Using Case Study as a powerful tool in learning and teaching Business Studies

Using Case Study as a powerful tool in learning and teaching Business Studies

Case Study – what is it? 

Teaching strategy of using Case Study is defined as a particular instance of something used or analysed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle (Oxford University Press, 2013).  This method refers to teaching a completed story which presents realistic, complex, and contextually rich situations and often involves a dilemma, conflict, or problem that one or more of the characters in the case must negotiate. 

Case Study – Why is it important in Business Studies learning and teaching? 

Advantages of the implementation of Case Study in Business Studies learning and teaching
Using Case Study is crucial in teaching Business Studies. It provides a stimulating and relevant framework for students to apply to problems encountered in the business environment. Students also investigate business planning and use a range of information to assess and evaluate business performance (Board of Studies NSW, 2010).

Carnegie Mellon University (2013) extracted an advice from Professor Paul Lawrence who states that Case Study is “the vehicle by which a chunk of reality is brought into the classroom to be worked over by the class and the instructor. A good case keeps the class discussion grounded upon some of the stubborn facts that must be faced in real life situations.”

Using of Case Study strategy is a formal activity which often runs throughout the lesson. It bridges the gap between theory and practice and between academic and real situations (Barkley et al., as cited in Carnegie Mellon University, 2013).

Case Study is an effective strategy in teaching Business Studies because it fosters problematic knowledge, deep understanding in intellectual quality required by the course set by the Board of Studies NSW. In addition, learning through Case Study fosters intellectual, social and moral development by assisting students to think critically about the role of business and its ethical responsibilities to society (Board of Studies NSW, 2010). Furthermore, teaching Case Study promotes students learning in investigating, synthesising and evaluating contemporary business issues and hypothetical and actual business situations. This provides communicational business, and pushes students to apply mathematical concepts appropriate to business situations in order to achieve the syllabus outcomes.

Case Study - Negative impacts on Business Studies learning and teaching 

As mentioned, Case Study is used as a powerful tool in teaching and learning Business Studies, however, from a different point of view, Stand Ford University(2013) cites Hamel (n.d.) who argued that a qualitative case study is limited as it depends on the sensitivity and integrity of the writer/researcher. The researcher is the primary instrument of data collection and analysis to produce the product [case study]. Both the learners of case studies and the writer/s, need to be aware of biases that can affect the final product because the issues of reliability, and validity are limited. It is also very difficult to draw a definite cause/effect from case studies. Further, the case study ‘has basically been criticised for its lack of representativeness and its lack of rigor in the collection, construction, and analysis of the empirical materials that give rise to this study (Hamel as cited in Stand Ford University, 2013).

Both positive and negative impacts, of the Case Study tool, on learning and teaching, in turns, are extremely important because they indicate actual features in the management of real businesses. This helps both students and teacher/s widen and reinforce business knowledge and critical thinking skills, in authentic and meaningful learning that contribute towards their learning and teaching achievements successfully.

Case Study – How is it implemented in teaching Business Studies?

Depending on the purpose of learning outcomes and teaching contexts, the teacher selects the appropriate case studies.

It is advised that the teacher should apply six steps to implement the teaching strategy of using Case Study (Carnegie Melon University, 2013):

Step 1: students are given the reasonable length of time to read and think about the case. At this stage, questions are raised such as ‘What is the nature of the problem the central character is facing? What are some possible courses of action? What are the potential obstacles?’ should be briefly answered.

Step 2: the teacher summarises and provides some guidelines for how to approach learning outcomes by clarifying how she/he wants students to think about the case, asking students to put themselves in the position as if the student were the presiding judge or a consultant hired by this company. Asking students what they would recommend. In general, the teacher breaks down the story into smaller components that she/he wants students to take in analysing the case. A series of questions should be prepared in advance to enhance this step. At this stage, Low, Middle and Higher order questions should be carefully designed for learning, such as ‘identify the constraints each character in the case’, ‘evaluate the decisions each character made and their implications’, ‘explain what you would have done differently and why’.

Step 3: Students learning through grouped-works of two to four for each group. The teacher monitors them to make sure everyone is involved. At this stage, the differentiated strategy should be applied. The teacher allows each group to work and concentrate on specific tasks. For example, group A works on answering for identifying ‘three potential courses of action and outline the pros and cons of each from a public relations standpoint’, group B might be charged with keeping the others on task and watching the time; group C’s role might be to question the assumptions or interpretations of the group and probe for deeper analysis; and so forth.

Step 4: Productive and active Learning- All groups present their solutions /reasoning. Learning solutions are shared, discussed and collected / stored for meaningful and further learning.

Step 5: Reinforced learning – the teacher allows students to ask questions for clarification and to move discussion to higher level. Carnegie Melon University(2013) indicates that ‘one of the challenges for a case-based discussion leader is to guide the discussion and probe for deeper analysis without over-directing’.

Step 6: Critical thinking and synthesizing issues adopted and raised. The teacher is to conduct and bring the various strands of the discussion back together at the end of the lesson to make sure all students have learned and understood the case study.

References: 

Board of Studies NSW (2010). Business Studies. Stage 6 Syllabus,pp4,5.

Carnegie Melon University(2013). Case Study. Retrieved 25 November 2013 from

http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/casestudies.html

Oxford University Press(2013). Definition of case study in English. Retrieved 19 October 2013 from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/case-study 

Stand Ford University(2013). Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#1013 Strengths and Limitations of Case Studies. Retrieved 18 October 2013 from  http://cgi.stanford.edu/~dept-ctl/tomprof/posting.php?ID=1013