly becomes accustomed. Further, students can be asked to work on cases outside of class, and wrap up discussion during the next class meeting.

Encourage collaborative work - Cases present an opportunity for students to work together to solve cases which the historical literature supports as beneficial to student learning (Bruffee, 1993). Allow students to work in groups to answer case questions.

Form diverse teams as feasible - When students work within diverse teams they can be exposed to a variety of perspectives that can help them solve the case. Depending on the context of the course, priorities, and the background information gathered about the students enrolled in the class, instructors may choose to organize student groups to allow for diversity in factors such as current course grades, gender, race/ethnicity, personality, among other items.  

Use stable teams as appropriate - If CBL is a large component of the course, a research-supported practice is to keep teams together long enough to go through the stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning (Tuckman, 1965).

Walk around to guide groups - In CBL instructors serve as facilitators of student learning. Walking around allows the instructor to monitor student progress as well as identify and support any groups that may be struggling. Teaching assistants can also play a valuable role in supporting groups.

Interrupt strategically - Only every so often, for conversation in large group discussion of the case, especially when students appear confused on key concepts. An effective practice to help students meet case learning goals is to guide them as a whole group when the class is ready. This may include selecting a few student groups to present answers to discussion questions to the entire class, asking the class a question relevant to the case using polling software, and/or performing a mini-lesson on an area that appears to be confusing among students.  

Assess student learning in multiple ways - Students can be assessed informally by asking groups to report back answers to various case questions. This practice also helps students stay on task, and keeps them accountable. Cases can also be included on exams using related scenarios where students are asked to apply their knowledge.

Barrows HS. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: a brief overview. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 68, 3-12.  

Bonney KM. (2015). Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions of Learning Gains. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 16(1): 21-28.

Breslin M, Buchanan, R. (2008) On the Case Study Method of Research and Teaching in Design.  Design Issues, 24(1), 36-40.

Bruffee KS. (1993). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and authority of knowledge. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

Herreid CF. (2013). Start with a Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science, edited by Clyde Freeman Herreid. Originally published in 2006 by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA); reprinted by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) in 2013.

Herreid CH. (1994). Case studies in science: A novel method of science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 23(4), 221–229.

Jonassen DH and Hernandez-Serrano J. (2002). Case-based reasoning and instructional design: Using stories to support problem solving. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 50(2), 65-77.  

Kosfeld M, Heinrichs M, Zak PJ, Fischbacher U, Fehr E. (2005). Oxytocin increases trust in humans. Nature, 435, 673-676.

Krain M. (2016) Putting the learning in case learning? The effects of case-based approaches on student knowledge, attitudes, and engagement. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 27(2), 131-153.

Lee V. (2012). What is Inquiry-Guided Learning?  New Directions for Learning, 129:5-14.

Nkhoma M, Sriratanaviriyakul N. (2017). Using case method to enrich students’ learning outcomes. Active Learning in Higher Education, 18(1):37-50.

Srinivasan et al. (2007). Comparing problem-based learning with case-based learning: Effects of a major curricular shift at two institutions. Academic Medicine, 82(1): 74-82.

Thistlethwaite JE et al. (2012). The effectiveness of case-based learning in health professional education. A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 23.  Medical Teacher, 34, e421-e444.

Tuckman B. (1965). Development sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-99.

Williams B. (2005). Case-based learning - a review of the literature: is there scope for this educational paradigm in prehospital education? Emerg Med, 22, 577-581.

Zak, PJ (2013). How Stories Change the Brain. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_stories_change_brain

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Case Studies in Science Education

A video library for k-8 science teachers: 25 half-hour video programs and guides.

These video case studies take science education reform to a personal level, where individual teachers struggle to make changes that matter. Follow Donna, Mike, Audrey, and other science teachers as they work to adopt one or more research-based interventions to improve science teaching and learning. Each case follows a single teacher over the course of a year and is divided into three modules: the teacher's background and the problem he or she chooses to address, the chosen approach and implementation, and the outcome with assessment by the teacher and his or her advisor. Average running time: 1/2 hour. Program guides and supporting materials (PDF) Program guides and supporting materials (Link)

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National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS)

NCCSTS

The mission of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) at SUNY-Buffalo is to promote the development and dissemination of materials and practices for case teaching in the sciences. 

Click on the links below to learn more about-

  • a bibliography of case studies,
  • faculty perceptions on the benefit of teaching case studies, and
  • research articles

Below is a sample work flow showing how to navigate the NCCSTS case collection. Enjoy!

1. Start at the NCCSTS homepage ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/ ). Then click on Case Collection (red arrow, upper right).

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case study science teaching

2. Clicking on Case Collection takes you to the Keyword Search page. As shown below use the dropdown arrows to narrow your search parameters. As an example I chose Organic Chemistry under Subject Heading.

nccsts_keyword_search.png

case study science teaching

3. Below is a partial list (6/25) of case studies categorized under the Subject Heading choice, Organic Chemistry.

nccsts_search_results.png

case study science teaching

4. Click on a case study. I chose The Case of the Missing Bees (not shown in the partial list above). Below is a partial screenshot of the case study description. To download the case study click on the DOWNLOAD CASE icon (red arrow, upper right).

nccsts_download_case.png

case study science teaching

5. Below is the the top of the first page of the case study, The Case of the Missing Bees .

nccsts_case_front_page.png

case study science teaching

6. And of course make sure to review and adhere to the Permitted and Standard Uses and Permissions ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/uses/ ).

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case study science teaching

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

Case study title: The Case of the Missing Bees: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Colony Collapse Disorder

Case study authors: Jeffri C. Bohlscheid and Frank J. Dinan

  • Our Mission

Making Learning Relevant With Case Studies

The open-ended problems presented in case studies give students work that feels connected to their lives.

Students working on projects in a classroom

To prepare students for jobs that haven’t been created yet, we need to teach them how to be great problem solvers so that they’ll be ready for anything. One way to do this is by teaching content and skills using real-world case studies, a learning model that’s focused on reflection during the problem-solving process. It’s similar to project-based learning, but PBL is more focused on students creating a product.

Case studies have been used for years by businesses, law and medical schools, physicians on rounds, and artists critiquing work. Like other forms of problem-based learning, case studies can be accessible for every age group, both in one subject and in interdisciplinary work.

You can get started with case studies by tackling relatable questions like these with your students:

  • How can we limit food waste in the cafeteria?
  • How can we get our school to recycle and compost waste? (Or, if you want to be more complex, how can our school reduce its carbon footprint?)
  • How can we improve school attendance?
  • How can we reduce the number of people who get sick at school during cold and flu season?

Addressing questions like these leads students to identify topics they need to learn more about. In researching the first question, for example, students may see that they need to research food chains and nutrition. Students often ask, reasonably, why they need to learn something, or when they’ll use their knowledge in the future. Learning is most successful for students when the content and skills they’re studying are relevant, and case studies offer one way to create that sense of relevance.

Teaching With Case Studies

Ultimately, a case study is simply an interesting problem with many correct answers. What does case study work look like in classrooms? Teachers generally start by having students read the case or watch a video that summarizes the case. Students then work in small groups or individually to solve the case study. Teachers set milestones defining what students should accomplish to help them manage their time.

During the case study learning process, student assessment of learning should be focused on reflection. Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick’s Learning and Leading With Habits of Mind gives several examples of what this reflection can look like in a classroom: 

Journaling: At the end of each work period, have students write an entry summarizing what they worked on, what worked well, what didn’t, and why. Sentence starters and clear rubrics or guidelines will help students be successful. At the end of a case study project, as Costa and Kallick write, it’s helpful to have students “select significant learnings, envision how they could apply these learnings to future situations, and commit to an action plan to consciously modify their behaviors.”

Interviews: While working on a case study, students can interview each other about their progress and learning. Teachers can interview students individually or in small groups to assess their learning process and their progress.

Student discussion: Discussions can be unstructured—students can talk about what they worked on that day in a think-pair-share or as a full class—or structured, using Socratic seminars or fishbowl discussions. If your class is tackling a case study in small groups, create a second set of small groups with a representative from each of the case study groups so that the groups can share their learning.

4 Tips for Setting Up a Case Study

1. Identify a problem to investigate: This should be something accessible and relevant to students’ lives. The problem should also be challenging and complex enough to yield multiple solutions with many layers.

2. Give context: Think of this step as a movie preview or book summary. Hook the learners to help them understand just enough about the problem to want to learn more.

3. Have a clear rubric: Giving structure to your definition of quality group work and products will lead to stronger end products. You may be able to have your learners help build these definitions.

4. Provide structures for presenting solutions: The amount of scaffolding you build in depends on your students’ skill level and development. A case study product can be something like several pieces of evidence of students collaborating to solve the case study, and ultimately presenting their solution with a detailed slide deck or an essay—you can scaffold this by providing specified headings for the sections of the essay.

Problem-Based Teaching Resources

There are many high-quality, peer-reviewed resources that are open source and easily accessible online.

  • The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science at the University at Buffalo built an online collection of more than 800 cases that cover topics ranging from biochemistry to economics. There are resources for middle and high school students.
  • Models of Excellence , a project maintained by EL Education and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has examples of great problem- and project-based tasks—and corresponding exemplary student work—for grades pre-K to 12.
  • The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning at Purdue University is an open-source journal that publishes examples of problem-based learning in K–12 and post-secondary classrooms.
  • The Tech Edvocate has a list of websites and tools related to problem-based learning.

In their book Problems as Possibilities , Linda Torp and Sara Sage write that at the elementary school level, students particularly appreciate how they feel that they are taken seriously when solving case studies. At the middle school level, “researchers stress the importance of relating middle school curriculum to issues of student concern and interest.” And high schoolers, they write, find the case study method “beneficial in preparing them for their future.”

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Case-based Teaching and Problem-based Learning

Case-based teaching.

With case-based teaching, students develop skills in analytical thinking and reflective judgment by reading and discussing complex, real-life scenarios. The articles in this section explain how to use cases in teaching and provide case studies for the natural sciences, social sciences, and other disciplines.

Teaching with Case Studies (Stanford University)

This article from the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning describes the rationale for using case studies, the process for choosing appropriate cases, and tips for how to implement them in college courses.

The Case Method (University of Illinois)

Tips for teachers on how to be successful using the Case Method in the college/university classroom. Includes information about the Case Method values, uses, and additional resource links.

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (National Science Teaching Association)

This site offers resources and examples specific to teaching in the sciences. This includes the “UB Case Study Collection,” an extensive list of ready-to-use cases in a variety of science disciplines. Each case features a PDF handout describing the case, as well as teaching notes.

