how can a student learn best in a case study course

by Bruce Lueilwitz 8 min read

One way to do this is by teaching content and skills using real-world case studies, a learning model that’s focused on reflection during the problem-solving process. It’s similar to project-based learning, but PBL is more focused on students creating a product.

Full Answer

What is case study teaching strategy?

You can get started with case studies by tackling relatable questions like these with your students:

  • How can we limit food waste in the cafeteria?
  • How can we get our school to recycle and compost waste? (Or, if you want to be more complex, how can our school reduce its carbon footprint?)
  • How can we improve school attendance?
  • How can we reduce the number of people who get sick at school during cold and flu season?

What is teaching with the case method?

What are some ways to use the case method appropriately?

  • Choose an appropriate case. Finished cases based on facts; these are useful for purposes of analysis. ...
  • Develop effective questions. Think about ways to start the discussion such as using a hypothetical example or employing the background knowledge of your students.
  • Get students prepared. What is the problem or decision? Who is the key decision-maker? ...

What is the case study method?

Methods and analysis We will use a mixed-method research design ... Data collection and analysis for this phase will begin in January 2022 and should end in May 2022. The case study will be conducted in Coastal Hadhramout. The study population is the ...

What is a teaching case study?

This case is an opportunity for elected officials and local educators in the state’s largest cities and smallest towns to educate and engage residents about the long-standing educational inequities that harm all Pennsylvania children. I know this firsthand.

How case studies help students learn?

Through the use of a case study, students can actively engage in applying learned concepts, objectives, and knowledge to hypothetical situations by using critical and higher order thinking skills to answer tough questions.

What can you learn from doing a case study?

“A case study based curriculum is known to work for the development of key skills such as problem solving, decision making, analytical abilities – quantitative and/or qualitative, coping with ambiguities, individual study, time management, presentation skills, group working, communication and soft skills.”, says Pillay ...

What is the best way to solve case study?

Preparing the CaseRead and Examine the Case Thoroughly. Take notes, highlight relevant facts, underline key problems.Focus Your Analysis. Identify two to five key problems. ... Uncover Possible Solutions/Changes Needed. Review course readings, discussions, outside research, your experience.Select the Best Solution.

How do you do a student case study?

Several steps must be taken before actually writing anything:Choose the situation on which to write.Gather as much information as possible about the situation.Analyze all of the elements surrounding the situation.Determine the final solution implemented.Gather information about why the solution worked or did not work.

What are advantages of a case study?

Case studies are often used in exploratory research. They can help us generate new ideas (that might be tested by other methods). They are an important way of illustrating theories and can help show how different aspects of a person's life are related to each other.

What are the steps in case study?

What are Case Studies?Determine the research question and carefully define it. ... Choose the cases and state how data is to be gathered and which techniques for analysis you'll be using. ... Prepare to collect the data. ... Collect the data in the field (or, less frequently, in the lab). ... Analyze the data.Prepare your report.

How do you analyze a case study example?

The case study analysis can be broken down into the following steps:Identify the most important facts surrounding the case.Identify the key issue or issues.Specify alternative courses of action.Evaluate each course of action.Recommend the best course of action.

How do you make a case study interactive?

How To Create Interactive Case Studies In eLearningCreate Branching Scenarios. ... Emotionally Connect With Compelling Stories. ... Develop Interactive Online Presentations. ... Turn Case Studies Into Immersive eLearning Simulations. ... Design A Story-Centered Serious Game. ... Produce A Character-Driven eLearning Video.More items...•

Defining A Case Study

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In the book The Art of Case Studies, Robert E. Stake (1995) defines case study as “the study of the particularity and complexity of a single case, coming to understand its activity within important circumstances” (p. xi). Like other qualitative research methods, case studies provide a holistic view of their context. Case stud…
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Weaknesses of Case Studies

  • Many critiques of case studies align with critiques of qualitative research methods in general. These include the time-consuming nature of data collection and analysis, the increased risk of researcher bias, and the lack of generalizability that could influence credibility (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). As mentioned previously, case studies use a variety of qualitative researc…
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Strengths of Case Studies

  • Despite the common critiques of case studies outlined previously, the rich and holistic detail provided by case study has many advantages for researchers and other stakeholders. Complexities of a phenomenon within one case or context should be analyzed in depth, which requires time to observe, describe, and analyze. Other research methods would not...
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Cross-Case Analysis

  • Also called collective, multicase, or comparative case studies, a cross-case analysis looks for similarities and differences between multiple case studies (Merriam 1998). Although a standard case study may have subunits, such as multiple students in a classroom, a cross-case analysis generally takes on a larger scope, such as multiple classrooms or multiple schools. A compellin…
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When to Use Case Studies

  • With the strengths and weaknesses of case studies in mind, I will now discuss when it is most appropriate to use case study as a qualitative research method in education. Recall that the most defining characteristic of a case study is its boundaries. It follows that a researcher should use case study as their research method when it is feasible and advantageous to set clear limits aro…
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Conclusion

  • Just as it is compelling to attempt to describe one aspect of your childhood neighborhood, case studies are a valuable way of looking at the world, because they allow a researcher to set boundaries and focus on one unit of study. Although case studies are susceptible to common criticisms of qualitative research methods like small sample size, the rich detail they provide hel…
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References

  • Johnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed methods research: A research paradigm whose time has come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14-26. Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Rowley, J. (2002). Using case studies in research. Management Research News, 25(1), 16-27. Stake, R. (19…
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Why Use Cases?

  • Many students are more inductive than deductive reasoners, which means that they learn better from examples than from logical development starting with basic principles. The use of case studies can therefore be a very effective classroom technique. Case studies are have long been used in business schools, law schools, medical schools and the social sciences, but they can b…
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Common Case Elements

  • Most “full-blown” cases have these common elements: 1. A decision-maker who is grappling with some question or problem that needs to be solved. 2. A description of the problem’s context (a law, an industry, a family). 3. Supporting data, which can range from data tables to links to URLs, quoted statements or testimony, supporting documents, images, video, or audio. Case assignm…
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Advantages to The Use of Case Studies in Class

  • A major advantage of teaching with case studies is that the students are actively engaged in figuring out the principles by abstracting from the examples. This develops their skills in: 1. Problem solving 2. Analytical tools, quantitative and/or qualitative, depending on the case 3. Decision making in complex situations 4. Coping with ambiguities
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Guidelines For Using Case Studies in Class

  • In the most straightforward application, the presentation of the case study establishes a framework for analysis. It is helpful if the statement of the case provides enough information for the students to figure out solutions and then to identify how to apply those solutions in other similar situations. Instructors may choose to use several cases so that students can identify bot…
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Accompanying Readings

  • Case studies can be especially effective if they are paired with a reading assignment that introduces or explains a concept or analytical method that applies to the case. The amount of emphasis placed on the use of the reading during the case discussion depends on the complexity of the concept or method. If it is straightforward, the focus of the discussion can …
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Leading The Case Discussion and Evaluating Performance

  • Decision cases are more interesting than descriptive ones. In order to start the discussion in class, the instructor can start with an easy, noncontroversial question that all the students should be able to answer readily. However, some of the best case discussions start by forcing the students to take a stand. Some instructors will ask a student to do a formal “open” of the case, o…
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Resources

  • Tips on the Penn State U. website: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/cases/ If you are interested in using this technique in a science course, there is a good website on use of case studies in the sciences at the University of Buffalo. Dunne, D. and Brooks, K. (2004) Teaching with Cases (Halifax, NS: Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education), ISBN 0-7703-8924-4 (Can b…
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