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2019 Conference Program


Friday, September 27, 2019

8am – 9am

REGISTRATION & LIGHT REFRESHMENTS


9am – 9:15am

Welcoming Remarks

Clyde (Kipp) Herreid, Directors, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY


9:15am – 10:15am

KEYNOTE SESSION

Motivating Durable Learning: Focused Attention Through Instructional Design

Joseph Kim, Associate Professor in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Cognitive scientists have been systematically studying processes such as attention, memory, and learning for more than 150 years. This rich resource of knowledge has only recently been applied to developing evidence-based interventions in education. A key focus of this research has been to promote learning that is durable -- learning that extends beyond short-term testing to long-term retention of information that remains with the student after the final exam. In this presentation, I will discuss three key factors that instructors can implement to promote durable learning: (1) Learning relies on sustained attention; in class, instructors can implement methods to reduce mind wandering and students can engage in practices to promote effortful and focused attention; (2) Design of teaching materials directly guides learning; perhaps the greatest impact an instructor can make on learning is to offer thoughtfully designed class materials that adhere to multimedia learning principles, including slide design that reduces cognitive load and thus promotes student learning; and (3) Study habits such as retrieval practice strengthen long-term retention; instructors can implement effective assessment design into the course structure and students can learn to take an active role in learning and testing. A key message in applying cognitive principles to instructional design is that both instructors and students have important parts to play in developing habits that promote durable learning.


10:15am – 10:30am

COFFEE BREAK


10:30am – 12pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 1

Track A: What is a Case Study? Experience it as a Student, Dissect it as a Teacher

Annie Prud’homme-Genereux, Director, Continuing Studies and Executive Education, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

If you are new to case studies, this is a great place to start. In this session, you will first put on your learner hat and experience a case study as a student. Take this time to reflect on this pedagogical approach’s strengths and weaknesses to hone your own use of cases in the classroom. The demo will be followed by a debriefing in which we explore why the instructor made some of the choices she did (and discuss best practices in case study teaching). We will review several case study formats (e.g., PBL, case discussion, interrupted case, intimate debate, role play, jigsaw, journal cases, etc.) to help you identify the one that best suits your classroom needs. We also will explore websites where you can get free cases. You will leave this session armed with the knowledge and confidence you need to start teaching with cases.

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Track B: The Goldilocks Principle: Building a Ladder to Success by Scaffolding Student Thinking

Sandra Westmoreland, Associate Professor of Biology at Texas Woman’s University (retired) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovations at The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX

The Goldilocks principle refers to the preference to attend to events that are neither too simple nor too complex according to our current representation of the world. In the realm of teaching, this principle can be used to design questions for successful case studies. If we ask questions that are too easy, our students are bored. If we ask questions that are too hard, students are lost and quickly “zone out.” In accordance with the Goldilocks principle, teachers can carefully design a series of “just right” classroom questions to scaffold student success. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, participants will work in teams as they learn to construct increasingly complex and challenging case study questions, with success reinforced by personal answer devices. Leave the session empowered to create lessons to "build ladders to success" for your own students!


12pm – 1pm

LUNCH


1pm – 2:30pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 2

Track A: The Discussion Case Method

Kipp Herreid, Director, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Business and law schools have for many years taught cases by way of the discussion method. Discussion cases are typically written as dilemmas that give the history of an individual, institution, organization, or community facing a problem that must be solved. The teacher's goal is to help students analyze the problem and consider possible solutions and their consequences. On the surface of it, the method is simple: the instructor asks probing questions and the students analyze the problem presented in the story with probity and brilliance. Most science teachers, however, have little or no experience running this type of a class. In this session, you will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion case and then analyze the process of teaching it.

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Track B: Using and Developing Case Studies with HHMI BioInteractive Video Resources

Phil Gibson, HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology Department of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

HHMI BioInteractive video resources provide background information on many scientific topics in an engaging, information-rich format whose short structure makes them useful as a vehicle for case studies. These videos provide excellent resources that can introduce topics, explore concepts, and build skills in a case study format. The objective for this workshop is to demonstrate how short videos can be used to engage students in meaningful active learning activities that help develop skills in critical thinking, data literacy, and the scientific process. This workshop will guide participants through examples of how HHMI BioInteractive video resources can be used in case studies and focus on learning the processes for developing their own similar activities.


2:30pm – 2:45pm

COFFEE BREAK


2:45PM – 4:15PM

BREAK-OUT SESSION 3

Track A: The Interrupted Case Method

Kipp Herreid, Director, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

In the interrupted case method, students are given a problem (a case study) to work on in stages in small groups. After the groups are given a short time to discuss the initial information they receive, the instructor provides additional information to analyze, apply, and discuss. This sequence is repeated several times as the problem gets closer to resolution. One of the great virtues of the method is the way it mimics how real scientists go about their work. Scientists do not have all of the facts at once; they get them piecemeal. This method of “progressive disclosure” is also characteristic of problem-based learning (PBL), but in the interrupted case method the case typically is accomplished in a single class period rather than over several days. In this workshop, you will participate in an interrupted case study and then analyze the experience.

