state of the art of using casebook for learning and teaching...
TRANSCRIPT
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This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the
Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be
made of the information contained therein
St
State of the Art
of using
Casebook
for learning and
teaching with
migrants
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Table of contents
Executive Summary Project Overview Erasmus+ The Casebook Partnership
3 3 4 5
Introduction Definition History
Methodology Overview in Europe Overview in each partner country Benefits and challenges Good practices
9 9 9
10 11 13 20 21
Suggested structure for a Casebook addressed to career advisors and social workers supporting migrants Online casebook Suggested structure of a casebook on paper and on the web
27 27 27
Collecting and presenting cases How to write a case study? Case study template, interview guidelines and teaching notes
31 31 33
Bibliography and web references
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Annexes
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Executive Summary
According to Eurostat (2012) there are nearly 4 million people migrating every year in the
EU. About 2 million of these come from outside the EU and 1,5 million are EU citizens
migrating in a different Member state. Accounting for both, migrants (people who are not
citizens of the country in which they reside) amount to 29 million, representing 5.8 % of the
total EU population.
Following the principles set at European Council’s meetings in Tampere (1999) and Le Hague
(2004), and the Common Basic Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy in the European
Union (2004), the Europe 2020 Strategy (2010) and the Stockholm Programme (2010) fully
recognize the potential of migration for building a competitive and sustainable economy
and they set out, as a clear political objective, the effective integration of legal migrants. The
European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (2011) recommends the
development of methodologies and tools to ease their insertion.
Career counsellors and social workers are one of the essential actors for the integration of
migrants, as they help them to ‘find their way’ in the host societies, both in the world of
work than in the overall society. In many European countries, career counsellors learn
mostly on the job, hence the need for structured training activities addressed to them
focused on migrants.
Project Overview
This project wants to ease the process of insertion of adult low skilled migrants by
developing a casebook addressed to career counsellors and social workers working with
them, and a set of additional tools to ease and spread its use. These will be two E-courses,
one targeted to career counsellors and social workers and the other one to trainers of
career counsellors and social workers, a web based depository for additional cases. A
preliminary Study on the use of casebooks for learning will also be developed. For
developing the Casebook, every partner will collect and describe a number of case studies of
career counselling with adult low skilled migrants according to a common grid for
description. Then the cases will be assembled, commented and transformed in a OER open
educational resource for training of career guidance practitioners.
In our definition, the mobility process of adult migrants bears the passage through cultures
and geographic movement. Migration implies separation from the well-known surrounding,
immersion in and progressive adjustment to new cultural environments, which results in a
set of changes at the level of self-perception, self-definition, attitude, behaviour patterns as
well as in the development of new skills and competences.
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Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the
period 2014-20201 . Education, training, youth and sport can make a major contribution to
help tackle socio-economic changes, the key challenges that Europe will be facing until the
end of the decade and to support the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy for
growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion.
KEY ACTION 2 – COOPERATION FOR INNOVATION AND THE EXCHANGE OF GOOD PRACTICES
This Key Action supports:
- Transnational Strategic Partnerships aimed to develop initiatives addressing one or
more fields of education training and youth and promote innovation, exchange of
experience and know-how between different types of organisations involved in
education, training and youth or in other relevant fields. Certain mobility activities
are supported in so far as they contribute to the objectives of the project;
- Knowledge Alliances between higher education institutions and enterprises which
aim to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, employability, knowledge
exchange and/or multidisciplinary teaching and learning;
- Sector Skills Alliances supporting the design and delivery of joint vocational training
curricula, programmes and teaching and training methodologies, drawing on
evidence of trends in a specific economic sector and skills needed in order to
perform in one or more professional fields;
- Capacity Building projects supporting cooperation with Partner Countries in the
fields of higher education and youth. Capacity Building projects aim to support
organisations/institutions and systems in their modernisation and
internationalisation process. In certain eligible Partner Countries mobility activities
are supported in so far as they contribute to the objectives of the project;
- IT support platforms, such as eTwinning, the European Platform for Adult Learning
(EPALE) and the European Youth Portal, offering virtual collaboration spaces,
databases of opportunities, communities of practice and other online services for
teachers, trainers and practitioners in the field of school and adult education as well
as for young people, volunteers and youth workers across Europe and beyond.2
1 1 REGULATION (EU) No 1288/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 December
2013 establishing 'Erasmus+': the Union programme for education, training, youth and sport (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:347:0050:0073:EN:PDF) 2 Source : http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/documents/erasmus-plus-programme-guide_en.pdf
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The Casebook Partnership
Partners in the project cover a range of organisations e.g. NGO, voluntary sector and
education & training institutions and have proven track record of successful partnership
working. Each partner worked with the target group of VET and migrants in their country
and lead on specific areas of work according to experience.
Six countries make up the European Partnership and consist of the following organisations:
1. Verein Multikulturell, Austria, project coordinator.
Tyrolean Integration Center is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1993. They aim
to enhance the intercultural dialogue and education. Their main objectives are to promote
professional, social and cultural inclusion of migrants.
