UB Department of Biological Sciences: Clyde F. Herreid

Clyde F. Herreid

Science Education: Using Case Studies to Teach Science

Distinguished Teaching Professor & Academic Director of the University Honors Program

Ph.D 1961 Pennsylvania State University
Postdoctoral work 1961 University of Miami, Marine Lab
Assistant Professor 1962 University of Alaska
Postdoctoral work 1965 Duke University
Associate Professor 1968;
Professor 1982;
Distinguished Teaching Professor 1988 University at Buffalo

Address Information

Clyde F. Herreid
Department of Biological Sciences
243 Hochstetter Hall
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14260

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Case Studies have been used to teach students law, business and medicine for decades. Their use to teach basic science started about 15 years ago when we in Buffalo began experimenting with different ways of teaching science. It was clear that the lecture method did not succeed with large numbers of students, and the evidence seemed convincing that using “active learning” methods were far superior. For example, there are over 1200 studies that show that students working in small learning groups retain more learning, are more articulate, gain greater skills, and are more tolerant of differences of opinion than students trained with the lecture method. So why do we continue to use the outmoded and clearly ineffective lecture method?

Case studies are stories with an educational message. So when an instructor puts the material that s/he is trying to teach in the context of a story making it relevant to the students, the chances are much greater that they will remember it longer and will appreciate the value of the information. If an instructor wishes to teach the students about retroviruses, isn’t it better if it is taught in the context of a personal story such as the tragedy of Arthur Ashe, rather than a boring lecture. This great tennis star contracted the HIV virus during a blood transfusion and then went on to succumb to AIDS. Isn’t it more likely that students will better understand the significance of the characteristics of life if they consider the topic in the context of the question of whether there is life on Mars, rather then simply momentarily memorizing a dry list of characteristics given in lecture?

We have discovered that there are many ways to “tell the story.” The classical method used in law and business is to run a discussion between students and the instructor. But there are better ways to teach case such as using small teams of students working together. The Problem-Based Learning method pioneered by the medical schools is extraordinarily successful. But the use of debates, trials, public hearings, and role playing have all proven useful in maintaining student interest and producing higher grades and higher attendance. In large classes we have been able to pioneer the use of “Personal Response Systems” better known as “clickers” and to use them to teach with cases.

We give workshops over the country instructing faculty how to teach and write with cases. We have been supported in this work for many years by the US Department of Education, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the National Science Foundation. We have established the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science and have a website at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html where there are 250 case studies and teaching notes published in all areas of science. Two thousand visitors enter the site each day; half of them K-12 teachers who download teaching materials for their classes.

PUBLICATIONS

• Herreid, C.F. (2005) Science Education Needs Case Studies The Scientist 19 (4): 10

• Herreid, C.F. (2005) Because Wisdom Can’t Be Told Peer Review 7 (2): 30-31.

• Herreid, C.F. (2005) Using Novels as Bases for Case Studies: Michael Crichton’s “State of Fear” and Global Warming. Journal of College Science Teaching 34 (7): 10-11.