Case-based Teaching and Problem-based Learning

With case-based teaching, students develop skills in analytical thinking and reflective judgment by reading and discussing complex, real-life scenarios. The articles in this section explain how to use cases in teaching and provide case studies for the natural sciences, social sciences, and other disciplines.

Teaching with Case Studies (Stanford University, 1994) [1]

This article from the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning describes the rationale for using case studies, the process for choosing appropriate cases, and tips for how to implement them in college courses.

Teaching with the Case Method (Indiana University) [2]

This site provides a good introductory overview to teaching with case studies.  It has useful definitions and teaching strategies that will help instructors design and facilitate the use of cases in their classroom.                   

The Case Method and the Interactive Classroom (Foran, 2001, NEA Higher Education Journal) [3]

First-person account of how a sociology faculty member at University of California, Santa Barbara began using case studies in his teaching and how his methods have evolved over time as a professor.

Using Cases in Teaching (Penn State) [4]

Tips for both teachers and students on how to be successful using case studies in the college/university classroom. Includes links to several case repositories, organized by discipline.

MERLOT [5]

This is a free, peer reviewed, online repository of learning materials that includes a wide selection of cases for use by an array of disciplines (humanities, education, business, mathematics and statistics, social sciences, science and technology, and more).   

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (University of Buffalo) [6]

This site offers resources and examples specific to teaching in the sciences. This includes the “UB Case Study Collection,” an extensive list of ready-to-use cases in a variety of science disciplines. Each case features a PDF handout describing the case, as well as teaching notes.