The Michigan Sustainability Cases Initiative (CRLT Occasional Paper)

This paper describes the Michigan Sustainability Cases Initiative, including links to the full library of cases, and it offers advice both for writing cases and facilitating case discussions effectively.

The Case Method and the Interactive Classroom (Foran, 2001, NEA Higher Education Journal)

First-person account of how a sociology faculty member at University of California, Santa Barbara began using case studies in his teaching and how his methods have evolved over time as a professor.

Problem-based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) is both a teaching method and an approach to the curriculum. It consists of carefully designed problems that challenge students to use problem solving techniques, self-directed learning strategies, team participation skills, and disciplinary knowledge. The articles and links in this section describe the characteristics and objectives of PBL and the process for using PBL. There is also a list of printed and web resources.

Problem-Based Learning Network (Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy)

Site includes an interactive PBL Model, Professional Development links, and video vignettes to illustrate how to effectively use problem-based learning in the classroom. The goals of IMSA's PBLNetwork are to mentor educators in all disciplines, to explore problem-based learning strategies, and to connect PBL educators to one another.

Problem-Based Learning: An Introduction (Rhem, 1998, National Teaching and Learning Forum)

This piece summarizes the benefits of using problem-based learning, its historical origins, and the faculty/student roles in PBL. Overall, this is an easy to read introduction to problem-based learning.

Problem-Based Learning (Stanford University, 2001)

This issue of Speaking of Teaching identifies the central features of PBL, provides some guidelines for planning a PBL course, and discusses the impact of PBL on student learning and motivation.

Problem-Based Learning Clearinghouse (University of Delaware)

Collection of peer reviewed problems and articles to assist educators in using problem-based learning. Teaching notes and supplemental materials accompany each problem, providing insights and strategies that are innovative and classroom-tested. Free registration is required to view and download the Clearinghouse’s resources.

See also: The International Journal of Problem-Based Learning

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National Center for case study teaching in science

Method assessment.

WHAT DO WE KNOW about case study teaching? The use of problem-based learning (one form of case study teaching) in medical schools has received close scrutiny from researchers. As the use of case-based teaching more broadly increases in undergraduate college and K-12 classrooms, a significant body of literature is beginning to accumulate on the assessment of the method and other active learning pedagogies.

Research Articles

Faculty perceptions on the benefits of case teaching.

We surveyed over 100 science teachers we had trained over a year-and-a-half-long period. One of the things we asked them was what they thought the benefits of case-based teaching were for their students. Here’s what they had to say.

Cases and Critical Thinking

When we teach, we want our students to learn more than just a collection of facts – we also want them to become better critical thinkers. We believe that carefully constructed cases can provide pedagogical tools that teach not only content knowledge, but also critical thinking skills. We are currently engaged in an NSF-funded study that is looking at whether cases can be used to improve students' critical thinking skills.

© 1999-2024 National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo. All Rights Reserved.

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  • v.16(1); 2015 May

Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions of Learning Gains †

Associated data.

  • Appendix 1: Example assessment questions used to assess the effectiveness of case studies at promoting learning
  • Appendix 2: Student learning gains were assessed using a modified version of the SALG course evaluation tool

Following years of widespread use in business and medical education, the case study teaching method is becoming an increasingly common teaching strategy in science education. However, the current body of research provides limited evidence that the use of published case studies effectively promotes the fulfillment of specific learning objectives integral to many biology courses. This study tested the hypothesis that case studies are more effective than classroom discussions and textbook reading at promoting learning of key biological concepts, development of written and oral communication skills, and comprehension of the relevance of biological concepts to everyday life. This study also tested the hypothesis that case studies produced by the instructor of a course are more effective at promoting learning than those produced by unaffiliated instructors. Additionally, performance on quantitative learning assessments and student perceptions of learning gains were analyzed to determine whether reported perceptions of learning gains accurately reflect academic performance. The results reported here suggest that case studies, regardless of the source, are significantly more effective than other methods of content delivery at increasing performance on examination questions related to chemical bonds, osmosis and diffusion, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA structure and replication. This finding was positively correlated to increased student perceptions of learning gains associated with oral and written communication skills and the ability to recognize connections between biological concepts and other aspects of life. Based on these findings, case studies should be considered as a preferred method for teaching about a variety of concepts in science courses.

INTRODUCTION

The case study teaching method is a highly adaptable style of teaching that involves problem-based learning and promotes the development of analytical skills ( 8 ). By presenting content in the format of a narrative accompanied by questions and activities that promote group discussion and solving of complex problems, case studies facilitate development of the higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive learning; moving beyond recall of knowledge to analysis, evaluation, and application ( 1 , 9 ). Similarly, case studies facilitate interdisciplinary learning and can be used to highlight connections between specific academic topics and real-world societal issues and applications ( 3 , 9 ). This has been reported to increase student motivation to participate in class activities, which promotes learning and increases performance on assessments ( 7 , 16 , 19 , 23 ). For these reasons, case-based teaching has been widely used in business and medical education for many years ( 4 , 11 , 12 , 14 ). Although case studies were considered a novel method of science education just 20 years ago, the case study teaching method has gained popularity in recent years among an array of scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, nursing, and psychology ( 5 – 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 – 17 , 21 , 22 , 24 ).

Although there is now a substantive and growing body of literature describing how to develop and use case studies in science teaching, current research on the effectiveness of case study teaching at meeting specific learning objectives is of limited scope and depth. Studies have shown that working in groups during completion of case studies significantly improves student perceptions of learning and may increase performance on assessment questions, and that the use of clickers can increase student engagement in case study activities, particularly among non-science majors, women, and freshmen ( 7 , 21 , 22 ). Case study teaching has been shown to improve exam performance in an anatomy and physiology course, increasing the mean score across all exams given in a two-semester sequence from 66% to 73% ( 5 ). Use of case studies was also shown to improve students’ ability to synthesize complex analytical questions about the real-world issues associated with a scientific topic ( 6 ). In a high school chemistry course, it was demonstrated that the case study teaching method produces significant increases in self-reported control of learning, task value, and self-efficacy for learning and performance ( 24 ). This effect on student motivation is important because enhanced motivation for learning activities has been shown to promote student engagement and academic performance ( 19 , 24 ). Additionally, faculty from a number of institutions have reported that using case studies promotes critical thinking, learning, and participation among students, especially in terms of the ability to view an issue from multiple perspectives and to grasp the practical application of core course concepts ( 23 ).

Despite what is known about the effectiveness of case studies in science education, questions remain about the functionality of the case study teaching method at promoting specific learning objectives that are important to many undergraduate biology courses. A recent survey of teachers who use case studies found that the topics most often covered in general biology courses included genetics and heredity, cell structure, cells and energy, chemistry of life, and cell cycle and cancer, suggesting that these topics should be of particular interest in studies that examine the effectiveness of the case study teaching method ( 8 ). However, the existing body of literature lacks direct evidence that the case study method is an effective tool for teaching about this collection of important topics in biology courses. Further, the extent to which case study teaching promotes development of science communication skills and the ability to understand the connections between biological concepts and everyday life has not been examined, yet these are core learning objectives shared by a variety of science courses. Although many instructors have produced case studies for use in their own classrooms, the production of novel case studies is time-consuming and requires skills that not all instructors have perfected. It is therefore important to determine whether case studies published by instructors who are unaffiliated with a particular course can be used effectively and obviate the need for each instructor to develop new case studies for their own courses. The results reported herein indicate that teaching with case studies results in significantly higher performance on examination questions about chemical bonds, osmosis and diffusion, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA structure and replication than that achieved by class discussions and textbook reading for topics of similar complexity. Case studies also increased overall student perceptions of learning gains and perceptions of learning gains specifically related to written and oral communication skills and the ability to grasp connections between scientific topics and their real-world applications. The effectiveness of the case study teaching method at increasing academic performance was not correlated to whether the case study used was authored by the instructor of the course or by an unaffiliated instructor. These findings support increased use of published case studies in the teaching of a variety of biological concepts and learning objectives.

Student population

This study was conducted at Kingsborough Community College, which is part of the City University of New York system, located in Brooklyn, New York. Kingsborough Community College has a diverse population of approximately 19,000 undergraduate students. The student population included in this study was enrolled in the first semester of a two-semester sequence of general (introductory) biology for biology majors during the spring, winter, or summer semester of 2014. A total of 63 students completed the course during this time period; 56 students consented to the inclusion of their data in the study. Of the students included in the study, 23 (41%) were male and 33 (59%) were female; 40 (71%) were registered as college freshmen and 16 (29%) were registered as college sophomores. To normalize participant groups, the same student population pooled from three classes taught by the same instructor was used to assess both experimental and control teaching methods.

Course material

The four biological concepts assessed during this study (chemical bonds, osmosis and diffusion, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA structure and replication) were selected as topics for studying the effectiveness of case study teaching because they were the key concepts addressed by this particular course that were most likely to be taught in a number of other courses, including biology courses for both majors and nonmajors at outside institutions. At the start of this study, relevant existing case studies were freely available from the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) to address mitosis and meiosis and DNA structure and replication, but published case studies that appropriately addressed chemical bonds and osmosis and diffusion were not available. Therefore, original case studies that addressed the latter two topics were produced as part of this study, and case studies produced by unaffiliated instructors and published by the NCCSTS were used to address the former two topics. By the conclusion of this study, all four case studies had been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication by the NCCSTS ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/ ). Four of the remaining core topics covered in this course (macromolecules, photosynthesis, genetic inheritance, and translation) were selected as control lessons to provide control assessment data.

To minimize extraneous variation, control topics and assessments were carefully matched in complexity, format, and number with case studies, and an equal amount of class time was allocated for each case study and the corresponding control lesson. Instruction related to control lessons was delivered using minimal slide-based lectures, with emphasis on textbook reading assignments accompanied by worksheets completed by students in and out of the classroom, and small and large group discussion of key points. Completion of activities and discussion related to all case studies and control topics that were analyzed was conducted in the classroom, with the exception of the take-home portion of the osmosis and diffusion case study.

