Description: By using a simple critical thinking model, students can learn to analyze case studies in microbiology.
Pedagogy Keywords: Learn, Problem-Based Learning, Teach, Case Studies
Core Themes: Theme 3 (Microorganisms and humans), Theme 6 (Teaching and Learning)
Learning Discipline Keywords: Bacteriology, Microbiology
Microorganisms: N/A
Keywords: Bacteria, Case Studies, Clinical cases, Clinical Microbiology, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis/Interpretation, Disease, Gram stain, Identification, Medical, Risk, Symptoms, Teaching
Skills: Thinking: Analysis, Thinking: Cognitive processes
Intended Audience:
Microbiology/Biology majors
Allied health majors
Biotechnology majors
Science education majors
Nonmajors
Learning Time:
1 hour in class or take home
ACTIVITY
Students will be able to apply a critical thinking model to the analysis of case studies.
Students should have had an introduction to microbes and should have a basic understanding of laboratory testing, particularly the Gram staining technique.
PROCEDURE
Students need to have access to a computer or be in a classroom with a computer and projector system.
Instructors should review the critical thinking model used to familiarize themselves with the seven steps of the process: identify, gather, examine, formulate, apply, evaluate, and reflect.
Students should be introduced to case studies then asked to read a copy of the case study that will be presented in the animation (see Case study). The students should then complete the pretest. The animation called “Using Critical Thinking Skills to Analyze Case Studies in Microbiology” should be shown to the students (see Animation). A posttest is then administered.
Safety Issues.
None
Suggestions for Determining Student Learning.
By using the pre- and posttests, student confidence about analyzing a case study and student understanding of the steps needed to properly analyze a case study can be assessed.
This activity was field tested with 28 microbiology students (Biology 225), most of whom are planning careers in the allied health fields.
Results after the first presentation of the animation
Pretest questions
· Question 1 on student confidence in analyzing case studies: 93% either were unsure or did not know how to do this analysis.
· Question 2 on needing help with the analysis: 100% wanted help.
· Steps in analysis of case study: average number of steps identified was 1.25 out of 7 steps.
Posttest questions
· Question 1 on student confidence after watching animation: 75% could now analyze or use this step-by-step model to analyze a case study.
· Question 2 on use of the model: 100% thought that it would help them.
· Steps in analysis of case study: 5.8 out of 7 steps of the critical thinking model were correctly put in order.
Results after a second presentation of the animation with new case studies (31 students participated)
Using the grading rubric for critical thinking skills (advanced = 4, competent = 3, developing = 2, and elementary = 1), the average student score for each section of the critical thinking model was:
|
Identify
|
2.65
|
|
Gather
|
2.68
|
|
Examine
|
3.03
|
|
Formulate
|
3.17
|
|
Apply
|
3.03
|
|
Evaluate
|
3.28
|
|
Reflect
|
3.34
|
Not only could students identify the parts of the critical thinking model, they also had developed a level of competence in using the model to analyze new case studies.
Student Data.
Before the animation was shown, most students could only list “identify the problem” as a step in the analysis of a case study. Many steps were minimally filled out or went off on tangents that had nothing to do with the case itself. After the animation, most students expressed, through the posttest and by voice, that they felt more comfortable using the critical thinking model as a guide through this type of analysis.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
The pre- and posttests can be modified to accommodate any extra questions that an instructor would like to add. The animation could be made available to the students for review via a web-based course management system. Other case studies could be used to test the students' ability to analyze new case studies.
Links to other case studies from MicrobeLibrary:
Viral Mini-Case History Studies for Courses Involving Medical Microbiology,
http://www.microbelibrary.org/Edzine/details.asp?id=496&Lang=
Bacterial Mini-Case History Studies for Courses Involving Medical Microbiology,
Link to information about a book containing case studies:
Gilligan, P. H., M. L. Smiley, and D. S. Shapiro. 2002. Cases in medical microbiology and infectious diseases, 3rd ed. ASM Press, Washington, D.C. http://www.microbelibrary.org/Edzine/details.asp?id=1706&Lang=.
Links to other case studies from the web:
Case studies in Science from State University of New York at Buffalo: case collection in Microbiology,
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/ubcase.htm#microbiology
References.
1. Buxton, R. 2007. Examination of Gram stains of urine. http://www.microbelibrary.org/Gram%20Stain/details.asp?id=2415&Lang=English.
2. Cundell, D. 2000. Bacterial mini-case history studies for courses involving medical microbiology. http://www.microbelibrary.org/Edzine/details.asp?id=494&Lang=English.
3. Facione, P. A. 2007. Critical thinking: what it is and why it counts. Insight Assessment. http://www.insightassessment.com.
4. York Technical College. 2009. York Technical College critical thinking model explained. http://www.yorktech.com/QEP/model%20description.htm.
Appendices and Answer Keys.
· Animation file: “Using Critical Thinking Skills to Analyze Case Studies in Microbiology.”
· Pretest and answer key
· Posttest and answer key
| 
