Using Cases in Large-Enrollment Classes

I. Authentic (real-world) problem solving opportunity

II. Active (Discovery) LearningIII.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 Goal2. 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?”

Here’s a list of what the girls ate for breakfast and lunch:Breakfast:Cheerios with oat branTall Latte with skim milkPowerBar

Lunch:Salad with lettuce, cabbage, tomato,shredded carrot, green peas, kidneybeans, and tuna fish. Coke

1. Underline all foo ds c ontaining c arbo hydrate.

2. Come up wi th a rule to he lp you ide ntify foods c ontainingcarboh ydrate s .

3. How are ca rbohydrates made normally (i.e. what organism makesthem)?

4. Whic h ingredi e nt wo uld c aus e ga s ? Why a re s ome food dige sti bleand o the rs are n’t?

The girls checked out a nutrition textbook and found at the almost all of thefoods they were eating contained carbohydrate. But how much gas isproduced in your intestine depends on the type of bacteria you areharboring and whether or not you eat the following carbohydrates thataren’t well digested:• Simpl e sugars:

.a Drie d bean s pea s an d lentil s containing the tri- an d quatro-saccharides Raffin ose an d Stachyo :se

.b Lactose.c Fructose.d Sorbitol, fou ndi n frui t bu t al so a n artificia l sweetener.

• Starches• Insolubl e Fiber

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 Gwen’s 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 Carbohydrat es like starches: • Complex Carbohydrat es th at contain fiber: • Carbohydrates that would produce g as according t o the list?

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 (ROASTEDPEANUTS, SALT), BROWN RICE, GLYCERIN©POWERBAR INC., BERKELEY, CA 94704 MADE IN USA ® REGISTERED TRADEMARK

THE ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE ENERGY BARTM

Amount/Serving % DV Amount/Serving % DV

Total Fat 3.5g 5% Total Carb 45g 15%

Saturated Fat 0.5g 3% Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sugars 14g

Sodium 120mg 5% Other Carb 28g

Nutrition Facts

Serving size 1 bar

Calories 240 Calories from Fat 30*Percent Daily Values (DV)are based on a 2,000calorie diet Potassium 130mg 4% Protein 10g 20%

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 6-8 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 acceptanceUsed 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.

• 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.

MPS Case: Example

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

• This pedigree is consistent with _______.

1. X-linked trait Hunter Syndrome2. Autosomal recessive Hurler Syndrome3. Neither syndrome, not enough

information was given.

Question 5

• Which individual was most influential in helping you come to a conclusion?

1. I (1)2. I (2)3. II (3)4. II (4)5. III (1)

I.

III.

II.

1 2

1 2

1 2

3 4

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 aH.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 EVALUATIONSClass (include class, time and day):Name:_______________________________ Group #____

Name of Student being evaluated: 1 2 3 4 Participated in group work in class. Reliably prepared for group tests. Listened to other’s 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…

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I would recommend clickers for my other

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Every person should have a clicker so

that…