Piloting case-based instruction in a didactic clinical immunology course.
OBJECTIVE
To assess (1) the effect of case-based instructional modules on student critical thinking, class attendance, and satisfaction and (2) student opinion of case formats.


METHODS
University-based upper division course in clinical immunology and serology. The course was taught by the same instructor for two consecutive semesters with the intervention introduced in the second semester. Sixty-seven students experienced the intervention and 56 students were in the baseline cohort.


METHODS
Nine cases were interspersed between lectures during the semester. Each case took one 50-minute class in which students worked in groups of five or six.


METHODS
Student performance on five critical thinking multiple-choice examination questions and percent student attendance on case days versus lecture days were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. Student ratings on course evaluations were analyzed using t-test comparing semesters with and without intervention. Student opinion of cases was obtained through surveys and a focus group.


RESULTS
Student performance on critical thinking exam questions was similar in the two groups. Student attendance was significantly higher on case days (95.6%) versus lecture days (80.3%; p < 0.0001). Only composite ratings for instructor involvement, student-instructor interaction, and course organization were significantly improved in the semester with cases compared to the semester with lecture only (p < 0.0001 for all indices).


CONCLUSIONS
Although case studies did not significantly improve student performance on critical thinking questions, they still proved to be a valuable instructional method. Student attendance, student-instructor interaction, and instructor involvement in the course were all positively affected by incorporation of case studies. Discussion of cases also helped to uncover student misconceptions of course material.
Hoag
Kathleen
K
Medical Technology Program, College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. hoagk@msu.edu
Lillie
Janet
J
Hoppe
Ruth
R
D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000193:education*; D004501:Education, Medical; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*