Data collection and analysis

This study was performed in accordance with a protocol approved by the Kingsborough Community College Human Research Protection Program and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the City University of New York (CUNY IRB reference 539938-1; KCC IRB application #: KCC 13-12-126-0138). Assessment scores were collected from regularly scheduled course examinations. For each case study, control questions were included on the same examination that were similar in number, format, point value, and difficulty level, but related to a different topic covered in the course that was of similar complexity. Complexity and difficulty of both case study and control questions were evaluated using experiential data from previous iterations of the course; the Bloom’s taxonomy designation and amount of material covered by each question, as well as the average score on similar questions achieved by students in previous iterations of the course was considered in determining appropriate controls. All assessment questions were scored using a standardized, pre-determined rubric. Student perceptions of learning gains were assessed using a modified version of the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) course evaluation tool ( http://www.salgsite.org ), distributed in hardcopy and completed anonymously during the last week of the course. Students were presented with a consent form to opt-in to having their data included in the data analysis. After the course had concluded and final course grades had been posted, data from consenting students were pooled in a database and identifying information was removed prior to analysis. Statistical analysis of data was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and calculation of the R 2 coefficient of determination.

Teaching with case studies improves performance on learning assessments, independent of case study origin

To evaluate the effectiveness of the case study teaching method at promoting learning, student performance on examination questions related to material covered by case studies was compared with performance on questions that covered material addressed through classroom discussions and textbook reading. The latter questions served as control items; assessment items for each case study were compared with control items that were of similar format, difficulty, and point value ( Appendix 1 ). Each of the four case studies resulted in an increase in examination performance compared with control questions that was statistically significant, with an average difference of 18% ( Fig. 1 ). The mean score on case study-related questions was 73% for the chemical bonds case study, 79% for osmosis and diffusion, 76% for mitosis and meiosis, and 70% for DNA structure and replication ( Fig. 1 ). The mean score for non-case study-related control questions was 60%, 54%, 60%, and 52%, respectively ( Fig. 1 ). In terms of examination performance, no significant difference between case studies produced by the instructor of the course (chemical bonds and osmosis and diffusion) and those produced by unaffiliated instructors (mitosis and meiosis and DNA structure and replication) was indicated by the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance. However, the 25% difference between the mean score on questions related to the osmosis and diffusion case study and the mean score on the paired control questions was notably higher than the 13–18% differences observed for the other case studies ( Fig. 1 ).

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Case study teaching method increases student performance on examination questions. Mean score on a set of examination questions related to lessons covered by case studies (black bars) and paired control questions of similar format and difficulty about an unrelated topic (white bars). Chemical bonds, n = 54; Osmosis and diffusion, n = 54; Mitosis and meiosis, n = 51; DNA structure and replication, n = 50. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean (SEM). Asterisk indicates p < 0.05.

Case study teaching increases student perception of learning gains related to core course objectives

Student learning gains were assessed using a modified version of the SALG course evaluation tool ( Appendix 2 ). To determine whether completing case studies was more effective at increasing student perceptions of learning gains than completing textbook readings or participating in class discussions, perceptions of student learning gains for each were compared. In response to the question “Overall, how much did each of the following aspects of the class help your learning?” 82% of students responded that case studies helped a “good” or “great” amount, compared with 70% for participating in class discussions and 58% for completing textbook reading; only 4% of students responded that case studies helped a “small amount” or “provided no help,” compared with 2% for class discussions and 22% for textbook reading ( Fig. 2A ). The differences in reported learning gains derived from the use of case studies compared with class discussion and textbook readings were statistically significant, while the difference in learning gains associated with class discussion compared with textbook reading was not statistically significant by a narrow margin ( p = 0.051).

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The case study teaching method increases student perceptions of learning gains. Student perceptions of learning gains are indicated by plotting responses to the question “How much did each of the following activities: (A) Help your learning overall? (B) Improve your ability to communicate your knowledge of scientific concepts in writing? (C) Improve your ability to communicate your knowledge of scientific concepts orally? (D) Help you understand the connections between scientific concepts and other aspects of your everyday life?” Reponses are represented as follows: Helped a great amount (black bars); Helped a good amount (dark gray bars); Helped a moderate amount (medium gray bars); Helped a small amount (light gray bars); Provided no help (white bars). Asterisk indicates p < 0.05.

To elucidate the effectiveness of case studies at promoting learning gains related to specific course learning objectives compared with class discussions and textbook reading, students were asked how much each of these methods of content delivery specifically helped improve skills that were integral to fulfilling three main course objectives. When students were asked how much each of the methods helped “improve your ability to communicate knowledge of scientific concepts in writing,” 81% of students responded that case studies help a “good” or “great” amount, compared with 63% for class discussions and 59% for textbook reading; only 6% of students responded that case studies helped a “small amount” or “provided no help,” compared with 8% for class discussions and 21% for textbook reading ( Fig. 2B ). When the same question was posed about the ability to communicate orally, 81% of students responded that case studies help a “good” or “great” amount, compared with 68% for class discussions and 50% for textbook reading, while the respective response rates for helped a “small amount” or “provided no help,” were 4%, 6%, and 25% ( Fig. 2C ). The differences in learning gains associated with both written and oral communication were statistically significant when completion of case studies was compared with either participation in class discussion or completion of textbook readings. Compared with textbook reading, class discussions led to a statistically significant increase in oral but not written communication skills.

Students were then asked how much each of the methods helped them “understand the connections between scientific concepts and other aspects of your everyday life.” A total of 79% of respondents declared that case studies help a “good” or “great” amount, compared with 70% for class discussions and 57% for textbook reading ( Fig. 2D ). Only 4% stated that case studies and class discussions helped a “small amount” or “provided no help,” compared with 21% for textbook reading ( Fig. 2D ). Similar to overall learning gains, the use of case studies significantly increased the ability to understand the relevance of science to everyday life compared with class discussion and textbook readings, while the difference in learning gains associated with participation in class discussion compared with textbook reading was not statistically significant ( p = 0.054).

Student perceptions of learning gains resulting from case study teaching are positively correlated to increased performance on examinations, but independent of case study author

To test the hypothesis that case studies produced specifically for this course by the instructor were more effective at promoting learning gains than topically relevant case studies published by authors not associated with this course, perceptions of learning gains were compared for each of the case studies. For both of the case studies produced by the instructor of the course, 87% of students indicated that the case study provided a “good” or “great” amount of help to their learning, and 2% indicated that the case studies provided “little” or “no” help ( Table 1 ). In comparison, an average of 85% of students indicated that the case studies produced by an unaffiliated instructor provided a “good” or “great” amount of help to their learning, and 4% indicated that the case studies provided “little” or “no” help ( Table 1 ). The instructor-produced case studies yielded both the highest and lowest percentage of students reporting the highest level of learning gains (a “great” amount), while case studies produced by unaffiliated instructors yielded intermediate values. Therefore, it can be concluded that the effectiveness of case studies at promoting learning gains is not significantly affected by whether or not the course instructor authored the case study.

Case studies positively affect student perceptions of learning gains about various biological topics.

Finally, to determine whether performance on examination questions accurately predicts student perceptions of learning gains, mean scores on examination questions related to case studies were compared with reported perceptions of learning gains for those case studies ( Fig. 3 ). The coefficient of determination (R 2 value) was 0.81, indicating a strong, but not definitive, positive correlation between perceptions of learning gains and performance on examinations, suggesting that student perception of learning gains is a valid tool for assessing the effectiveness of case studies ( Fig. 3 ). This correlation was independent of case study author.

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Perception of learning gains but not author of case study is positively correlated to score on related examination questions. Percentage of students reporting that each specific case study provided “a great amount of help” to their learning was plotted against the point difference between mean score on examination questions related to that case study and mean score on paired control questions. Positive point differences indicate how much higher the mean scores on case study-related questions were than the mean scores on paired control questions. Black squares represent case studies produced by the instructor of the course; white squares represent case studies produced by unaffiliated instructors. R 2 value indicates the coefficient of determination.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that teaching with case studies produced by the instructor of a course is more effective at promoting learning gains than using case studies produced by unaffiliated instructors. This study also tested the hypothesis that the case study teaching method is more effective than class discussions and textbook reading at promoting learning gains associated with four of the most commonly taught topics in undergraduate general biology courses: chemical bonds, osmosis and diffusion, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA structure and replication. In addition to assessing content-based learning gains, development of written and oral communication skills and the ability to connect scientific topics with real-world applications was also assessed, because these skills were overarching learning objectives of this course, and classroom activities related to both case studies and control lessons were designed to provide opportunities for students to develop these skills. Finally, data were analyzed to determine whether performance on examination questions is positively correlated to student perceptions of learning gains resulting from case study teaching.

Compared with equivalent control questions about topics of similar complexity taught using class discussions and textbook readings, all four case studies produced statistically significant increases in the mean score on examination questions ( Fig. 1 ). This indicates that case studies are more effective than more commonly used, traditional methods of content delivery at promoting learning of a variety of core concepts covered in general biology courses. The average increase in score on each test item was equivalent to nearly two letter grades, which is substantial enough to elevate the average student performance on test items from the unsatisfactory/failing range to the satisfactory/passing range. The finding that there was no statistical difference between case studies in terms of performance on examination questions suggests that case studies are equally effective at promoting learning of disparate topics in biology. The observations that students did not perform significantly less well on the first case study presented (chemical bonds) compared with the other case studies and that performance on examination questions did not progressively increase with each successive case study suggests that the effectiveness of case studies is not directly related to the amount of experience students have using case studies. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence from previous semesters of this course suggests that, of the four topics addressed by cases in this study, DNA structure and function and osmosis and diffusion are the first and second most difficult for students to grasp. The lack of a statistical difference between case studies therefore suggests that the effectiveness of a case study at promoting learning gains is not directly proportional to the difficulty of the concept covered. However, the finding that use of the osmosis and diffusion case study resulted in the greatest increase in examination performance compared with control questions and also produced the highest student perceptions of learning gains is noteworthy and could be attributed to the fact that it was the only case study evaluated that included a hands-on experiment. Because the inclusion of a hands-on kinetic activity may synergistically enhance student engagement and learning and result in an even greater increase in learning gains than case studies that lack this type of activity, it is recommended that case studies that incorporate this type of activity be preferentially utilized.

Student perceptions of learning gains are strongly motivating factors for engagement in the classroom and academic performance, so it is important to assess the effect of any teaching method in this context ( 19 , 24 ). A modified version of the SALG course evaluation tool was used to assess student perceptions of learning gains because it has been previously validated as an efficacious tool ( Appendix 2 ) ( 20 ). Using the SALG tool, case study teaching was demonstrated to significantly increase student perceptions of overall learning gains compared with class discussions and textbook reading ( Fig. 2A ). Case studies were shown to be particularly useful for promoting perceived development of written and oral communication skills and for demonstrating connections between scientific topics and real-world issues and applications ( Figs. 2B–2D ). Further, student perceptions of “great” learning gains positively correlated with increased performance on examination questions, indicating that assessment of learning gains using the SALG tool is both valid and useful in this course setting ( Fig. 3 ). These findings also suggest that case study teaching could be used to increase student motivation and engagement in classroom activities and thus promote learning and performance on assessments. The finding that textbook reading yielded the lowest student perceptions of learning gains was not unexpected, since reading facilitates passive learning while the class discussions and case studies were both designed to promote active learning.

