How to Use Case Training
Case training has a long and distinguished history, dating back at least to ancient Greek teachers. A case study used in training presents students with a situation that mimics relevant, real circumstances and requires them to consider the alternatives and consequences of their decisions. Case studies can be designed for individuals, but are most often discussed in groups.
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Instructions
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Assess your students' knowledge of the subject you expect to help them learn about. Some students know more, are better able to communicate their knowledge and take more risks in the classroom than others. The more you know about them, the more likely your choice of case studies will match their abilities and interests.
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Write original case studies or find generic ones that you can adapt to your students. Explain to the students what the objectives of each study are and how it can help them acquire appropriate attitudes, knowledge and skills. Develop questions to use in the training. You can provide the questions to them in writing as they start to think about the case or present the questions orally as they discuss the case.
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Assist the students in learning the process of dissecting a case study. Explain why there is no right answer and how the discussion is designed to lead to better solutions. Help them define the central issue or problem, and describe the company's or organization's goals. Identify inconsistencies between goals and performance.
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Encourage your students to state the constraints that may limit the solutions available to the firm or organization, such as insufficient finances, personnel limitations and poor relationships with customers or clients, before allowing the students to reach a conclusion or solution.
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Help your students identify relevant alternatives and suggest additional solutions. Instruct them how to evaluate each alternative in light of the stated goals, available information and known constraints. Explain the logic you expect them to use in order to choose one alternative.
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Take them through the final case study step of developing an implementation plan. Explain how the lack of an implementation plan, even for a good solution, can lead to serious trouble.
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Review the case study process. Go over with your students the steps that they went through to reach a decision and what they learned about each step. Ask them to list ways their discussion of the information and ideas in the case could be improved for the next study. Review the objectives you listed for the study and seek your students' opinions about the extent they were reached.
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References
Resources
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