Teaching via case studies is a form of storytelling, which puts information into a real-world scenario that promotes understanding. Presentation of scientific case studies via the “Interrupted Case Method”, in which information is progressively revealed with interspersed classroom discussion, provides a framework for active learning and critical thinking. However, participation of all students in discussion in a large classroom setting is difficult since not every student can feasibly reply to each question and many are hesitant to speak aloud. To overcome these obstacles, Poll Everywhere software was used with the purpose of increasing student participation during case study discussions. Poll Everywhere allows instructors to embed short-answer questions into PowerPoint and instantaneously display real-time responses students send from cell phones or tablets/laptops. This presentation will highlight student feedback about this approach, as well as provide tips for successful use of this strategy to facilitate active learning.