Importantly, there was no statistical difference in student performance on examinations attributed to the two case studies produced by the instructor of the course compared with the two case studies produced by unaffiliated instructors. The average difference between the two instructor-produced case studies and the two case studies published by unaffiliated instructors was only 3% in terms of both the average score on examination questions (76% compared with 73%) and the average increase in score compared with paired control items (14% compared with 17%) ( Fig. 1 ). Even when considering the inherent qualitative differences of course grades, these differences are negligible. Similarly, the effectiveness of case studies at promoting learning gains was not significantly affected by the origin of the case study, as evidenced by similar percentages of students reporting “good” and “great” learning gains regardless of whether the case study was produced by the course instructor or an unaffiliated instructor ( Table 1 ).

The observation that case studies published by unaffiliated instructors are just as effective as those produced by the instructor of a course suggests that instructors can reasonably rely on the use of pre-published case studies relevant to their class rather than investing the considerable time and effort required to produce a novel case study. Case studies covering a wide range of topics in the sciences are available from a number of sources, and many of them are free access. The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) database ( http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/ ) contains over 500 case studies that are freely available to instructors, and are accompanied by teaching notes that provide logistical advice and additional resources for implementing the case study, as well as a set of assessment questions with a password-protected answer key. Case study repositories are also maintained by BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium ( http://www.bioquest.org/icbl/cases.php ) and the Science Case Network ( http://sciencecasenet.org ); both are available for use by instructors from outside institutions.

It should be noted that all case studies used in this study were rigorously peer-reviewed and accepted for publication by the NCCSTS prior to the completion of this study ( 2 , 10 , 18 , 25 ); the conclusions of this study may not apply to case studies that were not developed in accordance with similar standards. Because case study teaching involves skills such as creative writing and management of dynamic group discussion in a way that is not commonly integrated into many other teaching methods, it is recommended that novice case study teachers seek training or guidance before writing their first case study or implementing the method. The lack of a difference observed in the use of case studies from different sources should be interpreted with some degree of caution since only two sources were represented in this study, and each by only two cases. Furthermore, in an educational setting, quantitative differences in test scores might produce meaningful qualitative differences in course grades even in the absence of a p value that is statistically significant. For example, there is a meaningful qualitative difference between test scores that result in an average grade of C− and test scores that result in an average grade of C+, even if there is no statistically significant difference between the two sets of scores.

In the future, it could be informative to confirm these findings using a larger cohort, by repeating the study at different institutions with different instructors, by evaluating different case studies, and by directly comparing the effectiveness of the case studying teaching method with additional forms of instruction, such as traditional chalkboard and slide-based lecturing, and laboratory-based activities. It may also be informative to examine whether demographic factors such as student age and gender modulate the effectiveness of the case study teaching method, and whether case studies work equally well for non-science majors taking a science course compared with those majoring in the subject. Since the topical material used in this study is often included in other classes in both high school and undergraduate education, such as cell biology, genetics, and chemistry, the conclusions of this study are directly applicable to a broad range of courses. Presently, it is recommended that the use of case studies in teaching undergraduate general biology and other science courses be expanded, especially for the teaching of capacious issues with real-world applications and in classes where development of written and oral communication skills are key objectives. The use of case studies that involve hands-on activities should be emphasized to maximize the benefit of this teaching method. Importantly, instructors can be confident in the use of pre-published case studies to promote learning, as there is no indication that the effectiveness of the case study teaching method is reliant on the production of novel, customized case studies for each course.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Acknowledgments.

This article benefitted from a President’s Faculty Innovation Grant, Kingsborough Community College. The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest.

† Supplemental materials available at http://jmbe.asm.org

Center for Teaching

Case studies.

Print Version

Case studies are stories that are used as a teaching tool to show the application of a theory or concept to real situations. Dependent on the goal they are meant to fulfill, cases can be fact-driven and deductive where there is a correct answer, or they can be context driven where multiple solutions are possible. Various disciplines have employed case studies, including humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, law, business, and medicine. Good cases generally have the following features: they tell a good story, are recent, include dialogue, create empathy with the main characters, are relevant to the reader, serve a teaching function, require a dilemma to be solved, and have generality.

Instructors can create their own cases or can find cases that already exist. The following are some things to keep in mind when creating a case:

  • What do you want students to learn from the discussion of the case?
  • What do they already know that applies to the case?
  • What are the issues that may be raised in discussion?
  • How will the case and discussion be introduced?
  • What preparation is expected of students? (Do they need to read the case ahead of time? Do research? Write anything?)
  • What directions do you need to provide students regarding what they are supposed to do and accomplish?
  • Do you need to divide students into groups or will they discuss as the whole class?
  • Are you going to use role-playing or facilitators or record keepers? If so, how?
  • What are the opening questions?
  • How much time is needed for students to discuss the case?
  • What concepts are to be applied/extracted during the discussion?
  • How will you evaluate students?

To find other cases that already exist, try the following websites:

  • The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science , University of Buffalo. SUNY-Buffalo maintains this set of links to other case studies on the web in disciplines ranging from engineering and ethics to sociology and business
  • A Journal of Teaching Cases in Public Administration and Public Policy , University of Washington

For more information:

  • World Association for Case Method Research and Application

Book Review :  Teaching and the Case Method , 3rd ed., vols. 1 and 2, by Louis Barnes, C. Roland (Chris) Christensen, and Abby Hansen. Harvard Business School Press, 1994; 333 pp. (vol 1), 412 pp. (vol 2).

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Paulo Ferreira, the president of Luna Brazil, has an ambitious plan to turn around the dismal performance of the plant he oversees in Campinas. The wrinkle is, he needs the buy-in of the powerful…

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A factory manager considers whether to accept or resist union demands.

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Miller Hall

BA in Early Childhood & Family Studies

New scholarship covers your entire education.

ECE students can apply for the new Early Learning Equity Scholarship and get all of their costs covered!

What you can earn

Credits earned, time commitment, upcoming deadline, major in early childhood education.

The Early Childhood and Family Studies (ECFS) program is designed to offer multidisciplinary and critical perspectives of early childhood development, early learning and family-centered education of young children. Through a combination of coursework and hands-on experiences in early learning settings, you will develop the necessary knowledge and skills to create inclusive and equitable learning environments and curriculum for young children.

  • ECFS supports the application of theory and research into practice by:
  • Creating equitable learning environments
  • Strategizing approaches for individualized and culturally responsive instruction
  • Writing curricula that centers children’s lived experiences and funds of knowledge
  • Engaging with colleagues in communities of practice

ECFS prepares you for a rewarding career in early childhood education. We invite you to join us as advocates for children and families!

Transforming inequitable systems

Our curriculum is rooted in the belief that all young children and their families have the right to equitable opportunities to learn and develop in a just and culturally-thriving society. You'll have the opportunity to reflect on your identities and how they are influenced by larger power systems, encouraging critical thinking about early learning, equity, and community.

Read our equity statement

What you'll learn

In ECFS, you'll acquire a range of valuable knowledge and skills that will set you apart.

  • Critical perspectives of early childhood development and learning theories
  • How to foster positive and engaging learning environments for young children
  • Current policies and initiatives in early childhood education
  • Promote skills in language, literacy and STEM using age and developmentally appropriate practices
  • Provide individualized instruction and behavioral support
  • Partner with children, families and communities
  • Question current values, practices, and policies rooted in unjust systems
  • Create anti-bias anti-racist curricula
  • Implement culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies
  • Self-reflect on biases and socialization experiences to grow personally and professionally

After graduation

Earning your bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood & Family Studies opens doors to various exciting paths:

  • Early childhood teaching
  • Leadership roles in childcare centers and other early learning spaces
  • Social/mental health services and parent and family support programs
  • Involvement in shaping early childhood policies and initiatives
  • Graduate studies in K-12 education, speech and hearing sciences, occupational therapy, special education, psychology and more!

Want to become a PK -12 teacher? ECFS graduates do not earn a teaching certificate, but you will be prepared to apply to many of our  graduate-level programs that will support your career goals, including our  teacher preparation programs .

Let's connect

We're so excited that you're thinking about joining our undergrad program! Join our mailing list to learn about upcoming information sessions, deadlines, scholarships and more!

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Prospective students are welcome to schedule an admission advising appointment with our Lead Admissions & Outreach Adviser, Alejandra Baires-Ramirez, who can provide one-on-one support with:

  • Admissions process
  • Scholarships and financial aid
  • Transferring to UW

Note: If appointments are completely booked, please schedule an admission advising appointment with Ramon Concepcion.

As an ECFS student, you'll explore careers in early childhood education, and engage in courses that focus on research, curriculum, policy, language and literacy, mathematics, science, and technology. Additionally, you'll participate in extended community-based learning experiences, working directly with children in preschool classrooms or childcare centers. This unique combination of academic coursework and practical application will help you develop a comprehensive and culturally relevant understanding of child development and effective teaching strategies. As we engage in (un)learning, you will be challenged to envision systems that are more equitable and just and engage in teaching and advocacy work toward that vision. 

Our program frameworks emphasize creating engaging interactions and environments that support individualized instruction and culturally responsive anti-bias anti-racist education. This program prepares you to be an early childhood professional who understands and actively works to dismantle systems of oppression.

A minimum of 79-81  credits are needed to meet the requirements for the ECFS major. You will work with your advisor to ensure that your graduation plan includes courses required to earn your degree at UW.

Download degree requirements PDF

  • ECFS 200  Introduction to Early Childhood & Family Studies (3 credits with a grade of 2.0 or higher required)

You must also earn 2.0 in English composition course

All of the following

  • ECFS 301 Early Childhood Curriculum (5)
  • ECFS 303 Exploring the Landscape of the Early Learning Profession(3)
  • ECFS 311 Teaching from the Inside Out: Being a Resilient Educator (3)
  • ECFS 312 Positive Behavioral Support in Early Childhood (3)
  • ECFS 321 Engaging Interactions and Environments (3)
  • ECFS 400 Child Observation & Assessment (5)
  • ECFS 401 Understanding Research in ECFS (5)
  • ECFS 402 Social Policy & Young Children and Families (5)
  • ECFS 410 Language and Literacy in Preschool (5)
  • ECFS 411 Young Children’s Mathematics & Science (5)
  • EDPSY 302 Child Development and Learning (5)
  • EDPSY 406 Learning and teaching in Our Changing World (5)
  • EDUC 251 Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity (5)
  • IECMH 432 Infants & Children: Risk & Resilience (5)

One of the following (5)

  • ECFS 315 Parenting and Child Development
  • ECFS 419 Family & Community Influences on the Young Child
  • ECFS 320 Childhood in Cultural Context: Theory and Practice

One of the following (3-5)

  • EDSPE 304 Disability & Ableism in Education
  • EDSPE 414 Issues and Trends in Inclusive Early Childhood Education
  • EDSPE 427 Introduction to Applied Behavioral Analysis
  • EDSPE 435 Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • ECFS 454  Senior Project 1 (2 CR)
  • ECFS 455  Senior Project 2 (2 CR)
  • ECFS 456  Senior Project 3 (2 CR)

In addition to your ECFS credits, you'll also need the following general education credits to graduate from the UW.

