Case-based Learning

Case-based learning is a pedagogical approach which brings the real world into the classroom in a form of a real-life case. Cases are stories that highlight the specific learning objectives. Students learn about real situations that they will need to apply their knowledge to and to help them remember the content better.

1. As defined by Mary Sudzina

An educational case study refers to a description of a real life dilemma that and complex, and can be viewed from a variety of perspectives. The case includes information - psychological, sociological, scientific, historical, observational, and technical. Students are to study and analyse the case study before they conduct any planning, decision-making and/or action.

Characteristics:

• A real case study
• A group of 4-5 members
• Case discussion

Adapted from Sudzina, 1997

2. As defined by Roy Killen

The case method of teaching provides a very natural way of helping students to learn by leveraging on the basic human capacity to learn from stories. The case is a story that describes an actual, real situation in which it is imperative for an individual or a group to make a decision or solve a problem.

Characteristics:

• The case reflects the complexities, ambiguities and uncertainties of real situations.
• The case can be ‘open’ - many possible solutions or recommended actions, or ‘closed’ - best response.
• The case will engage students in a collective analysis with the a purpose to gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved.
• Students are given access to the case in advance to prepare for a classroom discussion.

Adapted from Killen, 2009

3. As defined by Subhadip Roy & Pratyush Banerjee

A case is a factual account of human experience focused on a problem or issue faced by a person, a group of persons, or an organisation. The students will be given the task of being the key decision maker after careful analysis of the case.

Characteristics:

• The case study describes a context specific situation, which revolves around a central issue, or a problem relating to the theme of the issue.
• The case study stimulates classroom discussions regarding specific contexts and teach concepts.
• Students take an active role in the discussion of the case and work together to reach the most comprehensive and plausible solution.

Adapted from Roy & Banerjee, 2012

Case-based learning has its roots in constructivism, a learning theory that capitalises on learner’s abilities to construct viable knowledge and an education paradigm that fosters discovery learning. According to Jerome Bruner, discovery learning is perceived as “a necessary condition for learning the variety of techniques of problem-solving, of transferring information for better use (Kantar, 2013).

The pedagogical basis for the case method is very much a constructivist one. It emphasises the idea that learners need to engage in active learning experiences in order to challenge and reconstruct their understandings (Killen , 2009).

Click here to find out more about Constructivism

Pre-Implementation

1. Design of the learning tasks, teaching goals and objectives.
2. Design of the case with the following characteristics:
   • Applicable to all students (despite their differences in academic ability or background)
   • Complex enough to raise interesting questions and alternatives
   • Rich enough to make the situation credible, but not so complete as to close off discussion or exploration
   • Simple enough to prevent students from becoming lost in unimportant details
   • Open to more than one solution
   • Rich in characterisation, to allow for competing interpretations of motivations
   • Look for emotional as well as intellectual engagement
   • Manageable within the allotted class time and in terms of student preparation (may be short for brief classroom discussions or long and elaborate for semester-long projects)

Actual implementation

1. Orientation and Familiarisation of Case-based learning

This step is strongly encouraged if it is the first time that the students are experiencing a case-based learning approach to learning. It sets the stage in terms of the process, roles and hence, expectations of teacher-facilitator and students.

Teacher-Facilitator

Teacher-facilitator orientates students to case-based learning. The following are provided:

• detailed explanation on the process of case-based learning
• detailed clarification on shared group goals determined by students and individual accountability
• clear expectations of how students should collaborate
• conflict management strategies on resolving diverse or conflicting views
• Outline the principal cognitive tasks to be performed by students:
  1. understand all the facts and distinguish them from assumptions
  2. distinguishing important from unimportant information
  3. identifying when more information is needed.

2. Group Formation

Teacher-facilitators can opt to decide on the grouping of students forming their own groups.

3. Analyse the case

Teacher-Facilitator

Teacher-facilitator introduces the case briefly and provide some guidelines on how students can approach it. The steps in analysing the case may be provided to minimise confusion and misinterpretations.

In guiding the case discussion, the teacher-facilitator should anticipate spots where students might get sidetracked or confused, and decide how to respond. The environment should be made conducive for discussion to ensure that everyone is involved and engaged with the case study. The teacher-facilitator should adopt a non-directive, facilitative role, encouraging yet challenging, but let the students do most of the explaining.

Some guiding questions are provided below:

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Students

Everyone in the group reads the case and identifies known and unknown terms and concepts. Group members brainstorm known facts (Round Robin and/or Affinity Grouping may be used here), which they then discuss and analyse. The next step involves students gathering information needed for the case (Group Investigation may be used here). A case study should also engage students’ affective domain and positive and negative feelings generated from the case analysis should be surfaced (Role playing and/or Dialogue Journal may be used here). Students are encouraged to think of as many solutions as possible with justifications, and eventually organise their thoughts, arguments and prioritise the solutions generated.

4. Concluding the case session

Teachers-Facilitator

Teacher-facilitator summarises the key points and helps students understand what they have learnt. For a real-life case, to present the real-life solution.

Students

Each group to present their solutions and reasoning (individually/pair/group). Students may be allowed to ask questions or clarifications during the session or after the session. After the presentation, students may be asked to write about the case (as a group or individually).

5. Grading and evaluating case-based learning

Teacher-Facilitator

Teacher-facilitator are required to must align assessment goals with desired outcomes of the lesson. Teacher should design assessment criteria to grade and evaluate students’ acquisition of content knowledge and their application.

A wide range of assessment strategies may be used in case-based learning, which include a position paper, reflective journals, a concept map, or a research paper exploring further aspects of the case.

Best practices in case-based learning

What makes a good case

1) A good case tells a story

It must have an interesting plot that relates to the experiences of the audience.

2) A good case focuses on an interesting arousing issue

For the case to be a real and for the student to forget that it’s artificial, there must be dramatic elements, there must be suspense.

3) A good case is that was set in the past five years

To appear real, the story must have the elements of a current problem.

4) A good case creates empathy for the central characters

We should create empathy not only to make the story line more engaging but because the personal attributes of the characters will influence the decision that could be made.

5) A good case includes quotations

Quotations give realism

6) A good case is relevant to the reader

Cases should involve situations the students know or likely to face. This brings about empathy and makes the case relevant.

7) A good case must have pedagogic utility

What function will the case serve? What does it do for the lesson and the student?

8) A good case is conflict thought provoking

It should be fundamentally controversial to allow for discussion and analysis.

9) A good case is decision forcing

Not all cases have to be dilemmas that need to be solved, but invokes urgency and gravity.

10) A good case has generality

Cases must have general applications.

11) A good case is short

It is easier to capture someone’s attention briefly.

(Adapted from Herreid, 1997)