INTERRUPTED CASE STUDIES IN MATERIALS ENGINEERING

The interrupted case studies method uses case studies taken from real-world problems, and breaks them down in smaller pieces; the students work on the smaller parts in teams during the lecture, and get feedback from the professor before moving on to the next part of the case. I used this approach in a Materials Engineering class taken by undergraduate students in their second year, titled "Analytical and Characterization Techniques". The method engaged the students very effectively during class time and seemed to promote deeper learning of key concepts. The method seemed to be particularly effective with students with learning disabilities.