Using Cases in LargeEnrollment Classes
I.
Authentic (real-world)
problem solving opportunity
II. Active (Discovery) Learning
III. Informs my teaching and the
student’s learning
Teaching Goals:
• Engage
• Mastery as measured by transfer of knowledge:
– Acquire discipline-specific concepts and facts
– Develop the ability to interpret data
– Draw reasonable inferences from observations.
– Apply this knowledge to new situations and select
appropriate course of action to solve problems.
• I need to be able to measure how successful this
has been (assessment)
Frustrations:
•
•
•
Formal assessment without grading support is
limited to multiple-choice tests.
Most everything else is debilitating.
Formative assessments to gage understanding:
questioning, discussion, even show of knowledge
through raising hands problematic in huge
groups (shyness, low motivation without reward)
My Class fulfills general education requirement,
so mixed enthusiasm and background.
If you can’t make it count,
students won’t think it counts.
1. Make it count because it is meaningful to them
(survey first day, questions students ask me)
2. Make it count because the topic is a major learning
goal for the class (case where they discover).
3. Make it count for their grade by composing
multiple choice test items that assess whether they
have learned something applicable.
4. Make it count by peer pressure (anonymity gone,
accountability up, discussion up, feedback up)
What Makes a Case Good
for Large Classes
1. Must Address a Major Learning Goal
2. Introductory Classes: simple, brief, controllable,
and gradable (eventually).
3. Allows the students to discover their own initial
knowledge, and want to pursue more knowledge
in order to solve a problem.
4. Interrupted when they students realize they want
to know something, then they get that material.
5. Provides opportunity to practice and put into use
what they have learned.
6. Allows instructor to measure learning.
Steps (Mazur/Mestre)
1. Groups discuss problem and make
predictions and select their answer.
•
Challenging problem so that it requires input
(interpretation/analysis) from several people
2. Instructor asks groups explain and
defend the merits of their answer.
3. Groups can select to change their answer.
4. Instructor shows the results of the
experiment and allows groups to discuss
and devise an explanation.
5. Follow-up with more problems.
Case Study: Sweet
Indigestion
“What’s so funny?” Gwen asked sliding next to her friends Sara and Emily at the library.
“Read this,” Sara said, “I’m thinking about getting my dad vaccinated.”
S Y D N E Y, Australia, June 7 — Australian farmers are signing up their sheep and cattle in droves to take
part in a vaccine program aimed at reducing harmful methane gas emissions from their animals and help
take the heat off global warming.
Methane is a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide and farm animals produce a lot of it.
Australian scientists said today early results show they may be able to reduce methane emissions per animal by
about 20 percent a year, or the equivalent of 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year if they can vaccinate three million
animals. The methane vaccine discourages Methanogenic archae, organisms which inhabit the animal's digestive
system and which produce methane by breaking down feed.
Reuters 2001
Gwen laughed, “Your dad? What about your dog? He’s got the real problem. But seriously, is farting a
major cause of global warming”
“Not all of it, but greenhouse gases could be reduced if people stopped eating meat. Cows actually produce the vast
majority of methane released in the U.S.” Emily replied.
“300,000 tons of CO2 in Australia alone, “ Gwen asked, “I wonder how much people produce?”
“When I visited Space Camp we learned about how the astronauts deal with noxious fumes,” Sara said. “The
average astronaut expels about a half liter of gas a day from bacterial break down of undigested carbohydrate in the
large intestine. Maybe we all should be vaccinated. You both have been dieting, I bet you’ve eaten lots of
carbohydrates. You could be our first test subjects.”
“But what are carbohydrates exactly?” Emily asked looking at Gwen. “And, which are undigested?”
HereÕ
s a list of what the girls ate for breakfast and lunch:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Cheerios with oat bran
Salad with lettuce, cabbage, tomato,
Tall Latte with skim milk
shredded carrot, green peas, kidney
PowerBar
beans, and tuna fish. Coke
1. Underline all foods containing carbohydrate.
2. Come up with a rule to help you identify foods containing
carbohydrates.
3. How are carbohydrates made normally (i.e. what organism makes
them)?
4. Which ingredient would cause gas? Why are some food digestible
and others arenÕ
t?
