Definition

Case-based teaching is a flexible model. If an instructor uses leading questions to direct students toward a moral or process he or she deems "correct," the model is not far removed from direct instruction. If the instructor, however, allows students to formulate their own opinions of a case by promoting group-coordinated research activities, debate, or simulated decision making, the model is more closely aligned with social constructivism. The key difference is the extent to which an instructor directly leads the student versus promoting activities through which students can lead themselves and develop valuable reasoning skill in the process.

Download annotated Powerpoint slides describing the case-based teaching model (PDF File).

Relevant Examples

If you have created course materials at Virginia Tech that are representative of this teaching model, we would like to showcase your work here. Please contact us with a description of your project so other faculty may learn from your efforts.

• Business School Case Library, Harvard
  
• Cardiax, University of Michigan
  
• Stanford Law School Case Studies Collection
• Case Studies in Public Policy and Management
• Case Studies in Instructional Technology and Design, UVA
• Engineering Case Studies, Rose-Hulman
• Case Study Teaching in Science, Buffalo

Design and Development Tips

for creating cases... Cases can either be "presented" to the student with one common ending, or "explored" by the student with different outcomes resulting from student choices while engaged with the interactive case. "Presented" cases can take many forms from simple print-based stories, to web pages with graphics and imagery, to full-blown multimedia with audio and video. "Explored" cases are more difficult to develop and require knowledge of interactive branching techniques. Such cases can be created by multimedia authoring programs (e.g., Macromedia Director), or through emerging web technologies (e.g., Macromedia Flash and Coursebuilder).

for using cases in the classroom... It may be helpful to utilize a communication tool in your classroom for students to discuss and debate cases. Whole-class and small group discussion boards like those found in online course tools can facilitate asychronous discussion of cases between class sessions. If teaching from a distance, cases can be debriefed synchronously with distance learning tools.

Recommended Readings

• Center for Academic Computing, Penn State. A model for case analysis and problem solving.
  
• Cravens & Lamb. How to prepare cases.
  
• Jarz, E. M., Kainz, G. A., & Walpoth, G. (1997). Multimedia-based case studies in education: Design, development, and evaluation of multimedia-based case studies. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 6 (1), 23-46.
  
• Kinzie, M., Larsen, V., & Kent, T. (1996). Online learning via real-time discussion of web-based case materials.
  
• Linderman, B., Kent, T., Kinzie, M., Larsen, V., Ashmore, L., & Becker, F. (1995). Exploring cases on-line with virtual environments.
  
• Merseth, K. (1991). The early history of case-based instruction: Insights for teacher education today. Journal of Teacher Education, 42 (4), 243-249.
  
• Merseth, K. (1994). Cases, Case Methods, and the Professional Development of Educators.
  
• Riesbeck, C. K. (1996). Case-based teaching and constructivism: Carpenters and tools. In B. G. Wilson (Ed.), Constructivist learning environments (pp. 49-61). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
  
• Schank, R. C. (1991). Case-based teaching: Four experiences in educational software design (Tech. Rep. No. 7). Chicago, IL: Northwestern University, The Institute for the Learning Sciences.