Prelude to the Case

In this “clicker case,” students are introduced to the story of Santhi Soundararajan, a track athlete from Kathakkurichi, India, who was stripped of her silver medal in the 800-meter race at the 2006 Asian Games after failing to pass a sex test. Through the case, students learn about sex determination, meiosis, and chromosomal “crossing over.” Developed for an introductory biology class for both majors and non-majors, the case would also be appropriate in an anatomy and physiology or endocrinology course.

The 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.

Date Posted: September 09, 2008.