Abstract
The Department of Chemistry at Georgia Southern University provides foundation courses for nutrition majors in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. One foundation course is Nutritional Biochemistry- a one semester course that focuses on the basic principles of biochemistry as they apply to human metabolic systems. The students gain familiarity with biological molecules such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and they learn how the body metabolizes each of these molecules. Traditionally this course has been taught with a lecture-based format placing the students in a passive learning role. Recently, case studies have been incorporated as a supplement to these lectures allowing small student groups solve problems similar to the types of problems they will encounter in their chosen profession. This method motivates and engages students because they see relationships between complicated metabolic pathways and metabolic or nutritional disorders. The case study method has proved to be very successful in the Nutritional Biochemistry course at Georgia Southern University. The students were actively engaged in learning the material, and these exercises developed their analytical skills as well as writing skills.
Recommended Citation
Davis McGibony, C. Michele
(2004)
"The Successful Use of Case Studies in Biochemistry,"
Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 62, No. 2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol62/iss2/1