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Use of Case Studies in the Classroom

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. The following discussion of this topic incorporates material presented by Robb Dixon of the School of Management and Rob Schadt of the School of Public Health at CET workshops held in March 2005. Professor Dixon also provided some written comments that the discussion incoporates.

Introducing a concept

When you wish to introduce an important new concept in your class, consider starting with an example where the concept can be applied. Here is an example based on this very topic:
Chris wanted to get his students to learn a new technique and how to apply it to situations that they are likely to encounter in the real world. It seemed to him that the most straightforward way to do this would be to tell them the theory behind the method and its application, and then tell them how the method can be utilized in different classes of circumstances. However, Chris has found that such a style does not work for this class; even worse, the students seem to lose interest after about ten minutes. Even the students who pay attention don't fully understand the concept, so they cannot follow along when he tries to discuss its application. How else could Chris organize the class so that the students could learn the concept and application well? [At this point, a discussion takes place.]

This teaching method, when applied successfully, actually gets the students to figure out the concept rather than watch passively while the instructor passes on the information. Of course, the instructor has some cleaning up to do after the discussion, mainly in the form of restating and re-organizing the responses of the students to transform them into a well laid out lesson. But this takes little time and the restatement is good for student learning.

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

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 formulate a theoretical model that the solutions follow. The instructor might need to have the class decide how it will analyze the case before getting into the full discussion.

Another approach is to employ multiple cases that cover much of the breadth of the principles that you want the students to extract from the lesson. The formulation of a model then benefits from both the similarities and differences among the cases.

It can be helpful to have the class engage in role playing, where different students take the part of the various people involved in the case. This serves as a change of pace and is an effective device when the students are not considering deeply enough the perspectives of the various characters in the case study. Videos or even field trips showing the venue in which the case is situated can help students to visualize the situation that they need to analyze.

Case studies can be especially effective if they are related to a reading assignment. The role of the readings is to introduce 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 be placed on the use of the analytical results. If the method is more complex, the instructor may need to walk students through its application and the interpretation of the results.

In order to motivate the students to complete the assignment before class as well as to stimulate attentiveness during the class, the instructor should grade the participation - quantity and especially quality - during the discussion of the case. This might be a simple check, check-plus, check-minus or zero.

The instructor should involve as many students as possible. Professor Dixon finds that he can use case studies effectively even in classes larger than 60, with time for roughly 30 students to say something substantive during one class period. In order to engage all the students, the instructor can divide them into groups, give each group several minutes to discuss how to answer a question related to the case, and then ask a randomly selected person in each group to present the group's answer and reasoning. Random selection can be accomplished through rolling of dice, shuffled index cards, each with one student's name, a spinning wheel, etc.

A case with controversy is the most stimulating type. 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. This can be done verbally by asking a single student to present his or her analysis. A second option is to have the students submit their position in writing with their name. The instructor can then sort through the responses and ask proponents of different positions to justify their decisions.

The instructor needs to moderate the discussion to ensure that the cass goes through all the steps - statement of the problem, analysis of problem, proposed solutions, analysis of solutions, identification of the strongest solutions, and conclusions. A skilled instructor steers questions and discussion to keep the class on track and moving at a reasonable pace.

Case studies work best if they focus on a decision at the end. Fictional cases tend not to be as successful as real-life situations.

It is optimal to follow up a case study with an assignment that requires analysis and conclusion. This could be done with the case under consideration if one class period is too short a time to complete the discussion. The final discussion would then be informed by the thought that the students put into the assignment. Alternatively, the assignment can involve another case with some similarities and some differences to the one studied in class.

Resources

Tips on the Penn State U. website: http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/cases/

From Mt. Holyoke College: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/programs/wcl/casemethod/teaching.shtml

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 be ordered at http://www.bookstore.uwo.ca/ at a cost of $15.00)

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