Resource

Case Study

Author: ATU Galway

What is it?

Case studies involve real-life situations and often take the form of problem-based inquiry. They enable students to apply their knowledge of a modules material to identify problems and offer solutions. This method of assessment is useful for assessing students’ understanding and for encouraging students to see links between theory to practice.

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

Challenges

Advantages

Case studies allow students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations, helping them bridge the gap between theory and practice.
It facilitates creative problem solving and the application of theoretical knowledge.
Case studies challenge students to critically evaluate information, identify key issues, and make informed decisions.
They can be tailored to specific learning objectives, allowing instructors to customise the learning experience to meet the needs of their students.

Challenges

Tips for Use

Choose a case study that aligns with the learning objectives and ensure that the case study is relevant, current, and complex enough to challenge students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Provide students with background information about the case study, including relevant facts, context, and key issues.
Clearly outline the objectives of the case study and the specific tasks or questions that students are expected to address.
You may choose to use several cases so that students can identify both the similarities and differences among the cases.
Below is an example of a systematic approach you could provide to students for analysing the case study:

What is the issue?
What is the goal of the analysis?
What is the context of the problem?
What key facts should be considered?
What alternatives are available to the decision-maker?
What would you recommend — and why?

Resources

University of New South Wales (UNSW): Assessment by Case Studies and Scenarios | UNSW Teaching Staff Gateway
Columbia University: Case Method Teaching and Learning | Columbia CTL
Boston University: Using Case Studies to Teach | Center for Teaching & Learning (bu.edu)
Charles Sturt University: Case study analysis or scenario-based questions – Division of Learning and Teaching (csu.edu.au)
Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence – Microsoft Word – Pugh|CompendiumOfAssessment.docx (leeds.ac.uk)(page 13)

Sample Rubrics

School of Education – College of Charleston (2016): https://soe.cofc.edu/CPEval/NCSSCaseStudy-Rubric.pdf –
Rubric MSL Elizabethtown College (n/d): https://etown.instructure.com/courses/1329/files/201151/download?verifier=3gyoBh3JedFO55nZf4ZSptfbvTit6N6LX2ytyLJe&wrap=1
University of Texas: Microsoft Word – Creating a Rubric for Evaluating Media Projects.doc (pbworks.com) (Pages: 14-17)

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