JoinAll Case Studies
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By Robert H. Grant
Through a series of fictionalized diary entries, this case recounts the 1939 discovery by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer (and identification by J.L.B. Smith) of a living coelacanth, a fish believed to be extinct for over 70 million years. Developed for u...
By Sheila O’Brien Quinn
Using the story of death row inmate Charles Singleton, who developed paranoid schizophrenia while in prison awaiting execution, this case study explores the relationship between a society’s concept of mental illness and its treatment of people who ...
By Merle K. Heidemann (rr), Gerald Urquhart
This case study is designed to teach students at various levels about large biomolecules, nutrition, and product analysis. Students conduct a biochemical analysis of several popular energy drinks on the market, which many students purchase at fairly ...
By Thomas Horvath
In 1986, Lake Nyos, a volcanic lake located in Cameroon, Africa, released a huge amount of carbon dioxide gas, killing over 1,700 people and countless livestock and other animals in the area. This case, intended for use in a limnology or an aquatic b...
By Michael Tessmer
This interrupted case study is based on current research involving the global transport of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Students are asked to propose several hypotheses and experiments in an attempt to determine how PCBs are transferred globally...
By Allison Russo, Morgan Falk, Philip J. Stephens
Annie is on a college swimming scholarship. Recently she has been feeling tired and her times have been getting slower. She has also noticed that her vision is often blurred. Concerned, she goes to see her doctor over the mid-term break and is referr...
By Stephanie L. Brooke, Janet Morahan-Martin
This case illustrates concepts of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment within the context of a counseling relationship. Its primary purpose is to teach students about the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, specifically that the relationship is...
The 1st New Disease of the 21st Century
By Otto Sanchez
This case study uses a PowerPoint (~1MB) combined with role-playing to present the epidemiology and pathophysiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Students learn about the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease, and then argue diff...
By Stephanie DeMarco, Caitlyn Woods, Philip J. Stephens
In this interrupted case study, students follow the story of Mr. Gower, who must have a root canal. All goes well at the dentist's, but that night Mr. Gower feels tired and light headed. In the morning, his jaw is stiff and he has no appetite. Over t...
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
By David W. Kelley, Rebecca Helgesen
In this case study, developed for an introductory environmental studies course, students grapple with the issue of air pollution, specifically the causes and effects of haze and smog as ubiquitous, persistent air quality problems that plague urban an...
By Teresa M. Schulz
One Navajo legend attributes the creation of the primary stars and constellations to "Black God." Today, a famous star cluster, the Pleiades, often appears on the traditional mask worn by chanters impersonating Black God during special ceremonies. In...
Discovering Long-Term Care Pharmacy Practice
By Jeffrey C. Reist, Christine M. Catney
This three-part progressive disclosure case is designed to introduce pharmacy students to the pharmacist’s role in long-term care (LTC) facility consulting pharmacy practice and acquaint them with the essential, basic resources for conducting a dru...
Cancel the Cardinals Home Opener?!?
By Patrick S. Market
The St. Louis Cardinals are scheduled to play their home opener the next day and Megan Riley, a young meteorologist who works for a private weather consulting firm, is responsible for developing the weather forecast. It’s starting to look like she ...
By Jennifer Bolognese, Misti Coronel, Anita Intorre, Philip J. Stephens
Phyllis Jackson has fainted on the soccer field. She thinks she is just dehydrated, but her husband is worried. He has noticed that she has been having difficulty concentrating at work and is forgetful at times at home. At his suggestion, Phyllis goe...
A Classic Case of Serial Murder
By Karen Altendorf, Alan Cheville
In this case study, a newly appointed medical examiner uncovers an unusual trend in drowning cases, which she suspects may be the work of a serial murderer. To prove that she is right, she must rely on instrumentation designed and tested by a team of...
By Teresa M. Schulz
This dilemma case, developed for a general astronomy course, provides an introduction to our solar system by highlighting the peculiarities of Pluto. The main character, Dr. Maria Ocasio, is the chair of the Committee on Small Body Nomenclature of th...
It Was a Hot August Afternoon...
By Anthony C. Steyermark
A farmer becomes concerned after discovering a number of dead animals on his small farm, including some ducks, several deer, and a coyote, all within a single week. Fearing that someone might be poisoning his land, he calls in a veterinary pathologis...
By Brent J.F. Hill
In this problem-based learning case, a couple who has adopted a three-year-old toddler is concerned about the child’s health, in particular the fact that the boy wheezes when he breathes. Students work in groups to analyze a variety of information ...
By Herbert House (rr)
Roma and Clint Underhill are relaxing after a stressful day in their hot tub with some wine. But tragedy strikes, and the next morning their lifeless bodies are found in the water by their housekeeper. The paramedics who respond to her frantic 911 ca...
The Case of Eric, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and Stem Cell Research
By Elizabeth R. McCain
Thirty-one-year-old Eric has begun to show signs of the debilitating and fatal neuromuscular disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Students follow Eric as he is examined by his physician and then a specialist, ...
