Case Studies in Distance Learning
Environments
James A. Hewlett
Professor of Biology
Finger Lakes Community College
Online Pedagogies
• What unique challenges (from a teaching and
learning perspective) do we need to overcome
in order to be effective online instructors?
• How might the employment of the CSM help
us face those challenges?
What I have learned about online
students
• Diverse backgrounds (including more nontraditional students)
• Need to feel connected to the instructor and
the other students
• Require prompt, frequent, and meaningful
feedback
• Need to “ease” into the course and the
material (fear  comfort)
Case Based Online Courses
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Address the needs of the online student
Work well with recommended online pedagogies
Are aligned with best practices in teaching
Address ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provide meaningful opportunities for assessment
Cases can reflect the “nature” of the subject matter
Case Based Online Courses
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Address the needs of the online student
Work well with recommended online pedagogies
Are aligned with best practices in teaching
Address ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provide meaningful opportunities for assessment
Cases can reflect the “nature” of the subject matter
Case #1 : Simple to Complex
“easing” the student into the course
• A simple case with “clear
direction”
• Not graded
• Used for students to
practice file attachments
• Immediate feedback
Case #2 : Simple to Complex
“easing” the student into the course
• Progress to cases that:
– Continue to maintain a focus on a single concept (as with case #1) but…
– Begin to introduce more “information” that must be considered in
problem-solving
– Begin to become less directed / more open-ended
A 60 year old male with a history of chronic gastritis and tachycardia complains that he is
becoming progressively more fatigued at the end of his workday. Seemingly simple tasks
take enormous amounts of effort to complete…………..
Case Based Online Courses
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Address the needs of the online student
Work well with recommended online pedagogies
Are aligned with best practices in teaching
Address ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provide meaningful opportunities for assessment
Cases can reflect the “nature” of the subject matter
How to address best practice ?
GOOD PRACTICE…
…Encourages Student-Faculty Contact
…Encourages Cooperation Among Students
…Gives Prompt Feedback
…Emphasizes Time on Task
…Communicates High Expectations
…Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
Lesson for online instruction: Allowing students to choose project topics
incorporates diverse views into online courses.
…Encourages Active Learning
Lesson for online instruction: Students should present course projects.
Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin, 39, 3-7.
How to address best practice ?
Adressing “higher levels” of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Category
Evaluation
Definition
judging the value of material or methods as they might be applied in a particular situation;
judging with the use of definite criteria
Synthesis
creating something new by putting parts of different ideas together to make a whole.
Analysis
breaking something down into its parts; may focus on identification of parts or analysis of
relationships between parts, or recognition of organizational principles
Application
using a general concept to solve problems in a particular situation; using learned material in
new and concrete situations
understanding something that has been communicated without necessarily relating it to
anything else
Comprehension
Knowledge
recalling or remembering something without necessarily understanding, using, or changing it
The Case Study Writing Project
The Final Solution : Have students write a case
Create the assignment
…Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning
Lesson for online instruction: Allowing students to choose project topics incorporates diverse views into online courses.
…Encourages Active Learning
Lesson for online instruction: Students should present course projects.
Evaluation
Synthesis
judging the value of material or methods as they might be applied in a particular situation;
judging with the use of definite criteria
creating something new by putting parts of different ideas together to make a whole.
- Require prompt, frequent, and meaningful feedback
- Need to “ease” into the course and the material (fear  comfort)
How would you construct a case study writing project for an online
course that takes into consideration best practices, Bloom’s
higher levels, and the needs of the online student
Organization
Case is
constructed in
pieces, with
each piece
receiving
feedback
Interaction
Students
interact with
each other as
both the learner
and the SME
Evaluation
Case Based Online Courses
•
•
•
•
•
•
Address the needs of the online student
Work well with recommended online pedagogies
Are aligned with best practices in teaching
Address ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provide meaningful opportunities for assessment
Cases can reflect the “nature” of the subject matter
The “nature” of the subject matter
• BIO 172 primarily populated by
students entering a health
profession
• Measurements, tests, and
diagnostics:
– Are not endpoints
– cannot be considered in isolation
The “nature” of the subject matter
The patient is an 8 year old male with a history of an unresolved
hematoma following a sports-related injury. The patient was hit
with a baseball on the right anterior thigh three weeks prior to
the orthopedic visit. An initial exam made by the family physician
revealed full flexion and extension of the knee and hip joint and
HCT 34.2
mild tissue edema. Radiologic exam revealed no signs of any
HGB 11.3
femoral fractures.
WBC 6.6
Initially the area had been described by the patient as "tender." PLT 220
The edema has increased progressively since the injury and the APTT 54 sec
patient presents to you with referred pain (foot and thigh). The
patient has been icing the injury daily and pharmacological
treatment has consisted of Tylenol and Advil. Physical
examination is negative, except for a swollen, tender right
anterior thigh with some resolving ecchymosis.
Clotting Disorder
Too Much
Not Enough
misconception
What information would you
like to collect to further your
understanding of what is
happening in this case?
liver
diet
hemophilia
Summary
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Address the needs of the online student
Work well with recommended online pedagogies
Are aligned with best practices in teaching
Address ALL levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Provide meaningful opportunities for assessment
Cases can reflect the “nature” of the subject matter