Tip:Teaching with Cases 1

The following two factors are as important in Case Study Teaching as they are in any other forms of teaching, perhaps even more so, because an instructor has less control with case discussion than other forms of teaching.

Clarify objectives

• What do you want students to learn from the discussion of the case?
• What do they know already that applies to the case?
• What are the issues (central and peripheral) that may be raised in discussion?
• Can the case "carry" the discussion (Is it appropriate to your objectives)?

Plan and prepare:

• how the case and discussion will be introduced
• preparation expected of students (written, submitted, papers?)
• the opening question(s)
• blocs of time for the issues to be discussed
• concepts to be applied and/or extracted in discussion
• concluding the discussion
• evaluating the discussion (students', your own)
• evaluating the participants (grades for participation?)

--from Silverman, Welty, An Introduction to Cases, Pace University Center for Case Studies (1997)