They promote the social and professional skills of migrants in collaboration with the State
Government and other State institutions like the Chamber of Commerce, job centers,
schools as well as social organizations and societies.
Verein Multikulturell is engaged in a number of activities and offer a variety of services,
these include:
- multilingual education and career guidance for young migrants and their parents
- job application training and interview coaching
- multilingual family counselling and psychotherapy
- Language and computer classes for adults and youngsters
- intercultural/diversity seminars and training courses for multipliers, like youth
workers, teachers, social workers
- media workstation young migrants (radio, film, photography & creative writing
workshops)
- international EU projects with several themes like VET, multilingual preschool
education, adult learning, multimedia specifically making films and radio shows for
migrants (see above)
- organisation of cultural events.
Their career guidance service, which they have now for more than ten years, includes also
several specific activities designed for this target group, like "Migrant Girls' Day" -
www.migrantgirlsday.at, organised this from 12th time and giving around 100 migrant girls
the opportunity to get know one of their favorite profession. "Fit for Job", an
unconventional method to give migrants vocational orientation and motivation, designed
and organised with the public job center, das Arbeitsmarktservice Tirol. They also have
special trainings like "Interkulturelle Bildung und Erziehung", training for bi-lingual
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kindergarten assistant, a cooperation with public job center and the City Government of
Innsbruck - http://www.migration.cc/bildung/lehrgaenge. We design and organise in public
schools for parents and their children seminars and workshops on the education system of
Austria and give them career guidance support -
http://www.migration.cc/migration/direkt/index.html. They collect with a voluntary team
of young migrants success stories of "role models" and cooperate in several other programs
like "Tandem Now - http://www.tandemnow.eu" and "Face2Face - http://www.face2face-
online.at". We publish them and trying to motivate young migrants for vocational
education. They have tremendous experience in designing and leading national and
international projects or taking up the active role of a transnational project partner.
2. Mozaik Human Resources Development, Turkey
Mozaik was established in the Black Sea city of Samsun for develop intercultural relations as a non-profit organization in 2010. The main aims is to promote the social and professonal integration of migrants, young people and adults. Mozaik provides training, and career counseling, European voluntary service (EVS), cultural activities, guidance services for young people, computer courses and Workstation media (radio, film, photography and new media learning resources) to young people and people who come from other countries, mainly migrants from Balcan and Caucasus.
Mozaik collaborations various institutions and organizations, especially is geared to
government agencies, institutions and organizations active in the employment market, the
city councils of the various activities. In the last year its activities, in cooperation with the
Public Authorities of Samsun Region have been focused also on refugees coming from Syria.
3. Elan Interculturel, France
Elan Interculturel is an independent association created by a group of five psychologists, researchers and trainers interested in exploring diversity and making it a source of advantage. The main objectives of Elan Interculturel are:
- to create a better understanding of how diversity affects our life,
- to raise awareness of the resources inherent in diversity
- to support organisations and individuals with the development of tools and approaches to benefit from cultural diversity
- to ease insertion of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in the French society and companies.
To reach our objectives we do trainings for professionals working in intercultural situations or individuals living cross-cultural transition or in cultural contact zones. We participate in collaborations and pilot projects to develop new methods and tools. Finally, we undertake
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research in intercultural and social psychology aiming at a better understanding of intercultural dynamics.
To live well intercultural situations (whether it is adaptation to a new country or merely communication and collaboration) people need to be able to tolerate ambivalence and uncertainty, be able to integrate contradictions, open and look for common points through which to connect, as culinary traditions or natural curative methods.
One of Elan Interculturel’s main missions is to continuously adapt and develop new training approaches and tools that help us work with people dealing with different cultural codes, by helping their adaptation process or contributing to their competences for intercultural communication or collaboration.
4. Oxfam Italia, Italy
Oxfam Italia is an Italian Development NGO, non-profit association, full member of the International Confederation Oxfam which involved 18 organizations networked together in more than 90 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from the injustice of poverty.
The main areas of intervention of Oxfam Italia are:
- Oxfam Italia carries out projects in local development, social exclusion and integration of migrants and their access to services, both directly and through the action of the social cooperative recently established (Oxfam Intercultura Italia).
