Case Study Day One

Note: The following are broad guidelines and not meant to be prescriptive. We have assigned readings and specific case studies, but Case Study Leaders (CSLs) should use their discretion when planning and teach to their specific expertise while ensuring students meet the learning objectives below.

The first day of case study learning focuses on building vocabulary and shared understanding of what case study is, why it’s used in the study of business, and then applying concepts learned in the seminar on economics to the assigned simple case study. Students should work individually on the case study but are encouraged to support one another.

Learning Objectives

• Understand use of case study (as an analytic learning tool)

• Identify different types of case studies

• Determine type of case study assigned

• Apply economic concepts learned in class to reading, understanding, and responding to assigned case

• Understand the value and challenges of working independently

Readings & Assignments

• Read Chapter 4 in The Case Study Handbook

What Students Know

• Students will have completed a session on Case Study 101 taught by WSP fellows on Sunday

• Students will have completed these additional sessions on Sunday:

  • Business 101

  • Public Speaking

  • Organizational Behavior

• Students will have attended a two-hour seminar in the morning on economics

• Students will have varying understanding of and experience with case study

CSL Role

CSLs provide a core service in our Business boot camps by ensuring that WSP participants experience what it’s like to complete case study projects in a real-life setting. This experience helps to instill confidence and prompt motivation to pursue higher education. Your role on this day is to ensure students achieve the learning objectives, namely that they know the function of case study as it relates to learning business fundamentals and have some practice working with a simple case. Ultimately, we expect you to be yourself; to share your expertise with participants and to run the project session like you would with traditional college students. We highly encourage you to find ways to connect with participants and to share any advice you have for them as they transition from military service to higher education.