REVIEWS

number of matches minus any mismatches or gaps needed

for the alignments. To continue the game, you must at least
match the par score for the initial heuristic alignment and
any optimization provided by other players. If you cannot
reach the par score in the time allotted, the game ends. The
program also provides the regional sequence information
for a related common ancestor at the branch of the regions
being analyzed. You can call this common ancestor up on
the game page by clicking the phylogenetic tree root to help
with your own alignment.
The game presents a very good visual representation
of heuristic algorithms and how they process and organize
large amounts sequence data. I think it can be used as a
good pedagogical tool to visually demonstrate and put
into practice sequence alignment without having to get
too heavily into algorithm design. The fact that this is all
web-based means there is no need for any special bioinformatics software or access to a supercomputer. In my
opinion, it is an activity meant for college-level students
or extremely bright high school students. Phylo is challenging and students should probably have an introduction to
bioinformatics and human genetic disorders before playing.
I feel that this background information will help energize
the students, especially if you point out how their alignments will help optimize the information put forth by the
Human Genome Project. Speaking as someone with a
strong competitive nature, my interest was piqued by the
more complex alignments. I did fairly well playing different levels, but I could get extremely frustrated with the
timed nature of the game. Some younger students could
become too focused on the time allowed, rather than the
learning benefits of multiple sequence alignment that the
game provides. However, players with the maturity will see
Phylo for the challenge that bioinformatics can in itself be.
Michael R. Leonardo
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA
E-mail: mleonard@coe.edu
A Case for Active Learning
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v13i1.398
Bard College faculty jointly review the National Center for
Case Study Teaching in Science (Buffalo Case Studies)
http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/
A lot of recent research investigates the value of case
studies in promoting active learning in the science classroom. Such cases involve the use of scientific concepts
(often based on published data), and engage students with
elements such as playacting and dialog, guided analysis of
scientific figures, and critical thinking questions for discussion and reflection. Whereas case studies can be effective
at many levels and with differing course structures, as with
most resources they require custom tailoring by the faculty
member using them.
96

At Bard College (a private, selective liberal arts college

in New Yorks Hudson River Valley), first-year students
are required to participate in a three-week course on the
methods of evaluating evidence in science called Citizen
Science. In the program, faculty members are recruited
worldwide from professionally diverse positionsincluding
post doctoral researchers and emeritus faculty. Students
work together on three modules that include laboratory
experimentation, computer-based modeling, and problembased learning, and must complete the course during their
first academic year at Bard. Because they are not grouped in
a Citizen Science classroom according to major or previous
science experience, students of all backgrounds make up a
class section, which provides richness in perspective and
interests. This classroom composition can pose a challenge
to providing appropriate level of rigor. Thus case studies
provide a platform for challenging students with material
that is varied and flexible, at different levels of complexity.
Additionally, case studies facilitate group work environments
that can enhance student learning, and are especially relevant
in groups of students with mixed subject preparedness.
Case studies can be accessed in a number of different
ways, including publications in peer-reviewed journals such
as the Journal of College Science Teaching, or via web sites,
including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website
(www.cdc.gov/epicasestudies/). These sources do provide
case studies in their entirety; however, cases are often
published alone, or with only a small number of other case
studies for comparison and use. One composite reference
is the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
(NCCST; www.sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/), formerly
known as the Buffalo Case Studies Collection.
The NCCST resource site, funded by the NSF, is not
only a clearinghouse for case studies, but also provides a
mechanism for training and support. The NCCST currently
offers over 400 faculty-authored cases. These are indexed
by subject (i.e., genetics, ecology, medical ethics, journalism, marine science), as well by level. Additional information
based on targeted student interaction is also provided,
allowing faculty to customize a classroom experience. For
example, some cases are designed to stage class debate; in
others, students participate in small group Problem Based
Learning (PBL), or the reading of primary literature in-between classes is required (often referred to as interrupted
cases). Some cases, referred to as clicker cases, provide
prompts and questions especially designed for use with
student response systems (clickers). (One example: I dont
need a flu shot by William D. Rogers www.sciencecases.
lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=474&id=474).
Sites usually also provide instructors with guidelines and
links to examples that will help them decide on the best
approach for the student audience (www.sciencecases.lib.
buffalo.edu/cs/collection/method.asp).
The Bard Citizen Science faculty used a number of the
NCCST cases to facilitate the classroom experience during
the program in 2012. We chose those that fit our focus on

Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education

Volume 13, Number 1

REVIEWS

an infectious disease curriculum, as well as cases that were

specifically designed for introducing techniques that use
evidence to test hypotheses. One effective example was the
case Salems Secrets, written by Susan M. Nava-Whitehead
and Joan-Beth Gow (www.sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/
collection/detail.asp?case_id=307&id=307). In the classroom,
the students were able to examine data of individuals with
symptoms of mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts, and
the controversies surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. Also
effective was a case focused on use of the scientific method
in discovering the cause behind Childbed Fever (Childbed
Fever: a Nineteenth Century Mystery" by Christa Colyer).
Cases like Bad Blood: A Case Study of Tuskeegee Syphilis
Studies written by Ann W.Fourtner, and Tragic Choices:
Autism, Measles, and the MMR Vaccine by Matthew P.
Rowe, were utilized in multiple sections and were adaptable
for audiences of various science backgrounds. Case sites
provided student material, as well as material (including
answer keys) for registered faculty members only. Faculty
who were surveyed reported they often used questions
posed in a case study as entry points for class discussion,
used supplementary primary literature readings to provide
concrete examples, and did not necessarily lead the class
through all parts of a particular case.
Some faculty found that the dialog in some of the cases
to be stilted and perhaps a bit too dramatic; however, this
may work in a class that enjoys more play acting, or it might
be the type of activity/part of the case that can be used as
take-home reading. Since cases are fully referenced, there are
ways to alter even the dialog to be more suitable for class level.
For example, one may alter a conversation to present it as a
physicians patient notes, or have the students come up with
scenarios that they find more realistic. In the Citizen Science
classroom, non-Science and Science majors alike benefit from
these types of engaged writing activities, and they allowed
students with various academic strengths to participate fully.
The NCCST is the currently the most comprehensive
site providing case studies and support for faculty in the
classroom. The website includes links to other case study
repositories, links to publications that support the use of
case studies in the classroom, a directory of faculty involved
in case study writing, and an in-depth look at the role of case
studies in student learning. The center also provides training
for interested faculty in a face-to-face format during a summer
workshop and fall conference, as well as via training videos. As
with most education resources, case studies in the classroom
are not a one size fits all activity. However, the NCCST
does deliver the tools and support to allow educators to
make the most of an active learning based classroom design.
Acknowledgments: The author would like to thank the
faculty of the Bard Citizen Science program for their helpful
contributions to the writing of this article.
Brooke A. Jude
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
E-mail: bjude@bard.edu
Volume 13, Number 1

So, You Want to Be a Better Educator

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v13i1.395
Review of: Three highly recommended online resources at
academic teaching and learning centers:
The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton
University, www.princeton.edu/mcgraw
The Institute for Teaching, Learning, and Academic Leadership (ITLAL) at the University of Albany, www.albany.edu/
teachingandlearning
The Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of
Minnesota, www.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/index.html
Academic Teaching and Learning (T&L) centers are
tremendous resources for university faculty, especially in
the sciences where faculty backgrounds during their graduate schools and post-doctoral fellowships are researchfocused and mostly devoid of pedagogical training. Some
T&L centers not only serve their local users, but also place
open material on the web. These are good sources of free,
reliable information and guidance for faculty. One excellent
example is The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning
at Princeton University (www.princeton.edu/mcgraw). Sections are available for faculty, graduate teaching assistants,
and undergraduates as learners. Resources include:
a blog called The Scholar as Teacher
a list of 44 tip sheets on topics such as motivating
students, writing effective exams, dealing with large
lectures, and cultivating reasoning skills
28 handouts on time management, effective reading,
problem solving, and other study skills for students
online learning styles inventory
Assistant Instructor Handbook (68-page pdf)
I can provide many examples of how I personally found
the sites useful in a variety of areas. For example, we all have
experience with some students who earn low grades on
exams, yet report studying for many hours. I have used the
learning inventories in courses to help students understand
the ways they learn most effectively and thus make more
efficient use of their study time. Inventories allow study
advice to be tailored to a specific students needs.
Another example of a useful T&L site is the Institute for
Teaching, Learning, and Academic Leadership (ITLAL) at the
University of Albany (www.albany.edu/teachingandlearning).
This site has a large number of resources, mainly as links.
These include:
a list for faculty and one specifically for graduate
TAs, organized by general teaching questions, such
as How do I integrate technologies? or What do
I do on the first day of class?
a special section for new faculty, which contains
a gem (a list of top 10 books for new instructors,
including reviews and tables of contents)
a section covering Service Learning (SL) specifically,
including how to design and evaluate SL

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