Educational research highlights active approaches to learning are more efective in knowledge retention and problem-solving. It has long been acknowledged that adapting to more active ways of learning form part of the challenge for new university students as the pedagogical distance between the didactical approach largely followed by secondary school systems the world over difers quite signifcantly from the often more student-led, critical approach taken by universities. University students encounter various learning challenges, particularly during the transition from secondary school to university. Poor adaptation and low performance in the frst year of tertiary education can lead to higher failure rates and potential withdrawal from study programmes. Adopting active learning strategies early in this transition phase is crucial for supporting students’ adaptation and success. Gaining student engagement with active learning can be a signifcant challenge when there is an expectation to participate in a discussion or voice an opinion. Case-based learning (CBL), with its scafolded form of learning, is an approach that could provide the support needed to help multicultural learners adapt to their new learning environment in a non-threatening classroom-based setting. The research question in this study was: what features of CBL support active learning?