  • English composition (5 credits)
  • Writing (10 credits)
  • Diversity (3-5 credits)
  • Reasoning (4-5 credits)
  • Arts & Humanities (15 credits)
  • Social Studies (15 credits)
  • Natural Sciences (15 credits)
  • Area of Inquiry (15 credits)

We believe early childhood professionals learn by applying knowledge through action, observation and reflection. ECFS students take part in Community Based Learning (CBL), a place-based education, centering learning in the physical environment, local culture, history, language, and with the people of a community.

You will have many opportunities to integrate your classroom experience into your CBL Experience. You will build on your cultural and contextual knowledge of children’s learning through real-world opportunities to apply your knowledge and skills in early learning settings.

Our students participate in two types of experiential learning:

  • Community-Based Learning Experience : Weekly time spent engaging with young children through your work or volunteering in an early learning setting is required for many courses.
  • Applied assignments: Examples of applied assignments include videos of your practice, environment or child observations, case studies, and an interview with a professional or parent. These may be completed at your Community-Based Learning Experience site.

Already working or volunteering with children in an early learning setting? You can complete the community-based learning experience at your current job! If you need support finding a setting, our CBL coordinator will help you find a place to do your community-based learning.

View the ECE Community-Based Learning Guide

It will take a minimum of 7 quarters to complete the program. To graduate from the University of Washington, you must have a minimum of 180 quarterly credits. How long it takes to graduate depends on a number of factors, including how many credits you are transferring in with and how many credits you take per quarter as an ECFS student.

Admission requirements and process

  • Starting in your sophomore year is recommended
  • Apply Mar. 1 - Apr. 15 for autumn start
  • Apply Sept. 1 - Oct. 15 for winter start

You can start the ECFS program in autumn quarter or winter quarter. For autumn quarter admission, apply March 1 - April 15. For winter quarter admission, apply September 1 - October 15. We recommend starting your application process as early as possible due to the different steps and requirements.

If you're a current UW student, it's best to begin the program during your sophomore year and no later than the autumn quarter of your junior year.

Current UW students who are ready to declare ECFS as their major are welcome to schedule an in-person or virtual advising appointment with Waleed Khan, Academic Adviser. 

  • 2.50 cumulative GPA
  • 5-credit English composition course graded 2.0 or higher

Applicants must also have completed  ECFS 200 Introduction to Early Childhood & Family Studies before starting the ECFS program. Please note:

  • You must be graded 2.0 or higher
  • The course can be in progress when you apply, but must be completed before the ECFS begins
  • Transfer students will complete ECFS 200 after joining UW

Applicants need to write and submit three essays. Each essay should be 250 words or fewer. Use the following three prompts for your essays:

  • Have you experienced, witnessed, or learned about injustices in your educational journey? Please describe. How will the ECFS Major help you understand these injustices?
  • The ECFS major focuses on the educational experiences of children from birth to age 8 and their families. Why are you interested in teaching?
  • A premise of the ECFS major is that teachers can be advocates for social change. What are some of the positive changes you would like to work toward within early education?
  • Gather all required materials
  • Begin the online application form
  • Complete all steps in application process and upload your materials
  • Submit your application

This process is only for current UW students. If you are a transfer student, follow the steps outlined in the Transferring section.

We welcome transfer students to our program! As a transfer student, you will have some additional steps and required materials to your application process. 

If you are interested in the ECFS major, be sure to select the major on your UW Admissions application. We require ECFS 200 to be completed for a student to be fully-admitted to the major. Transfer students who select the ECFS major on their UW Admissions application will have a seat in ECFS 200 held for them.

Transfer students need to submit an unofficial transcript with their ECFS application:

  • Include transcripts from all institutions you have previously attended
  • You must upload your transcript during the application process
  • Do not mail your transcript when you apply

You will be submitting TWO applications: one to join the University of Washington and one to join the ECFS program.

  • Gather all required materials for  UW admissions
  • Gather all required materials for ECFS
  • Connect with our Lead Admissions & Outreach Adviser to help you through the process

Feel confident in the process by attending  Transfer Thursday , an informational event run by the UW Office of Admissions. We also invite you to attend one of our weekly undergraduate majors and minor information sessions.

After submitting your enrollment deposit to the university, admitted transfer students will attend the required Transfer Advising & Orientation hosted by UW First Year Programs . This is a chance for you to meet with an ECFS adviser and create a plan to successfully complete the course and internship requirements.

Costs and funding

We are a tuition-based program. Estimated tuition rates are based on your residency:

  • Estimated cost for Washington state residents: $12,643 per year
  • Estimated cost for out-of-state students: $41,997 per year

Estimates are subject to change due and may differ due to course load and summer quarter enrollment. Estimates include some fees such as building fee, technology fee, U-Pass, etc. Fees such as textbooks are not included.

View the UW tuition dashboard → Visit the Office of Planning & Budgeting →

It is highly recommended that students in the program complete the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) application. These applications are necessary for various forms of financial aid, including scholarships and loans.

Early Learning Equity Scholarship

Undergraduate general scholarship, program faculty.

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Lynn Dietrich

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Nancy Hertzog

Katherine Lewis

Katherine Lewis

Brinda Jegatheesan

Brinda India Jegatheesan

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Watch CBS News

Supreme Court turns away affirmative action dispute over Virginia high school's admissions policies

By Melissa Quinn

February 20, 2024 / 10:34 AM EST / CBS News

Washington —  The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned away a challenge to the admissions policy at a prestigious Virginia high school that administrators say is designed to mitigate socioeconomic and geographic barriers for prospective students.

The decision from the high court not to take up the appeal by a group of parents challenging the admissions policies at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology leaves intact a lower court decision upholding the criteria, which school officials argue is race neutral. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit concluded last year that the goal of the program is to foster diversity among the school's student body, though the parents that brought the case said it impermissibly discriminated against Asian-American students. 

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the court's decision not to hear the case. In a dissenting  opinion  joined by Thomas, Alito said the admissions model adopted by the high school "has been trumpeted to potential replicators as a blueprint for evading" the Supreme Court's affirmative action decision.

"The holding below effectively licenses official actors to discriminate against any racial group with impunity as long as that group continues to perform at a higher rate than other groups. That is indefensible," Alito wrote. He concluded that "the Court's willingness to swallow the aberrant decision below is hard to understand. We should wipe the decision off the books."

Affirmative action at the Supreme Court

The case is the latest involving affirmative action to arrive at the court since it issued its landmark ruling last June invalidating the race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. In the wake of its 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court has already been asked to temporarily stop the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from considering race in its admissions process, but declined to do so .

The challenge to West Point's policies arose out of a footnote in the majority opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Harvard and University of North Carolina cases, in which he said the Supreme Court's decision did not apply to the nation's service academies. Roberts' opinion also warned that schools shouldn't try to get around the court's affirmative action ruling through application essays or other means, writing "'[w]hat cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly.'"

This case involves the admissions process at an Alexandria, Virginia-based high school, which is considered to be one of the best in the country. A group of parents in Fairfax County, a wealthy enclave of Washington, D.C., argued that admissions criteria imposed at Thomas Jefferson High School seek to "indirectly" use race as a factor, which the Supreme Court said would be unlawful.

Admission to the magnet school, known as TJ, was previously based on standardized tests and a combination of GPA, teacher recommendations and essays until 2020. But that year, the Fairfax County School Board, which oversees the high school, eliminated entrance exams from Thomas Jefferson's admissions process and put in place a holistic system.

Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 1, 2020.

The school board argued in court filings that under the old admissions processes, admitted classes overwhelmingly were made up of students from a small subset of Fairfax County's wealthiest areas. But under the new program, seats are reserved for top students from each of the county's middle schools.  The remaining spots are awarded to highest-evaluated applicants, as well as to students based on a number of socioeconomic factors, including whether students are from low-income families, are learning English as a second language or attended a "historically underrepresented" middle school.

The policy is race-neutral, according to the Fairfax County School Board, and admissions evaluators do not know an applicant's name, gender, race or ethnicity. They also cannot keep track of the racial composition of an incoming class during the admissions process, the board said in court papers.

But a grassroots group of parents called The Coalition for TJ sued the Fairfax County School Board in 2021, arguing that the revamped admissions policy is unconstitutional because it discriminated against Asian-American applicants.

In 2021, the first year under the new system, fewer Asian-American applicants were admitted than the prior year and the share of Asian-American students receiving admissions offers fell from 73% to 54%. Every other racial group saw an increase in admissions numbers, according to court filings: Admissions offers to White students rose from 18% to 22%; offers to Black students grew from less than 2% to nearly 8%; and offers to Hispanic students jumped from 3% to 11%.

A federal district court in Alexandria ruled for the coalition in February 2022, finding that the board's redesigned policy was "designed to increase Black and Hispanic enrollment which would, by necessity, decrease the representation of Asian-Americans at TJ," and adopted with discriminatory intent.

U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton blocked the board from implementing the policy, but a divided panel of three federal appeals court judges eventually reversed the ruling and upheld the admissions program. 

The 4th Circuit concluded that "the undisputed facts show only that the Board intended to improve the overall socioeconomic and geographic diversity of TJ's student body," and found that the coalition failed to prove that the board was motivated by discriminatory intent.

"The challenged admissions policy's central aim is to equalize opportunity for those students hoping to attend one of the nation's best public schools, and to foster diversity of all stripes among TJ's student body," the 4th Circuit said in its 2-1 decision. It continued: "Expanding the array of student backgrounds in the classroom serves, at minimum, as a legitimate interest in the context of public primary and secondary schools. And that is the primary and essential effect of the challenged admissions policy."

The Supreme Court was asked to weigh in at an earlier stage in the proceedings and denied a request from the Coalition for TJ for emergency relief in April 2022, more than a year before its affirmative action ruling. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have granted the group's request to block the admissions policy.

