I was cruising the internerd (internet) looking for some bike-related teaching and learning resources, which I do from time to time … and see what and how teachers and subjects might use bicycles in learning environments – whether primary, secondary or at uni.
Keep in mind, this is using bikes IN the classroom (like to teach core concepts), not getting TO the classroom (which is my PhD focus). Previously, I have posted on:
- a student of mine who used bicycles in her engineering class experiments
- bike lessons for COVID-19 homeschooling
- transforming ex-share bikes into in-class mobile ‘insect’ libraries
- Bicycle math in primary school
- ‘Ride Nation’ – Australian national in-school bike education programs
The week, I came across Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail.
Lewis and Clark Reloaded: The 3,041-Mile Bike Trail.
This is a case study is written by Mary Rose Grant (School for Professional Services
Saint Louis University, USA) and it is a teaching resource for high school or undergrad students and best suited for classes like Biology, Physiology, Sports Science, Legal studies. A full copy of the case study is publically available on the National (USA) Centre for Case Study Teaching in Science (USA) website. Or click the link below.
The case study is a handout that has 4 parts:
- Part I—The Adventure Begins … and Comes to a Screaming Halt: provides the introduction and scenario and 3 questions.
- Part II—A Change of Scenery: The storyline continues and provides more physiological details including dialogue and physiological/medical statistics for details and 3 questions.
- Part III—A Dangerous Detour: brings the case study to a close and the dialogue leads to an analysis of what happened to the characters. Includes a role-play activity and 2 questions.
- Summary Questions: 9 summary questions for discussion and further analysis.
Overall Scenario
Frank and Joe are 24-year-old fraternal twins who share similar interests, including cycling. The brothers decide to attempt their first long-distance bicycling trip, retracing the journey of early American explorers Lewis and Clark to the Northwest. Along the way, serious problems arise. Students review normal physiology of organ systems as well as changes that occur during physical exertion to piece together an understanding of the medical condition of one of the cyclists. The pivotal point in the case is learning that seemingly harmless and legally available substances can lead to potentially fatal outcomes, affecting organ systems already taxed beyond normal limits. This case is designed for use in a human biology course after students have learned about the integumentary, respiratory, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and urinary systems.
Objectives
- Understand physiological changes and adaptations organ systems make with physical exertion over an extended period of time.
- Define the term “ergogenic aid” as applied in sports and exercise.
- Identify the effects of caffeine on different organ systems.
- Discuss the role of caffeine as an ergogenic aid in endurance sports.
- Explain the side effects of caffeine intoxication.
- Identify potential dangers of caffeine use in combination with other substances.
- Practice critical thinking and analytical skills to make a diagnosis.
- Examine legal implications of caffeine use, or “doping,” before competition.
- Analyze ethical issues of using caffeine, or any ergogenic product, to enhance performance in amateur and professional sports.
I was surprised to see how popular this case study was!
Apparently, it is has been picked up by many schools and unis.
A quick online search showed this resource has been widely used and adapted as you can see here. Below are some examples of various reiterations.
Kristal Huber published her Prezi adaptation which included a few original additions:
GraduateWay extended the original case study to include two parts. The first part was mostly on par with the original case study. The second part is more developed in the role play and has more probing questions:
For answers, I appreciate the factual simplicity and directness of student Valarie Parra’s approach, which was:
I was surprised at how popular and well-used this resource was. It is well thought out and there are lots of details in there to get discussion and debates going as well as factual knowledge and concepts that in some courses might be considered ‘must-know’ content.
As a bike rider, I prefer to see bikes (and riders) portrayed in a positive light (and not having accidents or ‘health or medical issues’ while riding), but I can overlook that for the sake of pedagogy.
It is also nice to see a more advanced resource out there for adults learners as well.
More learning with bikes, please!