Prelude to the Case

In this “clicker case,” Ryan, a college student, receives an email from the campus health education office urging students to get a flu shot. Ryan thinks it is too late since he just had the stomach flu, and besides, even if he did catch it, he could always just take some antibiotics. Fortunately, his girlfriend Ashley is able to correct these and other commonly held misconceptions. She also explains about flu pandemics and why flu shots are needed each year. Ashley uses real examples to help Ryan learn about the dangers of the flu and how to prevent getting the flu. The concepts of viral mutations (antigenic drift) and viral recombination (genetic shift) are also introduced.

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 PowerPoint presentation (~1.7 MB)

Go to the teaching notes

Date Posted: February 2, 2010.