Renowned virologist and member of the prestigious National Academy of Science, Peter Duesberg has argued that AIDS is not caused by HIV, but is the result of recreational and anti-HIV drugs. In this PBL case, students read Duesberg's 1999 article in Science magazine titled "HIV is Not the Cause of AIDS" as well as a response to it titled "HIV Causes AIDS" by medical researchers Dr. William A. Blattner and colleagues. Students work in groups to identify the issues as well as any terms or concepts they don't understand, then research these out of class to pool their information as they learn about AIDS and HIV.

This problem-based case focuses on the female menstrual cycle and early stages of pregnancy of an unwed teenager. Working in small groups, students identify the learning issues for each part of the story and research answers to their questions. They are then given more of the case to evaluate. The cycle of analysis, information seeking, and sharing is repeated for each stage of the case. The case can be used in numerous settings including general health, biology, and sociology classes or in more specialized courses such as physiology, endocrinology, nursing, medicine, human development, social services, or counseling.

Blake is sick. With his background in the sciences and a little help from the Internet, he should be able to do a self-diagnosis. Or can he? As this case study unfolds, we follow the course of Blake's illness and the eventual diagnosis of his disorder. The case works well as an interrupted case that can be assigned to individual students or student teams. It was written for a School of Pharmacy microbiology course, but could easily be used in a medical microbiology or infectious diseases course.

In this case, designed for beginning pharmacy students, an elderly woman apparently "in excellent health" suddenly becomes ill and health care practitioners must determine the cause. The case is written in a four-part progressive disclosure format with an acute care clinical context. Ideally, the case should be used early in a pharmacy curriculum in a course such as pharmacy orientation, introduction to pharmaceutical care, or a pharmacy practice laboratory.

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.

An advanced instructional design course for masters students. Targeted for preparation for jobs in higher education, in particular. Topics included backward design, problem-based learning, e-learning, learning management systems (moodle), multimedia learning, etc.

In problem-based learning (PBL), complex, real-world problems motivate students to discover interconnections between important concepts and in doing so acquire essential skills. These skills include teamwork, problem solving, information retrieval and analysis, and communication. The activity presented here suggests a way to add a "hands on" component to PBL by integrating a problem with a guided inquiry exercise. Problem resolution depends on observations made in the laboratory, using probes and computer data acquisition systems. Content topics that students will explore in the course of the exercise include C3 and C4 photosynthesis, global carbon cycles, and global warming.

This three-part progressive disclosure case is designed to introduce pharmacy students to the pharmacist's role in long-term care (LTC) facility consulting pharmacy practice and acquaint them with the essential, basic resources for conducting a drug regimen review.

This PBL case on Intelligent Design was written for freshman biology majors at a Christian liberal arts college. Students read about the claims and actions of proponents of Intelligent Design as they work for its inclusion in the high school science curriculum. In the process, students learn about the nature of science and the importance of evolution in the field of biology. More advanced students are given the task of critically evaluating one specific (and much cited) claim made by Intelligent Design supporters that the irreducible complexity of the bacterial flagellum suggests it cannot be the product of evolution.

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.

"What can we learn about science and technology–and what can we do with that knowledge? Who are "we" in these questions?–whose knowledge and expertise gets made into public policy, new medicines, topics of cultural and political discourse, science education, and so on? How can expertise and lay knowledge about science and technology be reconciled in a democratic society? How can we make sense of the interactions of living and non-living, humans and non-humans, individual and collectivities in the production of scientific knowledge and technologies? The course takes these questions as entry points into an ever-growing body of work to which feminist, anti-racist, and other critical analysts and activists have made significant contributions. The course also takes these questions as an invitation to practice challenging the barriers of expertise, gender, race, class, and place that restrict wider access to and understanding of the production of scientific knowledge and technologies. In that spirit, students participate in an innovative, problem-based learning (PBL) approach that allows them to shape their own directions of inquiry and develop their skills as investigators and prospective teachers. At the same time the PBL cases engage students' critical faculties as they learn about existing analyses of gender, race, and the complexities of science and technology, guided by individualized bibliographies co-constructed with the instructors and by the projects of the other students. Students from all fields and levels of preparation are encouraged to join the course."

This series of mini cases focuses on the cortical areas associated with vision and visual perception. Each case depicts a breakdown in visual perception that may be traced to damage in an area or areas of the visual system and is based upon an actual cases reported in the literature. These mini cases could be used in a variety of courses, including physiological psychology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, sensation and perception, and cognitive neuropsychology/neuroscience.

This case study was developed to complement the study of the immune system and to emphasize the crosstalk that occurs at the cellular level between B and T cells for proper immune system function. In reading the story of a young couple trying to understand the cause of their infant boy's constant bacterial infections, students review the different classes of antibodies, their specific functions, and how they arise through isotope switching. In addition, students apply their knowledge of basic genetics as they examine how X-linked disorders are passed along and the role of genetic counselors in medicine.

This dilemma case was designed for a junior level immunology course. It could also be used in a microbiology or bacteriology course where the emphasis is on treatment as well as disease. Although the case revolves around a particular microbe that causes Lyme disease, the central question is "Should a person get vaccinated given the associated risks and benefits?" Students are assigned to one of five groups that cover the epidemiology, etiology and pathology, prevention and treatment, laboratory diagnosis, and vaccine for the disease; each group is given a question to research, which they then present on to the rest of the class.

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 collection of six short cases focuses on brain areas and neurotransmitters involved in the control of movement. Students are divided into working groups and given one or more of the case descriptions. Each scenario depicts a breakdown in the motor system that can be traced (at least in part) to some brain area or areas. Useful for a variety of courses, including physiological psychology and neurobiology, these cases are intended to give students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained from readings and lectures to real-life situations inspired by patient cases described in the literature.

This case teaches about the causes and effects of Type 2 diabetes by working through the various options available to a young Native American woman suffering from the disease. The case can be used in a variety of settings, including nutrition classrooms, herbal drug courses, physiology courses, medical schools, nursing schools, pharmacy schools, diabetes workshops, and even weight loss clinics.

The characters in this dilemma case, representing the scientific community and government, must make a decision about whether or not to release a virulent pathogen into the environment in order to control the rapidly expanding population of European rabbits in New Zealand. As they work through the case, students grapple with the complex issues associated with introduced species and biological controls. The case was originally written for a wildlife management course taught to college juniors and seniors.

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.