Author: Kevin Bonney
The case study teaching method, long used in business and medical education to promote critical thinking and active learning, can also be an effective teaching strategy in undergraduate science courses. While teaching Life Science, which is an introductory biology course for non-majors, I have used case studies to promote interdisciplinary learning and make science relatable to students with broad interests in other fields of study. Case studies have also provided a way to promote active learning in classes that do not have a dedicated lab time or space, and to facilitate the flipped classroom approach to teaching. This involves having students review videos or readings that cover basic concepts at home before coming to class to work on problem sets and engage in group activities in the presence of the instructor, practices that promote the learning of complex concepts.
Case studies used for science teaching present topical information in the form of a narrative, which is analyzed and evaluated through a combination of individual assignments, group discussion and problem solving, debate, and hands-on activities. Unlike traditional law and medicine case studies, those used for undergraduate teaching may or may not be based on a real-life person or event and can take on a variety of forms. Almost any scientific topic can be covered by a case study, including biochemistry, forensic science, genetic engineering, human diseases, and reproduction.
Most recently, I have developed, used, and published a case study titled “Putting the Pieces Together: The Discovery of DNA Structure and Replication,” which places the experiments, collaborations, and controversies that led to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA in a historical context, and guides students through analysis and interpretation of data that reveals how DNA is replicated. The most popular part of this case study among students is the ethical debate about the treatment of Rosalind Franklin by the co-discoverers of the DNA double helix, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. This case study also includes a hands-on model-building activity to demonstrate hypothetical modes of DNA replication, which is especially useful since this class does not have a laboratory component.
This case study, complete with instructor’s notes, assessment tools, and a video lesson can be downloaded for free from the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science: http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=786&id=786
Kevin Bonney (@KevinMBonney) earned his Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Northwestern University, where his work on Chagas heart disease was supported by the American Heart Association. His current research interests include Chagas disease immunopathology, neglected tropical disease education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Bonney teaches Life Science and Science of Technology in Liberal Studies at New York University, where his teaching style is inspired by the case study teaching method and the flipped-classroom approach to teaching. He has published twenty peer-review articles related to his scientific and pedagogical research. He currently serves as Reviewing Editor of The American Biology Teacher journal and is actively involved with the American Society for Microbiology and the National Association of Biology Teachers.