Science and storytelling.

Accidental drowning or foul play? Instead of reading out lecture notes on organic chemistry, future science professors may spin riveting yarns about crime investigations. A workshop series, "Case Studies in Science," shows science faculty how to keep students more engaged by transforming lectures

into lively experiences. Directed by Clyde Herreid of the University at Buffalo, the workshop provides a searchable database of case studies that professors can adapt to their fields. Case studies and storytelling are more common in teaching law and business, but rare in science, he notes. Stories add immediacy and relevance; rather than passively listening to lectures, students get actively involved in role-playing games, debates, and presentations on important, real-world issues in which science offers critical understanding. Professors participating in the workshops report increased student attendance, including among non-science majors.

Sources: University at Buffalo, News Services, 330 Crofts Hall, Amherst, New York 14260. Web site www.buffalo.edu.

National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html.