The parents returned to the Supreme Court in August, asking the justices to decide whether the board violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause when it overhauled the admissions criteria at the high school. Citing the court's June affirmative action decision, the group warned that its "guarantees … might mean little if schools could accomplish the same discriminatory result through race-neutral proxies."

The coalition told the court in a filing that while it has said racial balancing through racial classifications is impermissible, it has not yet explicitly addressed whether student body diversity can be achieved through race-neutral means.

"The longer this question is not resolved, the more incentive school districts (and now, universities) will have to develop workarounds that enable them to racially discriminate without using racial classifications," its lawyers wrote.

But the Fairfax County School Board argued that the new policy removes socioeconomic barriers to admission to Thomas Jefferson High School and is race neutral and race blind. 

"The policy did not in fact result in a student body that matches the demographics of the County, maintains predetermined percentages of any racial group, or otherwise reflects racial balance of any sort," they said in a filing .

The board said there was no evidence supporting the coalition's "reckless" claim that Thomas Jefferson's admissions criteria were changed to discriminate against Asian-Americans, and noted that more Asian-American students from poor families living in less affluent areas of Fairfax County were admitted under the new policy.

Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts.

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Management Science MSci

London, Bloomsbury Management Science MSci (2025)

The world's leading companies need people who can operate in complex, innovation-intensive, data-driven environments; people who can analyse problems using quantitative tools and qualitative methods, take decisions in the face of uncertainty and risk, and deliver results through people. Taught by the UCL School of Management, the Management Science MSci provides a rigorous, practical foundation in these critical skills.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, application deadline, ucas course code.

  • Entry requirements

Contextual offer information

Contextual offer, uk applicants qualifications.

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D2,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including Mathematics at D2.

A1,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A1,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher). Mathematics at Advanced Higher A1 required.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades A*AA, including Mathematics at A*.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

Access and widening participation

Undergraduate preparatory certificates.

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc .

  • English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education .

Course overview

Core modules in mathematics, critical analytical thinking, data analytics, design, economics, computational thinking and behavioural science provide a solid grounding in the concepts and tools underpinning the practice of management in complex, innovation-intensive, data-driven environments.

In addition, modules in strategy, marketing science, finance, operations management, and decision science provide an in-depth understanding of how companies work and build the insight and skills needed to deliver results through people.    

You will also benefit from being part of UCL Engineering and be involved in the Integrated Engineering Programme (IEP). Here you will take an Engineering Sciences minor in years two and three, allowing you to develop knowledge, skills and understanding of other aspects of engineering. You can learn more about this on the UCL Integrated Engineering Programme website.

In the final year of the MSci programme (year 4) you will take additional advanced modules and have the opportunity extend your knowledge and skills in a specialist area such as strategy and entrepreneurship, organisations and innovation, operations and technology, marketing and analytics, business analytics or finance. You will also undertake a group consultancy project.   

There are limited opportunities for you to study abroad during your third year in which case the study abroad programme would replace the modules usually taken at UCL. The study abroad programme is competitive and only a few students will be successful at obtaining places. Placements are subject to approval and availability of places.  

It is not possible to undertake both a year in industry and a study abroad placement.

In Year 4, you take three modules in strategy, leadership and entrepreneurship and choose a specialist group of three modules. You also undertake a group consultancy project. 

You may be successful at arranging an internship opportunity and therefore choose to undertake a year in industry. In this case you would be registered on the extra-mural year (EMY) and be required to provide an end of placement report.

What this course will give you

UCL's Management Science MSci programme is unlike any other degree in the UK. It provides exceptional individuals with a high performance, high trust environment that develops both deep technological skills and advanced social and emotional skills.    

The UCL School of Management is a different kind of business school. It is focused on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and analytics, and how they are changing management practice in the world's best organisations.    

The Management Science MSci includes 8 intense Scenario Weeks during which you will work in teams to address complex interdisciplinary management problems.    

The Management Science MSci enables you to develop strong quantitative and analytical skills, an in-depth understanding of how companies work, and a rigorous foundation in the key skills needed to build successful careers with global businesses tackling world-scale problems.   

As a student of the Faculty of Engineering you will also take part in the “How to Change the World” programme, where students from all engineering departments collaborate on real-world challenge-based, problem-solving activities in creative, interdisciplinary teams.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a MSci (Hons) in Management Science.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Compulsory modules

Optional modules, your learning.

Teaching and learning is conducted through lectures, seminars and scenario-based challenges which are supported by a developing digital campus. Extensive background reading and literature research are required throughout the programme. You will attend special sessions and guest lectures and complete a variety of activities including individual and group projects, timed examinations, quizzes and presentations.  

For the Engineering Sciences minor in years 2 & 3, students choose from a list of optional modules, however, there are some restrictions in the selection depending on timetabling and specialist groupings. Students will be made aware of the process of selecting optional modules by the programmes team.

In years 1 & 2, students typically study 8 modules throughout the year. On each of the compulsory modules, there are 4 contact hours per week which are usually split into 2-hour lectures and 2-hour seminars over the course of 8 weeks.

Students also participate in compulsory and assessed scenario week challenges for 4 weeks in year 1 and again in year 2.

In the third year, students typically take 6 modules throughout the year which usually have 3 contact hours per week. Students also undertake a supervised dissertation.

In the final year of the MSci programme (year 4), students typically study 3 compulsory modules and a group of 3 optional modules forming a specialist concentration. On each of the compulsory modules, there are 3 contact hours per week over 10 weeks. Students also spend approximately 5-8 hours a week on the group consultancy project over terms 1 and 2.

In addition, students in all years of study spend approximately 4-6 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars.

The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

The breakdown in relation to optional modules will vary depending on the optional modules selected.

For a full overview of the programme structure please visit the UCL School of Management web .

Modules are examined through assessed coursework and written examinations. Examinations take place at the end of each academic year.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

The foundation of your career

Graduates from the Management Science programme work at some of the world's leading companies, including top management consulting firms, global investment banks, and cutting-edge technology companies.

Employability

The Management Science MSci helps you develop the deep interdisciplinary skills needed to identify and solve complex management problems. It also helps you develop the practical problem solving and consulting skills that will enable you to create value and deliver results in whatever career you choose.

  • Fees and funding

Fees for this course

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website .

Additional costs

This programme may include opportunities for students to undertake optional international study trips. The costs of such trips will be covered by students although grants may be available, depending on the destination, organisational and support responsibilities, etc. On average, costs would be around £1,000 to £1,750 depending on the trip location, personal flight preferences and spending habits as well as the prevailing exchange rates.

As previously noted, there are opportunities to study abroad or undertake a year in industry - these are not a core component of the programme. Please note that students who wish to undertake a study abroad or extra-mural year in industry opportunity are likely to incur additional costs. These costs are difficult to predict and will vary depending on the location you choose to study or work, your personal preferences and the prevailing exchange rate and cost of living.  

This programme does not have any other additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages . If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

  • Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Your application

We are looking for: strong mathematical/quantitative skills; interest in people, what motivates them and how they behave; able to think creatively and present your views coherently; excited by technology, innovation and entrepreneurship; interested in business and in wider societal, cultural and global issues; able to work with other people; prepared to undertake a rigorous and intellectually demanding academic programme.

  • How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application .

Candidates who meet the minimum entrance criteria will be asked to complete an Additional Personal Statement for this programme. This consists of a number of questions designed to help you showcase your skills and how you think. Candidates who are made an offer will be invited to a Management Science Offer Holder Open Day.

Selection will be made based on the information provided in your UCAS application and personal statement. 

Got questions? Get in touch

UCL School of Management

UCL School of Management

[email protected]

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students .

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Supreme Court Won’t Hear New Case on Race and School Admissions

The decision, along with an order this month declining to block West Point’s admissions program, suggests that most justices are not eager to immediately explore the limits of its ruling from June.

School buildings viewed from across a reflecting pool with a metal sculpture in the foreground.

By Adam Liptak

Reporting from Washington

The Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for the use of admissions criteria intended to diversify the student body at an elite public high school in Virginia, declining to revisit the role race may play in admissions months after it sharply curtailed affirmative action programs in higher education.

In turning down a challenge to a policy that eliminated standardized tests, the court gave no reasons, as is its custom in issuing such orders. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. issued a dissent, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, that was harshly critical of an appeals court’s ruling in the case upholding the new criteria and rejecting the challengers’ argument that they unlawfully disadvantaged Asian Americans.

The Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina in June but left open the constitutionality of admissions standards like the ones in Virginia that do not directly account for race in trying to diversify enrollment.

The court’s decision not to take up the case from Virginia, along with an order this month declining to block West Point’s race-conscious admissions program, suggests that most of the justices are not eager to take immediate steps to explore the limits of its ruling from June. It takes four votes to grant review, for instance, and the Virginia case failed to clear that bar.

In his dissent on Tuesday, Justice Alito expressed frustration.

The Supreme Court’s “willingness to swallow the aberrant decision below is hard to understand,” Justice Alito wrote. “We should wipe the decision off the books, and because the court refuses to do so, I must respectfully dissent.”

The revisions to the Virginia admissions program followed protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Amid concerns about how few Black and Hispanic students attended the school, one of the country’s top public high schools, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., adopted what it said were race-neutral admissions standards. The school board did away with a rigorous entrance examination and prioritized admission to the top students from each public middle school in the area rather than the top applicants from any school.

Admissions officers were also instructed to consider “experience factors,” such as whether students were poor, learning English or attending a middle school that was “historically underrepresented.” But the officers were not told the race, sex or name of any applicant.

A group of parents, many of them Asian American, objected to the plan and, calling themselves the Coalition for T.J. , sued to stop it.

Joshua Thompson, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian law group representing the parents’ group, expressed disappointment that the justices had declined to intervene.

“Discrimination against students based on their race is not only ethically wrong but also a clear violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection,” he said in a statement.

Karl Frisch, the chair of the Fairfax County School Board, said he welcomed the conclusion of a yearslong litigation.

“We have long believed that the new admissions process is both constitutional and in the best interest of all of our students,” he said in a statement. “It guarantees that all qualified students from all neighborhoods in Fairfax County have a fair shot at attending this exceptional high school.”

Richard D. Kahlenberg , a proponent of class-conscious affirmative action, said the court had struck the right balance, handing a victory to “poor and working-class students of all races.”

“This is an important signal that selective high schools and colleges and universities should feel confident in using race-neutral strategies to achieve diversity,” he said in a statement.