The girls checked out a nutrition textbook and found at the almost all of the
foods they were eating contained carbohydrate. But how much gas is
produced in your intestine depends on the ty pe of bacteria you are
harboring and whether or not you eat the following carbohydrates that
arenÕ
t well digested:
 Simple sugars:
a. Dried beans peas and lentils containing the tri- and quatrosaccharides Raffinose and Stachyose:
b. Lactose
c. Fructose
d. Sorbitol, found in fruit but also an artificial sweetener.
 Starches
 Insoluble Fiber
INGREDIENTS: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP WITH GRAPE AND PEAR JUICE CONCENTRATE, OAT BRAN,
MALTODEXTRIN, MILK PROTEIN, ISOLATE, RICE CRISPS (MILLED RICE, RICE BRAN), PEANUT BUTTER (ROASTED
PEANUTS, SALT), BROWN RICE, GLYCERIN
©POWERBAR INC., BERKELEY, CA 94704 MADE IN USA ® REGISTERED TRADEMARK
THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE ENERGY BARTM
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bar
Calories 240
Calories from Fat 30
*Percent Daily Values (DV)
are based on a 2,000
calorie diet
Amount/Serving
% DV
Amount/Serving
% DV
Total Fat 3.5g
5%
Total Carb 45g
15%
Saturated Fat 0.5g
3%
Dietary Fiber 3g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sugars 14g
Sodium 120mg
5%
Other Carb 28g
Potassium 130mg
4%
Protein 10g
12%
20%
5. What percentage of the carbohydrate in the bar is simple sugar?
6. Can the girls omit all carbohydrates that are not well digested (like
those in GwenХs list) from their diet? What are these carbohydrates
used for?
7. What are the differences between simple sugars, starches, and fiber
8. Use this PowerBar label to find all the ingredients that are
carbohydrates of the following classes:
 Simple sugars:
 Complex Carbohydrates like starches:
 Complex Carbohydrates that contain fiber:
 Carbohydrates that would produce gas according to the list?
Assessments
• Practice short answer
homework on web:
identify simple sugar,
complex carbohydrate
on a label.
Assessments
• Multiple choice
questions on exams:
• % carbohydrate from
simple sugar?
• Identify complex carb
• Name of carb found in
wheat flour
It didn’t work well.
• Many students were confused and felt even
more confused after I asked them to discuss
their answers.
• I couldn’t really explain it in person to all of
those who were confused.
• Very little discussion. Students didn’t feel
comfortable with each other.
• I had to commit to teaching this way more
often.
Introduced Groups*
• Students were randomly assigned to a group of 68 students for the entire semester.
• Each group has folder where they keep
attendance, grades, exams, and handouts.
• Work together daily on in-class activities that
account for 15% of class time.
• 20% of student’s grade is based on group work.
• Mid and End of Semester Peer Evaluation
*From Feichtner and Davis, “Why Some Groups Fail: A Survey of Students’
Experiences with Learning Groups.” The Organizational Teaching
Review. Vol. IX Issue 4 1984-1985.
Web-CT: Generates
Random Groups
Seating Chart
Personal Response Systems
“clickers”
•Wireless transmitters
•Instant feedback from students
•Accurate
•Anonymous *
•Bought one for each group
Research Data on Clickers
• They improve student learning
–Pioneered by Physics Education
Research Group at U Mass Amherst and
Eric Mazur (Harvard)
–Hake (1998) significant increase in
problem solving skills (test results)
–Cue (1998) increase in active learning
and student interest
Research Data on Clickers
There is high student acceptance
Used by many disciplines (Math, Economics,
Psychology)
• 75% students recommend them (dInverno,
Davis, White 2003)
• Students found them easy to use, with increased
concentration, enjoyment, and confidence levels
reported (Elliott 2003)
• Improved attendance 2-4 fold (Wit 2003)
• Resentment if merely used to take attendance.
MPS Case:
Example
• Carmen Mosley knew her son Andrue was a little sicker
than your average baby. He got the usual ear infections
and fevers, but she expected that; one of his heart
valves hadn’t closed correctly so he had a heart
murmur. But, he still just seemed to be sick all the
time. A specialist finally discovered that Andrue had
mucopolysaccharidosis type I, or MPS I, an inherited
disease that leads to problems with the heart, lungs,
and brain, joint mobility, and in some cases facial
deformities. 1/ 25,000 children born in the United
States has one of 50 so-called lysosomal storage
disorders.
