Use of Case Studies and Group Discussion in Science Education

This hands-on video shows the classical method of running a case study class used by Harvard law and business school professors for almost 100 years-the art of using successful group discussion. In 26 minutes you will learn how to ensure that your large group discussion is not a free-for-all or an exercise in futility as you try to get students to say something intelligent. Preparation and control are the key ingredients. For preparation students must read a case study ahead of time. But it is more than that. In this video, which focuses on a case study involving genetically modified food, you will see how an actual class is given a “warm-up” by breaking into small groups to discuss the reading they’ve done ahead of time. Then you will see how a large group discussion is successfully controlled. It’s the important, yet subtle, use of appropriate questions, body language, blackboard planning, and summarization that makes it all work.
Produced by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, Copyright 2000. For more information, visit us at NSTA: www.nsta.org/c...