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Track B: High School Teacher Session:  Engaging Students in Seamless Integration of Biomimetic Engineering, Invention, and Intellectual Property through Case-Based Instruction

Kathy Hoppe, Education Consultant, STEMisED, Arlington, VA. Jorge Valdes, Education Program Advisor, Office of Education and Outreach, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Arlington, VA

Case-based lessons for high school students involve providing context for the learner and engaging them in real-world scenarios that directly correlate to content in both state and national science standards. Participants in this workshop will learn how to integrate the concepts of evolutionary biology with the process of biomimetic engineering, invention, and intellectual property instruction. Time-tested biological systems, methods for survival, and sustainability can inspire innovations and inventions that exist in balance within a complex environment. Participants will learn how to implement a case based on biomimetic research and engineering. They will take on the student role and learn through working on the case together, and at the same time learn how to coach and facilitate integrated case-based invention and intellectual property lessons in their classroom.


5:30pm – 7pm

POSTER SESSION / COCKTAIL HOUR (CASH BAR)


7PM – 8PM

DINNER


Saturday, September 28, 2019

8am – 8:30am

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST


8:30=am – 10:00am

BREAK-OUT SESSION 4

Track A: A Backward Approach to Designing Case Studies

William Cliff, Professor, Department of Biology, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY

As case study practitioners, we can become so enamored with the method that we spend most of our efforts on implementation.  However, in their influential book Understanding by Design, Wiggins and McTighe remind us that implementation should be the last step in any process of curricular design.   Following their dictums, in this workshop a “backward” design approach will be offered as the preferred means to promote successful case-based learning. Guided by a framework that identifies issues and concerns central to backward design, workshop participants will be shown a favorable strategy for managing case-based learning in the science classroom. Participants will be challenged to use this approach to begin devising or reengineering a case of their own. A final discussion will provide opportunity for comparison of case-based learning methods, assessment tools, and student learning outcomes in the sciences. Participants should expect to leave the workshop better equipped to incorporate case-based teaching and learning into their own courses.

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Track B:  High School Teacher Session: “Who Let The Dogs Out?” A Case on DNA Structure, Function and Analysis

Kathy Hoppe, Education Consultant, STEMisED, Arlington, VA. Jorge Valdes, Education Program Advisor, Office of Education and Outreach, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Arlington, VA

Attendees of this workshop will participate in a case study that integrates a large-scale DNA model, DNA extraction, simulated gel electrophoresis, and related historical information about patents and trademarks in the field of molecular biology. This PBL-based case study integrates modeling, lab work, simulated analysis, and invention through a story about breeding puppies. Participants will take on the student role and at the same time learn how to coach and facilitate learning.

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Track C: Molecular Case Studies: Analysis at the Interface of Biology and Chemistry

Shuchi Dutta,Scientific Educational Development Lead, RCSB Protein Data Bank / Research Assistant Professor, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

Understanding structure and function is common to biology, chemistry, and biochemistry education. However, introducing students to molecular structure visualization and helping them bridge the gap between biology and chemistry can be challenging. A group of seven undergraduate educators from around the nation has formed a network called the Molecular CaseNet. These educators have collaboratively identified real-world contexts (problems, topics, phenomenon) and developed molecular case studies based on these for use in a variety of different courses and at different levels of rigor. In addition to instruction in biomolecular structure and function, these cases are designed to introduce students to currently underutilized public bioinformatics resources while engaging them in “scientific practices.” In this interactive workshop, you will be introduced to some of these cases and invited to pilot them in your own classrooms. Your feedback will help improve these cases for use in interdisciplinary teaching and learning.


10:00am – 10:15am

COFFEE BREAK


10:15am – 11:45pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 5

Track A:  How to Write a Case

Kipp Herreid, Director, National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

Finding a topic isn't difficult. Cases can be used to teach almost any topic, from mitosis to nuclear fission. The challenge is how to craft a case study so that it achieves your teaching objectives while providing students with a compelling story that is relevant and thought-provoking. In this workshop, we will provide you with a recipe for writing successful cases. Join us and leave the workshop with a rough draft of a case for one of your own courses.

