case _teaching learning

7/25/2019 Case _teaching Learning

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Why worry about case method?

Because wisdom cant be told-Charles Cragg,1940

Management is a social sciences , there are no

formulae to solve managerial problems

Medicine and law were taught by case method

for a long time

How does a surgeon learns?

How does a lawyer handles a case?

Because


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What is experiential learning?

Because the student has to get into the shoes of adecision maker with all the messiness (complexities) thata real manager faces the day and day out.

The sequence of events may not be clearly presented

The student has to grapple with all the uncertainties ,including missing information, and ill defined situations

The participant feels empathy and experiences theemotions/ pressures of the protagonist

Thus a student has to be logical yet has his perceptionand thus cause variation in interpretation, conclusionsand recommendations.


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What is a Case?

It is one of many experiential learning methods A case is a description of a business situation in a given

context or as in medicine second opinion

The business issue could be about industry, about a firmor any other organization, a pricing decision, boundary of

the firm (scope of business) It could be about strategy or operations, product, price,

Distribution, brand, competition, governance or internalresources and organization: human, physical, financial or

organizational structure and systems It contains messy details about a business story written

by a case writer keeping in mind what he wishes tohighlight and what to suppress


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Types of cases There are motivational stories-typical of press

There are caselets which are illustrative of a principle Short cases with limited complexity or highly complex

cases

Cases may have very clearly laid down problem or

the problem itself is needed to be discovered

In either situation, the case analysis involves

discovery of real problem, not symptoms, and out of

many solutions, one has to be found out- sequence

wise on series of decisions

Yet there may not be a single solution to the problem

E.g. We are loosing market share? Think of the

problem and the solutions thereof?


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What is expected of a student?

The student is expected to understand theproblem and have his/ her take on the issues

involved

He needs to know the facts well, know the

views of others, and should be willing to take

stand on the solution and defend it

Need to understand his views and others in the

team and endeavor to improve on his ownsolution by learning from class mates and his

profs.


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Students Learn Best when they teach

themselves

Active, mindful learning sticks, passive, mindlesslearning is ephemeral

Personal initiative and self-confidence is the only way

forward

Zest for exploration is an end in itself With exploration comes the risks- good judgment comes

from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment

Patience and persistence to navigate through messy

situations Inclination to talk and learn from fellow colleagues

The learnings arrive cumulatively over time.


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What do the students gain?

Develop structured, disciplined and ingraineddecision-making processes that find applicationin most situations

Learn to define issue quickly, gather and use thedata and come to reasoned/ informedconclusion.

Learn to live with information uncertainties

Learn that seldom there is a single solution Has attitudinal consequences to live with ones

ideas & those of others and maintain a balance

Wh t i th l f th P f i


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What is the role of the Professor in case

teaching?

As recorder and organizer of groups analysisas it emerges

Resolving conflicts in class or creating conflict todevelop critical skills, challenging individualcontributions

He derives students not only towards diagnosisbut action.

Sometimes the instructor will choose tosummarize or relate with theory, which makes

the conceptual learning come alive.


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Role of Prof

Teachers can not decide the outcome of thecase but have to accept the democratic solutionwhich is logical. Yet he/she has to have clearobjectives in mind as to what is to beaccomplished in the class

Efforts required by instructor and students areimmense!!

It can be enjoyable by both and can befrustrating as well- that is the joy of caselearning


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How to prepare for case class?

The instructor has theme or concept to help student

learn- underdeveloped nature and behavior of

institutions in emerging markets, and firm governance

concerns, or industry attractiveness

He selects a case from many that might fit the objectiveof learning- theme, industry, geography, period, location-

depends on what background the students have

The instructor and students read the case often

previous day, as it takes 6-8 hours to prepare, includingannexures.

First reading is fast in order to develop the overall

perspective- it might take 2 hours


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Preparation

Read the theory text to see which of the issues can be

resolved and prepare the summary of issues from the

text/ reading- may take another 2 hours

Raise the assignment questions -30 minutes

Analyses the case assignment by assignment question-

typically 5 questions: take 2 hours with brief notes

Anticipate possible questions from students and

controversies that arise- incorporate those into his

answers- yet you can never predict- another 30 minutes

Students provide recommendation and instructor

provides the summary and links to theory/ concepts or

tools


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In class activities Before leaving for the class devotes 15-20 minutes in

reviewing the teaching plan- some revision may be

required- board plan and opening question must be

prepared

Ensure the preparedness of the class by asking

randomly the case facts or a direct question on the case-

e.g. what should be the price of the product

If ill-prepared, ask to form groups and allow 15 minutes

for reading- it will make class aware some issues or

facts, which will facilitate discussion

Else it will become the case lecture and can ruin the joy

of case discussion


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In Class

Typically record case facts on the board- list them or bring ppTs

Then discuss one by one, which will automatically take you into oneof the assignment questions- take the class through context first andthen key decision questions where one can generate options

Get pros and cons examined

Let students debate on each option and record the pros and cons ofeach alternative or come prepared with pros and cons.

If time is more put one group against the other group which havedifferent views (S-S), but do not offer solution- role of instructor

If time is short follow I-S discussion instead of S-S; Get directquestions posed and provide/ get answers

End of the class go over the black board and summarise all that hashappened

Conclude with lessons leant in terms of general principles


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Variants

Give assignment questions in advance so that they canfocus on answers

Form groups in advance and assign cases to eachgroup, create critique group as well. Record allcontroversies. During summary time resolve all pending

controversies Provide a small lecture on the learning

When back in office put the summary and learning in anote book or type- may take just 15 minutes- will help in

future, reduce preparation time. You can use teaching notes available with many cases

Can also use role play, if case has enough personalityand behavioral data of the actors


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Any Clarifications?

case _teaching learning

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