MPS Case:
Example
• Because of early diagnosis Andrue hasn’t suffered facial
deformities, but he does have damage to many other
organs, all resulting from a failure of his cells to
produce lysosomal enzymes causing his heart valves,
joints and other tissues to fail to shape and reshape
properly. Andrue, now 5 years old, walks with a
stiffened gait and can’t lift his hands over his head to
throw a ball, but he may be able to escape further
deterioration if he undergoes 4-hour infusions of
enzyme-replacement therapy (Aldurazyme) every week
for life.
End of Unit
Assessment for
Genetics/Pedigree
• Many forms of MPS:
– one called type IH (Hurler syndrome) caused by an
autosomal recessive mutation,
– and another called type IIA (Hunter syndrome)
caused by an X-linked recessive mutation.
– For the couple being counseled, there is no history
of this disease in the husband’s family, but the wife
has relatives with the disorder.
Question 1
• If the wife were a carrier for Hurler syndrome,
the chance of her son suffering from the
condition is ___% if the husband is a carrier,
but ___% if the husband is NOT a carrier.
1. 50%; 0%
2. 25%; 0%
3. 50%; 25%
4. 0%; 25%
Question 2
• If the wife were a carrier for Hunter syndrome,
the chance of her son suffering from the
condition is ___%.
1. 0%
2. 25%
3. 50%
4. 75%
5. 100%
Question 3
•
We learn more about the wife’s ( ) relatives; her
father’s sister was born with MPS, but both her
father’s parents and his brother were normal.
Which of the following is an accurate pedigree of
the wife’s family.
1.
2.
3.
Question 4
•
1.
2.
3.
This pedigree is consistent with _______.
X-linked trait Hunter Syndrome
Autosomal recessive Hurler Syndrome
Neither syndrome, not enough
information was given.
Question 5
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Which individual was most influential
in helping you come to a conclusion?
I (1)
I.
I (2)
1
2
II (3)
II.
1 2 3 4
II (4)
III.
III (1)
1
2
Also Use Group Testing
• Work together on tests
• How you ensure students are accountable
– Individual test given first,
then group, final score is
combination
(2/3 individual, 1/3 group)
Watch
QuickTime™ and a
H.263 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Difficulties:
1. How do you know they are all
participating equally? Peer evaluations
• accuracy
• very time-consuming to process.
PEER EVALUATIONS
Class (include class, time and day):
Name:_______________________________
Group #____
Name of Student being eva luated:
1 2 3 4
Participated in group work in class.
Reliably prepared for group tests.
Listened to otherΥs ideas.
Cooperated with others.
Spoke up during group tests.
Optional Bonus (exceptional effort) +1
+___
Total :
Comments
Please rate the other members in your group for each of the following categories using the
scale shown below.
Rating: 1 = unacceptable*, 2 = poor*, 3 = could be better, 4 = good
To receive 100% of your group score, you need to earn a score of four in each category
(a score of 20). If ONE person was exceptional in helping your group function well, you can
add a bonus +1 to their score. It is possible for one person to have a score greater than 20.
Please add the totals in the last box.
*If you give a score of two or less or award a bonus point, you must explain why in the
comment section.
Difficulties:
1. Peer evaluations
• accuracy
• very time-consuming to process.
2. Grading
• Decisions on how to use clicker
data graded activities.
3. Feedback
• Some groups just don’t work.
• Evaluations overwhelmingly
positive.
I would recommend
group tests for my other
classes…
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
No
Yes
Student Survey;
group tests…
300
250
200
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
No Opinion
Agree
Strongly Agree
150
100
50
0
Correct Confusion
Increased
Understanding
I would recommend
clickers for my other
classes…
500
400
300
No
Yes
200
100
0
Recommend
Clickers
Student Survey;
clickers…
600
500
400
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
No Opinion
Agree
Strongly Agree
300
200
100
0
Increase
Enjoyment
Lecture
Correct
Confusions
Help Instructor
Tell Confusion
Break
Monotony
Increase
Understanding
Every person should have
a
clicker
so
that…
500
400
300
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
No Opinion
Agree
Strongly Agree
200
100
0
Instructor knows
individuals confused
Quizzes for credit