Teaching Science with Case Studies: A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions

1. Teaching Science with Case Studies:A National Survey of Faculty Perceptions Mary Lundeberg Professor, Teacher Education Michigan State University Aman Yadav Purdue University Michael DeSchryver Michigan State University October, 2006 Buffalo, New York

2. Overview • Why do investigations in classrooms? • Faculty perceptions of student learning • Future questions worth investigating • How and what should we measure?

3. Why do investigations? • Scientific inquiry includes: • Significant questions that can be empirically investigated • Research linked to theory • Methods appropriate to the question • Replication and generalization across studies • Professional scrutiny and critique • Shavelson & Towne, 2002

4. Research questions • Description • What is happening? • Cause • Is there a systematic effect? • Process or mechanism • Why or how is it happening? • Shavelson & Towne, 2002

5. DescriptionWhat is happening? • Survey of case teaching in science • (23 states + Canada) • 2004-2005 Faculty perceptions (n=101) Contexts of case use; benefits and challenges

6. Contexts of Case Use • 84% reported using case studies in teaching • 47% used 1-2 cases per semester • 41 % used 3-5 cases per semester • 12% used 6 or more cases per semester • 66% of cases took one class period or less • 33% of cases took 2-5 class periods • 58% of faculty wrote their own cases • 35% modified existing cases • 7% used existing cases

7. Students are better able to 91.3 view an issue from multiple 1.3 perspectives 90.1 Students develop a deeper understanding of concepts 1.3 88.8 Students demonstrate stronger critical thinking skills 2.5 82.6 Students make connections across multiple content areas 0 61.3 Students have increased their discussion of ethical issues 8.8 Students have difficulty 17.5 making connections across 62.6 multiple content areas (-) 0 20 40 60 80 100 Percent Disagree Agree Faculty Perceptions: Critical Thinking

8. Students take a more active 95.1 part in the learning process when they use case studies 93.8 Students are more engaged in class Students have a better grasp 91.3 of the practical application of core course concepts 80.1 Students develop positive peer-to-peer relationships 1.3 78.8 Students strengthen communication skills 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 Percent Disagree Agree Faculty Perceptions: Learning (Pos)

9. 1.3 Students retain less from class 87.5 Students feel that what they 7.5 are learning is not applicable 77.5 to their field of study 2.5 Students do worse on tests 65.1 26.3 Students feel that they are not covering enough content 47.6 52.6 Students are frustrated by ambiguity 26.3 60 Students find the format challenging 22.6 0 20 40 60 80 100 Percent Disagree Agree Faculty Perceptions: Learning (Neg)

10. Lack of preparation time 78.7 required for your use of cases 21.3 in teaching 6.4% Severe Assessing student learning, 68 student discussion, or small 31.9 group work 2.1% Severe 58.4 A lack of relevant case studies 41.5 10.6% Severe Student resistance to the 49 case study approach to 51.1 teaching 4.3% Severe 41.5 Pressure to cover more content 58.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Percent No Difficulty Some Difficulty Obstacles Faculty Encounter: Top Five

11. Cause:Is there a systematic effect? • This question can only be answered with an experimental or quasi-experimental design.

12. Meta-analysis ofMain Effects of PBL (Dochy, Segers, Van den Bossche, & Gijbels, 2003)

13. Ways to assess understanding • Transfer of knowledge using a task to show how concepts • are applied to different, • real world problems, and • explained using literacy fitting the context.

14. Process or mechanismWhy or how is it happening? • How did case-based teaching influence outcomes?

15. Research Directions • Do cases enrich student understanding of core concepts and if so, how? • What misconceptions do students bring to instruction and do cases increase or dispel misconceptions? • When in the instructional process are cases most promising? How much knowledge is needed? • Under what conditions do video, computer simulations and other representational tools enhance the case experience? • How do case methods facilitate understanding and engagement for different student populations? • What kinds of cases (open, closed, dilemma) produce what kinds of learning? Measuring the kind of thinking developed through cases across faculty, courses and programs

16. What is important to assess? • Multidimensional, integrated learning outcomes. • Conceptual understanding plus transfer. • Values, strategies, communicative practices and habits of mind that affect performance beyond the classroom. • Changes in performance over time. (NRC, 2001; Astin et al, 1996)

17. Conclusion Faculty think case-based instruction has a positive impact on student learning, critical thinking, and participation. The shortage of relevant cases, lack of sufficient preparation time, and the assessment of student learning from CBI instruction are challenges to its use. We recommend further CBI studies, including student perception surveys, interviews with both faculty and students, and empirical examinations of CBI based student learning.