Prelude to the Case

In this “clicker case,” students read about a college student who becomes sick. As they set out to identify the cause of the illness, students learn about, and then use, the basic differences between viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes to decide which organism is causing the infection. The case consists of a handout that students partially complete before class as well as an in-class PowerPoint presentation with questions. The case could be used in any introductory biology course or as a review of cell structure in an anatomy and physiology course.

This case is called a clicker case because it was designed to be presented in a class that uses personal response systems, better known as “clickers.” The case study is presented in class via PowerPoint, with multiple-choice questions sprinkled throughout the “lecture.” Students are expected to answer the questions as they arise using their clickers. Many instructors allow students to consult with their neighbor before clicking in their answer. The entire approach encourages student participation even in the largest of classes. The use of clickers in combination with case studies is described in greater detail in the article “Clicker” Cases: Introducing Case Study Teaching Into Large Classrooms.

Go to the handout

Go to the PowerPoint presentation (~3.4 MB)

Go to the teaching notes

Date Posted: November 4, 2008.