Cart
Article
The Use of Case Studies in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Course
Hi-Res PDFPurchase the full-text
- PDF/HTML,
figures/images,
references and tables,
(where available)
Abstract
Most college biochemistry courses are taught in a format in which the professor lectures and the student memorizes. Although this is the best method for conveying large amounts of material, it puts the student in the position of passive learner. The lecture-based format has not been abandoned, but has been supplemented with case study projects assigned to the students upon completion of the intermediary metabolism unit. The case study assignment is modeled on similar exercises carried out in medical school biochemistry courses in the US and around the world. A description of the assignment follows: a group of 4-5 students is given a case study which gives the medical history of a patient with an inherited metabolic disease. The group is asked to provide biochemical explanations for the patient's symptoms and to suggest an effective course of treatment. The evaluation consists of a short paper that the students write as a group. The assignment provides the opportunity for small group interaction within a larger class and emphasizes cooperative-collaborative learning. Students learn by researching the topic on their own and debating it in small group discussions, and in so doing, gain a sense of confidence in themselves and the material they have learned over the course of the semester. Solving a "real-life" problem helps develop analytical and higher-order thinking skills and allows the students to see how biochemical concepts they have learned apply to a clinical situation.
Keywords (Audience):
Upper-Division UndergraduateKeywords (Domain):
BiochemistryKeywords (Feature):
Concepts in BiochemistryKeywords (Subject):
Learning TheoriesCiting Articles
Citation data is made available by participants in CrossRef's Cited-by Linking service. For a more comprehensive list of citations to this article, users are encouraged to perform a search in SciFinder.
This article has been cited by 4 ACS Journal articles (4 most recent appear below).
Context-Based Case Studies in Analytical Chemistry
S. T. Belt and T. L. Overton2007 970 (), 87-99Context-Based Case Studies in Analytical Chemistry
S. T. Belt and T. L. Overton2007 970 (), 87-99This paper describes an overview of the development and use of a series of context-based case studies for the teaching of analytical chemistry to undergraduate students. A rationale behind using case studies in teaching analytical chemistry is given, ...
Using Clinical Cases To Teach General Chemistry
Charlotte L. Martin , Brahmadeo Dewprashad and Charles Kosky , Geraldine S. VazJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (10), 1471Using Clinical Cases To Teach General Chemistry
Charlotte L. Martin , Brahmadeo Dewprashad and Charles Kosky , Geraldine S. VazJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (10), 1471This article describes how a fact-based clinical case was effectively used to motivate and enrich the classroom experience and review many of the concepts covered in general chemistry. The case involves an elderly patient who was brought to the emergency ...
Well Wishes. A Case on Septic Systems and Well Water Requiring In-Depth Analysis and Including Optional Laboratory Experiments
Juliette M. Lantz , Mary M. WalczakJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (2), 218Well Wishes. A Case on Septic Systems and Well Water Requiring In-Depth Analysis and Including Optional Laboratory Experiments
Juliette M. Lantz , Mary M. WalczakJournal of Chemical Education2004 81 (2), 218This paper describes the use of a case study to teach introductory chemistry students the chemical principles of solution concentration (especially ppm) and dilution, aqueous redox reactions, and stoichiometric conversions between different solution ...
The Bridge of Mandolin County
Juliette M. Lantz , Jenny E. Feindt , Eric P. B. Lewellyn and Mary M. WalczakJournal of Chemical Education1999 76 (12), 1671The Bridge of Mandolin County
Juliette M. Lantz , Jenny E. Feindt , Eric P. B. Lewellyn and Mary M. WalczakJournal of Chemical Education1999 76 (12), 1671The Bridge of Mandolin County is a case designed to teach the general chemistry principles of molar mass, ions and aqueous reactions, solubility rules, and inorganic nomenclature. Through the instructor-facilitated class discussion, students consider the ...
Tools
-
Add to Favorites
-
Download Citation
-
Email a Colleague -
Permalink
Order Reprints
Rights & Permissions
Citation Alerts
History
- Received: August 03, 2009
ACS
Network
Facebook
Tweet This
CiteULike
Newsvine
Digg This
Delicious
C−(fc)n−C