Paired Associates Learning, the Shortfalls of Behaviorism, and the Rise of Cognitivism
By Elizabeth J. Meinz
In this interrupted case study, students learn about a series of studies conducted in the late '50s/early '60s by Robert Young at the University of Texas at Austin. The studies, which explored the type of phenomena that behaviorism has had a difficul...
By Jessica Dudek, Nigel Marriner, Clyde Freeman Herreid
Freshmen frequently struggle with major decisions both inside and outside of school. Even if they have required advisement sessions, they do not always know what questions to ask and what information to share with an advisor. This is true even f...
By Philip J. Stephens
After undergoing a fertility procedure, a 37-year-old woman and her husband are expecting twins. The delivery goes smoothly, but it soon becomes apparent that, while the baby boy appears normal, the baby girl has a heart problem and is cyanotic. In t...
Snowboarding in New York State
By Jeffrey C. Brunskill, Christopher A. Badurek
This case study provides a realistic scenario to introduce and reinforce concepts presented in introductory level geography courses, particularly in cartography and in human, physical, or environmental geography. In the case, students read about a la...
By Sherry Ginn, Elizabeth J. Meinz
This case describes a study conducted by students in which a number of ethical issues arise, including the treatment of research participants and the supervision of student research assistants by faculty. By examining the way in which the study was c...
A Case of Seasonal Affective Disorder
By David F. Dean (rr)
“Melanie Johnson” is a 32-year-old accountant who has moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, from her hometown of Sarasota, Florida. For the first time in her life, she has been experiencing periods of depression, lethargy, and excessive sleeping. ...
By David F. Dean (rr)
“Rollie Hendrix,” a 35-year-old husband and father of three children, has been experiencing headaches and palpitations of increasing frequency and severity over the past six months. In addition, he has had periods of intense anxiety and panic att...
By David F. Dean (rr)
“Amanda Richards,” a 20-year-old junior in college, is majoring in biology and hopes to be a pediatrician one day. For about a month, she has been waking up frequently at night to go to the bathroom. Most recently, she has noticed that she needs ...
By Peggy Brickman
These days it seems like everyone is counting carbs. About 24 million Americans report they have cut carbohydrates from their diet, and 44 million more say they may try a low-carb diet in the next two years. But what do people really know about carbo...
By Philip J. Stephens
In this interrupted case study, a middle-aged man is having his wisdom teeth surgically removed. He decides to have a general anesthetic, but is unaware of the reaction he will have to halothane. His skeletal muscles go rigid and his body temperature...
By Julia Omarzu
This case study involves a couple deciding whether or not their son should undergo brain surgery to treat a severe seizure disorder. In examining this dilemma, students apply knowledge of brain anatomy and function. They also learn about brain scanni...
An Adventure in Stereochemistry
By Frank J. Dinan, Gordon T. Yee
Playfully alluding to Lewis Carroll’s tale of Alice Through the Looking Glass, this case study considers the problems that would arise if a person were to cross over into a mirror-image environment. Students read about a drowsy undergraduate studyi...
By Angela Wisniewski, Thuy N. Nguyen, David Newberger
“Ed Cramer” is a 47-year-old mechanical engineer who is being treated for venous thromboembolism. He was 45 when he first developed a blood clot in the lower part of his left leg and had to be hospitalized for five days. A year later, he develope...
By Sarah G. Stonefoot, Clyde Freeman Herreid
In this case study, students evaluate information about the use of acupuncture and consider the possibilities of alternative therapies while at the same time questioning their effectiveness. To complete the case, students collect information from Int...
Accidental Drowning or Foul Play?
By Monika I. Konaklieva
This case was developed for use in the first semester of a sophomore organic chemistry laboratory to illustrate how a combination of techniques is usually required in the identification of chemical compounds. It involves a murder mystery with a foren...
By Philip J. Stephens
The high school ice hockey team is playing the last of three games in one day. The game gets rough and Rick, the star player, is slammed against the boards. Injured, he has to be escorted from the ice. This interrupted case study follows Ricks ...
By Scott D. Zimmerman
The topics of human cloning and pseudoscience are introduced in this case through the story of Claude Vorilhon, a French auto racing journalist who makes some unusual claims regarding the influence of extraterrestrials on human history and purpose. T...
By Lisa Carloye
This case explores the aggressive mimicry behavior of the femme fatale firefly - female fireflies in the genus Photuris that mimic the flash pattern of females in the genus Photinus in order to lure Photinus males to their death. The case consists of...
Extrasensory Perception: Pseudoscience?
By Sarah G. Stonefoot, Clyde Freeman Herreid
The overall purpose of this case study is to teach students to be skeptical of scientific claims, particularly those that are sensational and fall outside the boundaries of normal scientific explanation. Students read the case and then evaluate infor...
The Case of the Tainted Taco Shells: General Edition
By Ann T.S. Taylor
This case discusses some of the issues associated with the use of genetically modified plants, including ecological risks, resistance, and allergenicity. The case has two versions, or editions. This edition (the "General Edition") emphasizes th...