Using the case-study method in teaching college physics

TL;DR

This paper advocates for adopting the case-study teaching method in college physics to promote active learning, highlighting its potential benefits and encouraging instructors to develop and share physics-related cases.

Contribution

It introduces the case-study method to physics education and calls for increased adoption and development of physics-specific cases to enhance active learning.

Findings

Case-study method promotes active student participation.

Physics education can benefit from diverse teaching formats.

Encourages instructors to create and share physics cases.

Abstract

The case-study teaching method has a long history (starting at least with Socrates), and wide current use in business schools, medical schools, law schools, and a variety of other disciplines. However, relatively little use is made of it in the physical sciences, specifically in physics or astronomy. The case-study method should be considered by physics faculty as part of the effort to transition the teaching of college physics from the traditional frontal-lecture format to other formats that enhance active student participation. In this paper we endeavor to interest physics instructors in the case-study method, and hope that it would also serve as a call for more instructors to produce cases that they use in their own classes and that can also be adopted by other instructors.