Case Pedagogy Student Handout.docx - Case Pedagogy & Case...

Case Pedagogy & Case Discussion
The Case Study Method
Introduction
The case study method of teaching used in IBS is quite different from most of the methods of
teaching used at the B-schools. Unlike traditional lecture-based teaching where student
participation in the classroom is minimal, the case method is an active learning method,
which requires participation and involvement from the student in the classroom. For students
who have been exposed only to the traditional teaching methods, this calls for a major change
in their approach to learning.
This booklet is intended to provide prospective students with some basic information about
the case method, and guidelines about what they must do to gain the maximum benefit from
the method. We begin by taking a brief look at what case studies are, and how they are used
in the classroom. Then we discuss what the student needs to do to prepare for a class, and
what s/he can expect during the case discussion. We also explain how student performance is
evaluated in a case study-based course. Finally, we describe the benefits a student of
management can expect to gain through the use of the case method.
What is a case study?
There is no universally accepted definition for a case study, and the case method means
different things to different people. Consequently, all case studies are not structured similarly,
and variations abound in terms of style, structure, and approach. Case material ranges from
small caselets (a few paragraphs to one-two pages) to compact cases (four to six pages) and
from 10 to 18-page case studies to the longer versions (25 pages and above).
A case is usually a “description of an actual situation, commonly involving a decision, a
challenge, an opportunity, a problem or an issue faced by a person or persons in an
organization.” [1] In learning with case studies, the student must deal with the situation
described in the case, in the role of the manager or decision maker facing the situation.
An important point to be emphasized here is that a case is not a problem. A problem usually
has a unique, correct solution. On the other hand, a decision-maker faced with the situation
described in a case can choose between several alternative courses of action, and each of
these alternatives may plausibly be supported by logical argument. To put it simply, there is
no unique, correct answer in the case study method.
The case study method usually involves three stages: individual preparation, small group
discussion, and large group or class discussion. While both the instructor and the student start
with the same information, their roles are clearly different in each of these stages, as shown in
Table 1.
Case Studies in the Classroom
Case studies are usually discussed in class, in a large group. However, sometimes, instructors
may require individuals or groups of students to provide a written analysis of a case study or
make an oral presentation on the case study in the classroom.