In this problem-based learning/role playing case, students apply their knowledge of the biology of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy to developing foreign aid policy for the HIV/AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The case was created for a non-majors course in human biology taken mostly by juniors or seniors. It has also been used in a microbiology course for pre-nursing students and in an upper-level microbiology course for biology majors.

“A Family in Need” was designed as an in-class problem-based learning activity for students to learn about several innovative medical applications of molecular biology. Students assume the role of a second-year medical student assigned to work with a pediatric oncologist who has just biopsied a tumor-like growth in the adrenal gland of her 17-year-old patient, Lee F. After taking Lee’s family history and performing a pedigree analysis, students review clinical and genetic characteristics of several syndromes associated with adrenal cancer. Students then explore various diagnostic and biomedical research techniques such as PCR, DNA sequencing, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. The case concludes with a consideration of how to treat Lee’s condition with the help of gene cloning and the potential of gene therapy. Although originally written for an upper-level college genetics course, the case could also be adapted for an introductory molecular/cellular biology course, a non-majors biology course, or a professional school medical genetics course.

Using problem-based learning and role-playing, students analyze the geological origins of the Galapagos Islands, their colonization, species formation, and threats to their biodiversity in this story of a graduate student caught between local fishermen and government officials fighting for control of the islands' natural resources. The case was designed for an introductory biology course where the focus is on evolution. It would also be appropriate for courses in ecology, conservation biology, and natural resources management.

In this problem-based learning case, three housemates in an environmentally-themed college house debate the pros and cons of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) over incandescent lamps. The students raise issues of the cost difference between the lamps (both in the short and long term), energy use and greenhouse gas production in the manufacture and use of the lamps, and the mercury content in CFLs and the risks that poses to people and the environment. Students are asked to identify the information needed to evaluate the choice between the two lamp types, and then use a published life-cycle analysis to find and evaluate that information. To conclude, they make a decision and argue for it using quantitative evidence and reasoning. The case was developed for an intermediate-level course designed to help environmental studies students understand the role of scientific information and scientific thinking in resolving complex environmental problems.

In this problem-based learning case, students read about a 41-year-old woman who is suffering from recurring headaches. Working in small groups, the students analyze a variety of information and then formulate a diagnosis. This case study was developed for a two-semester anatomy and physiology course that is aimed at sophomore and junior level undergraduate students. These students are typically biology or health science majors who are pre-med, pre-nursing, or pre-physical therapy.

This problem-based learning case uses Archaeopteryx, the most famous fossil in the world, to show the vital role that fossils play in understanding evolutionary history and to explore the different theories for the origin of flight and the debate over a bird-dinosaur connection. The case was designed for an introductory biology course where the focus is on evolution. It would also be appropriate for classes in geology.

In this directed case study developed for a biochemistry class, students read about the differences in the dietary preferences and practices for preparing and consuming rice among the three major communities of Malaysia, the local Malays and the immigrant Tamils and Chinese. They then answer a series of close-ended questions about the causes and consequences of thiamin deficiency.

In this problem-based learning case, a couple who has adopted a three-year-old toddler is concerned about the child's health, in particular the fact that the boy wheezes when he breathes. Students work in groups to analyze a variety of information and formulate a diagnosis. The case was developed for a two-semester anatomy and physiology class for undergraduates to teach them about cell physiology and tissue anatomy.