Place-Based Case Studies: A New Approach to an Effective Teaching Practice.

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• STEM Education

Background:

• Case-based learning (CBL) in STEM classrooms enhances real-world applicability and student outcomes.
• Traditional case studies often lack community-specific context, limiting relevance.
• Place-based case studies (PBCS) aim to connect course content to students' local communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of PBCS compared to non-PBCS on cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes in introductory cell and molecular biology.
• To assess if PBCS improve students' understanding of science's impact on their local communities.
• To determine the scalability and effectiveness of PBCS in STEM education.

Main Methods:

• A comparative, quasi-experimental design was employed.
• Introductory cell and molecular biology students were divided into PBCS and non-PBCS cohorts.
• Student outcomes, including content knowledge and community impact perception, were measured post-exercise.

Main Results:

• Both PBCS and non-PBCS cohorts showed increases in content knowledge.
• No statistically significant difference in post-exercise performance was found between PBCS and non-PBCS cohorts.
• Students in the PBCS cohort reported a stronger understanding of how scientific advancements impact their local communities.

Conclusions:

• PBCS enhance students' perception of science's relevance to their communities.
• PBCS provide a scalable, classroom-based method to engage students with practical scientific experiences.
• Integrating community context into case studies can improve student engagement and understanding of science's societal impact.