The effectiveness of lecture-integrated and web-supported case studies in supporting a large and academically diverse group of undergraduate students was evaluated in the present study. Case studies and resource (web)-based learning were incorporated as two complementary interactive learning strategies into the traditional curriculum. A truncated version of a case study, with links to websites containing background/further information was uploaded on the university's virtual learning environment (WebCT), to prompt students to answer questions. The overall aim was to support all students by encouraging self-directed learning. Our results show that most students who participated in the present study, irrespective of academic background, found both strategies useful in supporting the lecture and in providing them with the necessary background knowledge. Students who accessed web-links achieved significantly higher test scores in Immunology and in the module as a whole, than those who did not, irrespective of their course of study. This did not relate to A level grade in Biology and/or Chemistry. Findings from this study encourage the wider implementation of such complementary strategies to support large student groups with divergent prior knowledge. (Contains 5 tables, 3 figures and 3 footnotes.)