The Supreme Court’s action let stand a ruling from a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, Va., which declared in May that Thomas Jefferson did not discriminate in its admissions. The Pacific Legal Foundation asked the Supreme Court to hear their appeal, saying the new admissions plan was “intentionally designed to achieve the same results as overt racial discrimination.”

The Supreme Court’s decision in June in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard , the coalition’s petition said, “might mean little if schools could accomplish the same discriminatory result through race-neutral proxies.” The petition noted that Chief Justice John. G. Roberts Jr.’s majority opinion, quoting an earlier ruling, had said that “what cannot be done directly cannot be done indirectly.”

Lawyers for the school board responded that the new admissions criteria had nothing to do with race and were focused instead on removing socioeconomic and geographic barriers.

“The new policy is both race neutral and race blind,” the school board’s brief said. “It was not designed to produce, and did not in fact produce, a student population that approximates the racial demographics of Fairfax County or any other predetermined racial balance.”

After the changes went into effect in 2021, the percentage of Asian American students offered admission dropped to 54 percent from 73 percent. The percentage of Black students grew to 8 percent from no more than 2 percent; the percentage of Hispanic students grew to 11 percent from 3 percent; and the percentage of white students grew to 22 percent from 18 percent.

In the Fairfax County school system in 2020, about 37 percent of students were white, 27 percent were Hispanic, 20 percent were Asian and 10 percent were Black.

Writing for the majority in the appeals court’s decision in May, Judge Robert B. King , who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, said the before and after numbers were not the right place to start. That would, he said, quoting from the school board’s brief, turn “the previous status quo into an immutable quota.”

He added that the school had a legitimate interest in “expanding the array of student backgrounds.”

Justice Alito, in dissent on Tuesday, questioned that reasoning. “What the Fourth Circuit majority held, in essence, is that intentional racial discrimination is constitutional so long as it is not too severe,” Justice Alito wrote. “This reasoning is indefensible, and it cries out for correction.”

He elaborated, quoting from an earlier decision. “Even though the new policy bore ‘more heavily’ on Asian American applicants (because it diminished their chances of admission while improving the chances of every other racial group), the panel majority held that there was no disparate impact because they were still overrepresented in the T.J. student body,” Justice Alito wrote.

He added: “That is a clearly mistaken understanding of what it means for a law or policy to have a disparate effect on the members of a particular racial or ethnic group.”

In dissent in the Fourth Circuit, Judge Allison J. Rushing , who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, made a similar point. The majority, she wrote, had refused “to look past the policy’s neutral varnish” and consider instead “an undisputed racial motivation and an undeniable racial result.”

The decision reversed a 2022 ruling by Judge Claude M. Hilton of the Federal District Court in Alexandria, who found that the changes made by the school board had disproportionately burdened Asian American students and were “racially motivated.”

“It is clear that Asian American students are disproportionately harmed by the board’s decision to overhaul T.J. admissions,” Judge Hilton wrote. “Currently and in the future, Asian American applicants are disproportionately deprived of a level playing field.”

Adam Liptak covers the Supreme Court and writes Sidebar, a column on legal developments. A graduate of Yale Law School, he practiced law for 14 years before joining The Times in 2002. More about Adam Liptak

ScienceDaily

Case study: Drug-resistant bacteria responds to phage-antibiotic combo therapy

It was a last-ditch effort. For years doctors had tried to keep a patient's recurrent drug-resistant bacterial blood infection at bay, but it kept coming back and antibiotics were no longer working.

The family agreed to try an experimental treatment that uses viruses to kill bacteria. The patient's Enterococcus faecium bacterial strain, which had become zombie-like and was almost impossible to treat with currently available antibiotics, was tested against wastewater collected from across the country to find a virus -- called a bacteriophage -- that scientists theorized would specifically target the drug-resistant bacteria.

It worked so well the patient was able to leave the hospital for a much-anticipated vacation with her family. The case study by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists is published today in the American Society for Microbiology journal mBio .

"I was pleasantly surprised, but others on our team were, frankly, shocked at how quickly it worked," said senior author Daria Van Tyne, Ph.D., assistant professor of infectious diseases at Pitt. "Of course, this is what we wanted, what we hoped for. But the patient's response was so much better than we expected."

The case study, which required emergency investigational new drug approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one of only a handful that have used bacteriophage therapy to treat E. faecium infection. The researchers expect the results from this study will inform future use of the therapy.

Bacteriophages -- known informally as 'phages' -- are viruses that target and infect bacteria, killing the bacteria as they replicate. Different phages target different bacteria and can be so selective that they only target a specific strain of a bacterium and won't infect other bacteria or injure human cells. Phages are abundant and can be found everywhere from water and soil to the human body. Wastewater from sewage treatment plants is a common source researchers use to isolate new phages.

Doctors are increasingly interested in phage therapy when all else fails to fight a deadly bacterial infection. But as the therapy is not currently standardized or approved by the FDA, it is not widely available. Several clinical trials -- including at Pitt -- are underway to confirm its safety and test its efficacy.

The patient in the case study was a 57-year-old woman who had a complex medical history and an autoimmune condition that required immunosuppression to treat. Along the course of her medical journey, drug-resistant E. faecium colonized her gut and spread to her blood, causing recurrent bloodstream infections that required multiple and prolonged hospitalizations between 2013 and 2020. Finally, in late 2020, after a month-long hospitalization, doctors determined that antibiotics were no longer working and suggested phage therapy.

Scientists at the University of Colorado discovered the phage that targeted her bacterial strain and sent it to Pittsburgh where it was grown and prepared in Van Tyne's lab and then given to the patient alongside antibiotics.

"Phages attack bacteria in a different way than antibiotics," said lead author Madison Stellfox, M.D., Ph.D., postdoctoral infectious diseases fellow at Pitt. "We believe that the phage therapy worked in tandem with the antibiotics to help the patient fight the infection."

Within 24 hours of receiving phage therapy, the patient's blood infection had resolved and she could go home, where she continued the phage and antibiotic combination. She developed a few short-lived breakthrough infections, which indicated the bacteria was getting around the therapy, so the researchers found an additional phage that targeted her bacteria.

With the addition of the new phage, the patient was blood infection-free for four months and able to travel out of state for a for a family beach vacation.

However, just over six months after starting phage therapy, the blood infection returned, and the phage-antibiotic combination was thought to be no longer effective. The patient died in 2022.

In order to learn why the infections recurred despite the combination being previously effective, laboratory testing revealed that the patient's immune system had likely activated in a way that blocked the phages from attacking the bacteria. Van Tyne and Stellfox suspect that either the addition of the second phage or the increased dose of the phage combination -- or both -- had prompted the immune response.

"What we learned from this patient and her allowing us to follow and document her medical journey will help future patients," said Van Tyne. "Phage therapy could be a powerful tool against the ever-growing threat of antibiotic resistance and the data from her case will help shape clinical trials that could one day make it widely available to patients in need."

Additional authors on this release are Carolyn Fernandes, M.D., Ryan K. Shields, Pharm.D., M.S., Ghady Haidar, M.D., Kailey Hughes Kramer, Ph.D., and Emily Dembinski, all of Pitt, and Mihnea R. Mangalea, Ph.D., Garima Arya, Ph.D., Gregory S. Canfield, M.D., Ph.D., and Breck A. Duerkop, Ph.D., all of the University of Colorado at the time of the work.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (T32AI138954, R01AI165519, R21AI151363, R01AI141479, T32AR007534 and K23AI154546).

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Pittsburgh . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

  • Madison E. Stellfox, Carolyn Fernandes, Ryan K. Shields, Ghady Haidar, Kailey Hughes Kramer, Emily Dembinski, Mihnea R. Mangalea, Garima Arya, Gregory S. Canfield, Breck A. Duerkop, Daria Van Tyne. Bacteriophage and antibiotic combination therapy for recurrent Enterococcus faecium bacteremia . mBio , 2024; DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03396-23

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Can ChatGPT pass college assignments? We tested it out, with help from Wisconsin professors

case study science teaching

In the era of artificial intelligence, cheating is only getting easier for students.

Some instructors say they can easily tell when students turn in AI-generated work. Others find it far trickier and will turn to online AI detectors for confirmation when their suspicions are raised. Educators everywhere are trying to create AI-proof assignments.

"The more conventional prompt and writing you ask students to do, the more likely they can bring in a machine to do that work," said Chuck Lewis, a Beloit College English instructor and director of the writing program.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tested how well AI can complete college-level work — and whether instructors can detect it.

Where did idea come from?

A Harvard student last year asked seven professors and teaching assistants to grade essays written in response to a class assignment. To minimize response bias, the student told instructors the essays might have been written by herself or by AI, but in reality, all of the work was done by GPT-4, a version of the chatbot from OpenAI.

The AI-generated assignments received mostly A’s and B’s, along with one Pass.

"Not only can GPT-4 pass a typical social science and humanities-focused freshman year at Harvard, but it can get pretty good grades," the student wrote in an essay published by the Chronicle of Higher Education .

How did Journal Sentinel's ChatGPT experiment work?

I followed the same methodology as the Harvard student.

Professors emailed me a smaller assignment they would give their students, not an end-of-the-semester research paper. I told them some of the work would be done honestly and other assignments handled by ChatGPT. In fact, AI did all of the work.

I formulated prompts for ChatGPT from the assignments provided. In most cases, I wrote more tailored prompts to ChatGPT based on what it produced on the first try. Often, the additional requests asked the chatbot to provide more specific examples, expand on its ideas or use a less formal tone.

The experiment was far from scientific. Several professors said they approached grading more skeptically than they would have had it been a student's submission, given the circumstances.

ChatGPT earned 1 A, 2 B's and 2 incompletes.

English assignment at UW-Whitewater

Course: Critical Writing in the Field of English

Assignment: Write a three- to five-page paper examining how a poem among a selection provided draws on a specific concept discussed in class. Include analysis of specific passages in the poem and explore the use of at least five literary terms.

Was this hard for ChatGPT: At first, the chatbot analyzed a completely different poem than the title provided. I submitted the full lines of the correct poem, prompting the chatbot to apologize for the "oversight." Additional prompts providing specific literary terms for the chatbot to incorporate into the essay helped refine the work.

Comments: The instructor said the paper "fulfills the assignment admirably, and brings an admirable depth of understanding" of the poet's use of the concept. The thesis statement could have been more specific, resulting in a slight deduction.

Political science assignment at Marquette

Course: Introduction to American Politics

Assignment: Write a short paper describing the three faces of power and explaining how each constrains you in your own life.

Was this hard for ChatGPT: No. The chatbot easily put together an essay. A second prompt asking to connect the faces of power concept to my life as a reporter provided more specificity.