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Track B: Bioinformatics and DNA-Based Case Studies

Michèle Shuster, Associate Professor of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

The field of bioinformatics (managing and analyzing large biological data sets) is becoming increasingly important in a variety of areas, including medicine (e.g., genetics and pharmacogenomics), as well as in “recreational genetics,” as people explore their ancestry using their DNA. Given the prevalence of DNA-based applications (e.g. diagnostics and ancestry testing), it is important that students (and members of society) become familiar with these applications and what they can and cannot tell us. DNA-based case studies are ideal ways to use DNA sequences in ways that help students learn both basic concepts about genetics and the role of DNA in society. We have successfully designed and used DNA-based case studies for grades 5-12 as well as for undergraduate students (see, e.g., Murder by HIV? and MRSA in the NICU: Outbreak or Coincidence? on the NCCSTS website). Come to this session to experience some examples of DNA-based case studies and to learn how to design your own. We will be using open access online tools, so having an internet-capable tablet or laptop will be very helpful.


11:45pm – 12:45pm

LUNCH


12:45pm – 2:15pm

BREAK-OUT SESSION 6

Track A:  Filling Your Case Study Toolkit: Tips, Tricks and Tools for Teaching Using Cases

Annie Prud’homme-Genereux, Director, Continuing Studies and Executive Education, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Whether you are a seasoned case study teacher or are just getting started, you are probably seeking tools that you can use to manage the case study classroom more effectively. This session will familiarize you with some of the most useful strategies I have accumulated for teaching with cases. You will experience, and we will discuss, strategies for forming student teams and managing them effectively as well as ways of ensuring that students take responsibility for their learning and do their homework ahead of a case.  You will have the opportunity to play with some free and fun technology you can use to pool student feedback anonymously and you will become familiar with a set of resources you can use to formulate questions that supplement a case and confront students with their misconceptions. I accumulated and selected these resources over 15 years; save yourself years of searching and experience them all in 90 minutes!

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Track B:   “A Perfect Medley”: Combining Science Case Studies with Team-Based Learning

Sandra Westmoreland, Associate Professor of Biology at Texas Woman’s University (retired) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovations at The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX

Using case studies in our classrooms is a natural fit for teachers who wish to encourage critical thinking skills in their students. However, sometimes including case studies in our curricula seems challenging. How do we make the case study experience student-centered, engaging, and interactive, even if our class has a high enrollment? In this workshop, we will experience how Team-Based Learning creates a “perfect medley” when combined with science case studies and can be used to build a natural framework for implementing case studies in your classroom. Come prepared to join a team and experience Team-Based Learning first-hand. Leave ready to try this teaching method with your own students!


2:15PM – 2:30PM

COFFEE BREAK


2:30PM – 4:00PM

BREAK-OUT SESSION 7

Track A: Applying Multimedia Learning Principles to Enhance Student Learning in Lectures

Joseph Kim, Associate Professor in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Among the many different teaching strategies to consider, improving the organization and design of our PowerPoint slides can have a real impact on student learning.  For most instructors, PowerPoint slides remain the basic method of delivering course materials. Think about the ineffective lectures you have sat through as a student, researcher, and instructor. Lectures that lack organization, clarity, and engagement fail to connect with students.  Students stop listening and instead simply copy the slides verbatim with little critical thinking. How do your teaching lectures compare to these experiences? If you want to motivate a passion for learning, the best place to start is to effectively deliver your course materials. By applying the findings that have been developed in controlled-lab and classroom-based studies can lead to improved lectures, which then translate into durable learning that extends from short-term tests to beyond the final exam. Unfortunately, many presenters have little understanding of the underlying multimedia learning principles that can guide learning. This workshop introduces key design principles, the importance of creating a "story structure," and a practical plan for delivering lectures with a cohesive message.

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Track B: Why Are So Many College Graduates Anti-Vaxxers?  Improving Gen-Ed Science Courses by Focusing on the Process of Science Rather Than on its Factoids

Matthew Rowe, Professor of Biology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

Measles, a deadly and debilitating disease that the CDC declared “eradicated” in the U.S. in 2000, is back.  Yet many parents, afraid of vaccines, are throwing “measles parties” to expose their children to the virus when a playmate becomes infected.  The epicenters of recent outbreaks, including Disneyland, are often traced to wealthy enclaves of parents, most with college educations and even advanced degrees, who believe vaccines pose a greater risk to their children than do the diseases the immunizations effectively prevent.  Weren’t each of these parents required to complete a gen-ed science course or two during college?  How have we, as educators, failed them so miserably?  More importantly, what can we do to provide our current and future students with better tools to make these life-and-death decisions?  First, we have to make science relevant to students who are not science majors.  Second, we must effectively teach the process of science rather than just its facts, so that students can distinguish good science from bad science from pseudoscience.  And lastly, we must instill in our students the confidence that, upon graduation, they have the necessary skills to make thoughtful and intelligent decisions regarding the next “controversial” scientific topic to appear on one of their Twitter feeds.  Participants in this workshop will actively engage in a case study designed specifically towards these ends -- a case examining the purported connection between autism and the MMR vaccine.