Diversity Team Releases New Edition of Case Studies
Katherine Friedrich

CIRTL’s Diversity Team has recently published an expanded edition of the book Case Studies in Inclusive Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Diversity workshops around the country will feature the new cases this spring.

The book uses a series of one-page short stories, with faculty and graduate student commentary, to introduce controversial issues in STEM teaching and learning. Each case study can be used for individual reflection, in workshops, with graduate classes, in diversity trainings, or at conferences.
The case scenarios have raised awareness and heightened interest in diversity in STEM at many events – from the Biennial Conference in Chemical Education to a recent Council of Graduate Schools meeting.

Since the release of the book at the CIRTL Forum in May 2005, the Diversity Team has received many requests to expand the collection of ten cases to cover a wider range of issues. They responded by developing five new case scenarios involving:

• an international engineering faculty member who has difficulty with his students,
• a new professor puzzled by student evaluations of his teaching of evolution,
• a nursing student balancing school work with supporting his family,
• a professor who discusses same-sex relationships in a biology course, and
• a physics student with test anxiety who is afraid to disappoint her parents. 

The new case book is being used in the CIRTL Diversity Resources Workshop, which began in early March. As part of this program, case study workshops will take place at universities and conferences around the country.

For more information about Case Studies in Inclusive Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, visit the CIRTL Diversity Resources web site.

March 22, 2007

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