Grade: Incomplete

Comments: "Without question, the submission deserves an A," the instructor said. But ChatGPT made one small mistake, which immediately sparked skepticism. While the essay correctly cited the creator of the theory, the reading associated with the assignment was from a different person.

The instructor ran it through two AI detectors, both of which suggested the work was AI-generated. He said he would confront a student who submitted this work.

Library and information studies assignment at UW-Madison

Course: Information Divides and Differences in a Multicultural Society

Assignment: Daily log of media consumption with analysis of tone, evidence, expertise of each source, roughly 350 words

Was this hard for ChatGPT: No. I submitted a second prompt asking for a less formal tone. While the chatbot cited legitimate news outlets, such as the Wisconsin State Journal and New York Times, in the log, the summaries described general topics, not actual news stories.

Comments: The instructor said there were no "egregious red flags" but one sentence stood as sounding like ChatGPT. Overall, he found the discussion of each media source "thoughtful." The log as a whole was "clear and concise." In general, he tends to give students the benefit of the doubt and wouldn't have suspected this log was AI-generated had it been turned in among a stack of others.

Education assignment at Marquette

Course: Child and Adolescent Development and Learning

Assignment: Find five sources for a research paper on an education topic of your choice, cite the sources in APA formatting and summarize each source in four to six sentences. (This is one part of a longer-term research paper.)

Was this hard for ChatGPT: No. It took just one prompt to produce what was submitted.

Grade: 88 (B+)

Comments: The instructor suspected at least some of the summaries were AI-generated because many were written in general terms. However, some of the sources cited appeared to be names of researchers he recognized, making him less suspicious overall.

"It raises an interesting question to me of if students use AI at a broad level (say putting directly in the prompt) or doing a more targeted approach," the instructor said. "I think if students searched for articles and then asked AI for summaries, I might be less likely to have an alarm bell go off in my head."

English assignment at Beloit College

Course: Introductory Literary Studies

Assignment: Write a 1,000-word essay about a selected novel with your own original analysis that engages with a New Yorker review of the novel. Choose from one of three selected topics as a starting point. Include at least three direction quotations from the novel. Give your paper a thoughtful title and underline your thesis statement.

Was this hard for ChatGPT: This was the most challenging of the assignments received and required several prompts to produce. The first essay was only 600 words and included just two direct quotations from the book. It cited a line from a book review that did not actually appear anywhere in the book review.  Attempts to expand the essay's length were unsuccessful. An instruction to underline the thesis statement was not completed.

Grade: Incomplete.

Comments: "I didn't need to read more than the first sentence to know this was going to be an AI ride," the instructor said. The writing was "bland," filled with "eager-to-please and generic book blurb-speak." It reminded him of what he tells students: Don't write a thesis nobody can disagree with — there's no argument to be made. The paper also made at least one error in describing part of the book.

The instructor said he would ask the student about their process, share his suspicion, have a discussion and decide on next steps. For now, no grade was assigned.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at  [email protected] or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at  @KellyMeyerhofer .

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  1. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS)

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  3. (PDF) National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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  4. The case study method of teaching applied to college science teaching

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  5. Teaching High School Science Through Inquiry: A Case Study Approach

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  6. Case Study In Science Education

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VIDEO

  1. Case Study Part 3: Developing or Selecting the Case

  2. Case Studies

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  5. CASE STUDY PHY210 VIDEO PRESENTATION

  6. Day-2 Topic: Case Study Method for better Teaching

COMMENTS

  1. NCCSTS Case Studies

    The NCCSTS Case Collection, created and curated by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, on behalf of the University at Buffalo, contains nearly a thousand peer-reviewed case studies on a variety of topics in all areas of science.

  2. NCCSTS Case Collection Teaching Resources Publications

    Having students work in small groups is arguably the best way to teach science and this includes teaching science using cases. But how can we run a classroom this way? Here is one answer using a method called Team Learning.

  3. Case Method Teaching and Learning

    Case method 1 teaching is an active form of instruction that focuses on a case and involves students learning by doing 2 3. Cases are real or invented stories 4 that include "an educational message" or recount events, problems, dilemmas, theoretical or conceptual issue that requires analysis and/or decision-making.

  4. Case-Based Learning

    Case-based learning (CBL) is an established approach used across disciplines where students apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, promoting higher levels of cognition (see Bloom's Taxonomy ). In CBL classrooms, students typically work in groups on case studies, stories involving one or more characters and/or scenarios.

  5. Teaching with Case Studies Collection

    Resources in "Teaching with Case Studies" Collection. The mission of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science is to promote the nationwide application of active learning techniques to the teaching of science, with a particular emphasis on case studies and problem-based learning.There are over 300 peer reviewed case studies ...

  6. Resource: Case Studies in Science Education

    Each case follows a single teacher over the course of a year and is divided into three modules: the teacher's background and the problem he or she chooses to address, the chosen approach and implementation, and the outcome with assessment by the teacher and his or her advisor. Average running time: 1/2 hour.

  7. PDF ver2 Bibliography on Case Study Teaching in Science

    NATIONAL CENTER FOR CASE STUDY TEACHING IN SCIENCE Bibliography on Case Study Teaching in STEM - Updated: August 5, 2022 5 Romm, T., & Mahler, S. (1986). A three-dimensional model for using case studies in the academic classroom. Higher Education, 15, 677-696 (1986).

  8. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS)

    The mission of the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (NCCSTS) at SUNY-Buffalo is to promote the development and dissemination of materials and practices for case teaching in the sciences. Click on the links below to learn more about- a bibliography of case studies, faculty perceptions on the benefit of teaching case studies, and

  9. Making Learning Relevant With Case Studies

    Teaching With Case Studies Ultimately, a case study is simply an interesting problem with many correct answers. What does case study work look like in classrooms? Teachers generally start by having students read the case or watch a video that summarizes the case. Students then work in small groups or individually to solve the case study.

  10. Case Studies Subscription

    Case studies have a long history in business, law, and medical education. Their use in science education, however, is relatively recent. In our years of working with the method, we have found it to be a powerful pedagogical technique for teaching science. Cases can be used not only to teach scientific concepts and content, but also process ...

  11. Case-based Teaching and Problem-based Learning

    National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (National Science Teaching Association) This site offers resources and examples specific to teaching in the sciences. This includes the "UB Case Study Collection," an extensive list of ready-to-use cases in a variety of science disciplines. Each case features a PDF handout describing the ...

  12. Method Assessment

    Intended for faculty interested in conducting research on case-based teaching in science, this annotated bibliography lists research articles on empirical studies that focus primarily on case-based teaching and learning in the sciences. Included are evidence-based articles with an articulated research design, meta-analyses of research on the ...

  13. Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions

    Although case studies were considered a novel method of science education just 20 years ago, the case study teaching method has gained popularity in recent years among an array of scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, nursing, and psychology ( 5 - 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 - 17, 21, 22, 24 ).

  14. Case study teaching

    This chapter describes the history of case study teaching, types of cases, and experimental data supporting their effectiveness. It also describes a model for comparing the efficacy of the various case study methods. REFERENCES Citing Literature Volume 2011

  15. PDF Teaching and research at a large university: Case studies of science

    Keywords: professional development; science teacher education; sociocultural issues; teaching context; case study A potential shortage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals from the future American workforce is now recognized (President's Council of

  16. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

    The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science is an extensive collection of over 850 case studies focusing on various areas of science and society. Many cases, available for free on the site, come with resources for teaching the material (such as slideshows, PDFs, supporting materials, and videos), though some don't. ...

  17. Case Studies

    Case studies are stories that are used as a teaching tool to show the application of a theory or concept to real situations. Dependent on the goal they are meant to fulfill, cases can be fact-driven and deductive where there is a correct answer, or they can be context driven where multiple solutions are possible.

  18. Case Studies in Science--A Novel Method of Science Education

    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)

  19. Free

    The NCCSTS Case Collection, created and curated by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, on behalf of the University at Buffalo, contains nearly a thousand peer-reviewed case studies on a variety of topics in all areas of science. ... National Science Teaching Association 405 E Laburnum Avenue Ste 3 Richmond, VA 23222 (T) 703. ...

  20. PDF Challenges of Case-Based Teaching

    Generally, in research and teaching, case studies have been seen as a precursor to legitimate scientific research or as a way of studying extremely rare, "one shot" phenomena (Campbell & Stanley, 1963). An alternative view, however, suggests that cases can describe real-world contextual problems that

  21. Navigating Labor Unrest (HBR Case Study and Commentary)

    Get practical teaching advice and inspiration from the best in class. 6 Science-Backed Ways Educators Can Improve Their Well-Being. ... This HBR Case Study includes both the case and the commentary. For teaching purposes, this reprint is also available in two other versions: case study-only, reprint R2402X, and commentary-only, R2402Z. ...

  22. How does the brain make decisions?

    Aug. 30, 2021 — In an effort to understand how the internal state of the body influences the brain's decision-making processes, scientists analyzed the data from a previous study pre-clinical ...

  23. Early Childhood & Family Studies (ECFS)

    The Early Childhood and Family Studies (ECFS) program is designed to offer multidisciplinary and critical perspectives of early childhood development, early learning and family-centered education of young children. ... Graduate studies in K-12 education, speech and hearing sciences, occupational therapy, special education, psychology and more ...

  24. Supreme Court turns away affirmative action dispute over Virginia high

    The decision from the high court not to take up the appeal by a group of parents challenging the admissions policies at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology leaves intact a ...

  25. Management Science MSci

    The world's leading companies need people who can operate in complex, innovation-intensive, data-driven environments; people who can analyse problems using quantitative tools and qualitative methods, take decisions in the face of uncertainty and risk, and deliver results through people. Taught by the UCL School of Management, the Management Science MSci provides a rigorous,

  26. Supreme Court Won't Hear New Case on Race and School Admissions

    Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology adopted what it said were race-neutral admissions standards. A group of parents objected to the plan and sued to stop it.

  27. Case study: Drug-resistant bacteria responds to phage ...

    Case study: Drug-resistant bacteria responds to phage-antibiotic combo therapy. ScienceDaily . Retrieved February 23, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2024 / 02 / 240214122615.htm

  28. Supreme Court Rejects Case on Elite High School's Diversity in

    The case, involving Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., was seen as a follow-on to the court's decision in June ending affirmative action in university ...

  29. Can ChatGPT complete college work? Wisconsin professors tested it out

    The AI-generated assignments received mostly A's and B's, along with one Pass. "Not only can GPT-4 pass a typical social science and humanities-focused freshman year at Harvard, but it can get ...