The case method consists of the use of "comics" as a pedagogical tool to contrast the knowledge learned in the classroom with its application in real situations. It requires assuming the role of protagonist - practitioner instead of maintaining a theorist-observer attitude and, therefore, forces participants in a training course to try to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Additionally, it creates a dialogue in the classroom that breaks with the traditional schemes of the master class, involves the participants in their own learning and facilitates group work.
Case studies must meet a series of conditions to ensure their pedagogical utility:
- Authenticity: Being a concrete situation, taken out of reality Urgency of the situation: Being a problematic situation that causes a diagnosis or a decision. Pedagogical orientation: Being a situation that can provide information and training in a domain of knowledge or action
Technique justification
This method of didactic work has a notable interest mainly in those areas that require training for the theoretical and practical training of students. There are five fundamental reasons that guarantee its effectiveness:
Students better develop their mental abilities by evaluating real situations and applying concepts than learning these same concepts simply from theoretical examples that are often far from real life.
Students learn to develop new concepts and apply established ones to novel situations. Therefore, students of this method will be better prepared than those who have only memorized existing concepts.
Students better assimilate the ideas and concepts they use themselves in the course of solving the problems arising from the reality documented in the cases.
Group work and interaction with other students, necessary in the practice of the case method, constitute effective preparation in the human aspects of management.
Since this technique makes students active participants in their own learning, it facilitates the expression of opinions, beliefs, attitudes and values and helps to develop the following skills:
- The ability to observe reality in depth. The understanding of social phenomena and events. The definition of the problematic situation on which it is necessary to operate. The conceptualization of the relationship between theory and action. Decision making. Cooperative work.
The Operational Process
The sequence of operations that the participants have to carry out constitutes a very structured process in form, but with great flexibility regarding content. They basically focus on three stages:
Familiarization with the subject and the protagonists through reading and forming a global and general impression of the case.
Careful analysis of the story that should end with a formulation of the problems, the nature of the decisions to be made and the identification of the main elements that influence the actions that can be taken.
Preparation of operational recommendations to solve the case study.
Participants should impartially examine the documents provided to them, identify the additional information they need, reflect and debate on what should be done to solve the problems detected.
It is a flexible and open pedagogical process, in which decisions and solutions to problems are not given a priori, but can change depending on the theoretical and methodological assumptions that serve as a starting point for the specific people who carry out the study.
The case method
There are various methods to handle the case study as a teaching tool.
The Harvard method
It is the oldest and best-known case method. It was developed in 1880 by Christopher Langdell, at Harvard University School of Law.
This Harvard method is the most widely used by business schools in the world.
The main objective of the Harvard method is for students to learn for themselves, through independent thought processes.
Another objective is to help students develop their ability to use knowledge and develop their skills, since knowledge without the ability to use it is not useful. On the other hand, the ability that is not continually encouraged by new knowledge turns activities into constant routines.
In the Harvard case method the instructor acts as a catalyst. Points out the case studies and fosters a favorable environment for group discussion; its objective is to guide the teaching-learning process.
But without trying to cover the topic "saying it". Rather, it helps students discover for themselves the ideas that are most meaningful to them, based on a case report.
Another hallmark of this method is the great variety and quality of published cases.
Short Case Method
The goal of the short case method is brevity. In this method, the participant is given only the information necessary to indicate a particular point that has been selected and formulated by the course instructor.
Simple reports are managed, which are easy to invent by associating fragments of readings and experiences.
Audiovisual presentation method and recorded cases
These offer advantages over written cases, as instructors do not need to do research or write reports.
On the other hand, audiovisual presentations are more attractive to participants since they do not have to read. Likewise, they enable the student to develop their skills of perception and active listening of verbal and non-verbal messages.
Role play method
Combining the dramatized with the case method has the advantage that, in addition to being an attractive technique for the participants, it offers the opportunity for them to "Experience" the feelings and emotions that are lived in a certain case.
Henley's Syndicated Method
The highlight of this method is the emphasis on sharing experiences in small groups.
This method arose at Henley's English College for Administrative Staff.
In this method, before the group arrives, the composition of each "union" is determined and a chief is appointed by subject.
Likewise, minutes are prepared on each of the topics to be discussed (these minutes are more suggestive than directive). The discussion of specific concepts assigned to each "union" is complemented by more or less formal talks given by various instructors.
There are two types of people who help "unions" in their work. Internal executives (higher in rank than group members) who serve as directors and go from "union" to "union."
On the other hand, each "union" has permanent support staff who intervene only and exclusively in the event that the discussion "sits" or gets out of lane.
The group's work on the case proceeds as follows: First, the whole group discusses the case, breaking up the problems that arise and assigning their parts to each "union" to solve it (eg, financial, human resources, sales, etc.).
Then a meeting of the entire group is held to learn the results. The "unions" prepare a written report which is presented in plenary for re-discussion together with the reports of the other groups.
The advantage of this method is that it develops in the trainees skills for teamwork.
Incident processing method
The central goal of these variables of the Harvard method is to stimulate self-development in an atmosphere of teamwork.
The incident processing method begins with individual work where each participant studies the incident. The second phase consists of each of the group members asking questions to the discussion leader (who must be a person who knows the facts).
The general content of the questions is aimed at finding out the what, when, how and where of the situation in which the incident took place.
When you already have the information, the next step is that individually the trainees must identify which points are the most important to make a decision.
During the following minutes, the group gathered in plenary session analyzes what are the critical points that require action? What is the organization's point of view?
The next step is for each member to write on their own sheet of paper their own answer to the question, How would I handle the incident and why? This sheet is signed and delivered to the Discussion Director.
The Discussion Director organizes small groups according to the differences that exist in the written decisions. Each group works to answer the following question: What are the strongest factors that we can present to support our decision?
In plenary session each team presents the results of their work and at the end the Director of the discussion tells the group what the person who handled the incident actually did, but without trying to teach that there is a perfect and unique solution.
Finally, the groups reflect on their process. What caused difficulties and what gave good results in the group's work? How could those difficulties have been avoided and how could better results have been achieved?
Despite marked differences in objectives and techniques, all serious case methods have the same building blocks. These variables are:
- The report of the case (presented in a different way) The discussion of the case (with a different technique) The analysis of the case (systematic or not) and The real situation (the process that the members of the group followed during the case).
The case method proves to be an approach to the reality in which professionals and particularly those people dedicated to the changing reality of the business world operate every day, the latter being an aspect to consider in the elaboration of the case without import the method in question.
The validity of a method depends on how many variables, and above all, the change it manages to incorporate into its teaching-learning process.
Bibliography
RE Stake, "Research with Case Studies", July 1998
Selma Wassermann, "Case study as a teaching method", April 1999
Xavier Coller, "Case Study", June 2001