- Development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Oxfam Italia promotes and develops international cooperation projects in different areas of intervention: from agricultural and rural development, vocational training and education, to support interventions for health, strengthening of social public services and economic development to the local disaster prevention and environmental protection. Oxfam Italia operates in South East Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
- Campaigns and Education for Active Citizenship. In 2011, Oxfam has launched a global campaign in Italy called Grow - life , the food , the planet
- Citizenship education, promoting a social and united economy, the integration of the immigrant population and the fight against discrimination. In this context, Oxfam helps to develop responsible citizens who are committed to a just and sustainable world. It is an education that defends human rights and the environment and promotes responsible consumerism, nourishes respect for interculturalism and values diversity that encourages gender equality, participation, co responsibility and a commitment to building a fair society. http://edu.oxfam.it/en
At international level, Oxfam Italia participates in the meetings of the European network of anti-racist associations (ENAR) and is representative of the Italian European Forum which brings together national platforms of NGOs active in the field of development education (DEF); participates at the Forum DEAR and the international Network of NGOs active in the field of development education (Polygone); participates in the meetings organized by the Association of international NGOs operating in Palestine; has promoted within the international Network for the promotion and protection controlled geographical origin
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products the " coffee Jamao ." At Italian level Oxfam Italia is a member of the Association of Italian NGOs, the Italian Coalition to fight against poverty, the Coalition's Global Campaign for Education and Social Watch Italia. Based on research and analysis and on the real experience of local partners in developing countries, Oxfam Italia, in collaboration with all the other Oxfam affiliates, carries out campaigning and advocacy activities in order to raise public awareness of the causes of poverty, encourage ordinary people to take action for fairer world and press decision-makers to change policies and practices that reinforce poverty and injustice.
5. Merseyside Expanding Horizons, United Kingdom
MEH is based in Liverpool and works across Merseyside and Europe. MEH has extensive experience in the implementation, management and delivery of EU projects within EU LLP, Youth in Action, Daphne and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs and as a result has a strong network of EU partners. MEH operates both as infrastructure and direct service delivery provider which means we are adaptable and are present at both strategic and grassroots level.
MEH currently employ 6 members of staff with expert experience in various fields such as; non-formal/ informal learning, mentoring, employability and training and self-employment support for migrants and low skilled.
We work in partnership with other organisations to deliver training projects for local communities, transnational working, EU financial management, projects targeting “hard to reach” communities. MEH deliver a wide range of projects which focus on migrant communities and supporting their access to lifelong learning.
6. BBQ Berufliche Bildung gGmbH, Germany
BBQ (Career, Training, Qualification) is an affiliate company of the Bildungswerk der Baden-Württembergischen Wirtschaft e.V. a non-profit training association with a strong de-centrally organised network all over Baden-Württemberg with over 450 employees in 50 subsidiaries. This ensures dissemination of BBQ activities related to European projects in all regions of the country. BBQ is certified according to the international standards of ISO 9001:2008 and since 2011 in addition to ISO 29990:2010 (development, planning and implementation of educational programs, integration projects and staff development strategies).
Their main focus is integration of young people and job seekers (low skilled and migrants) in training or employment in the labor market. To this aim they deliver career guidance and training. In 2012 alone we have qualified 3.975 people. Career guidance, professional training, qualification and retraining allow jobseekers and employees to realign their career or re-enter professional life. In 2013, 1.433 jobseekers took part in qualification offers. The turnover of BBQ was 29,73 million € in 2012.
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“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I
do and I understand”
Confucius
Introduction
Definition
Several definitions of “case method” exist, we decide here to embrace the Boehrer’s
definition claiming that the case method is a teaching strategy (which) has been publicized
and utilized for over half a century, and was implemented to transfer much of the
responsibility for learning from the teacher on to the student, whose role, as a result, shifts
away from passive absorption toward active construction3.
History
The formal use of stories, called case studies, was introduced into Harvard University's law
and business schools in 1870 by Professor Christopher Columbus Langdell. Hence, the use of
official reports of actual cases became the dominant method of educating students is
through in contemporary law schools. Appellate decisions are selected and positioned in a
"casebook" so as to represent general legal principles or to illuminate the evolution of a
modem theory of law. As a rule lecturing by the professor is kept to a controlled minimum.
The essence of the method is that by requiring students to analyse actual cases, then
exposing them to the Socratic form of interrogation, the instructor is able to engender a
more lucid understanding of the relation between juridical theories and concrete legal
problems.
Indeed, Langdell’s new method combined the careful study of the decisions in previous
cases, with the maieutic approach, the Socratic method of teaching, used by the Greek
philosopher Socrates. Through this method teacher ask learners a series of questions in
order to stimulate active involvement of students and to stimulate a debate.
In 1940, Professor Charles I. Gragg exalted the virtues of the method in the article entitled
"Because Wisdom Can't Be Told." The title itself highlights the axiom that simply lecturing
students about a subject hardly ensures that they will remember anything at all. The
medical profession has known this for a long time. They have always used case studies to
instruct their interns and residents with "war stories," but the whole process wasn't
formalised until thirty years ago, when McMaster University introduced the storytelling
3 Boehrer, J. (1990). Teaching With Cases: Learning to Question. New Directions for Teaching and Learning .
Jhon Boehrer is former director of the Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs, Kennedy School, Harvard, and currently director of teaching resources for the Electronic Hallway, Evans School of Public Affairs, University of Washington.
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method, Problem Based Learning (PBL), into their medical school curriculum. Today case-
based teaching is used successfully in disciplines such as engineering, chemistry, education,
and journalism. Students can work through a case during class as a whole or in small groups.
Methodology
The classical case method has three main components: the case itself, the
students’ preparation for the case, and the discussion that takes place in the classroom.4
The case-based approach is a suitable method to develop transferable skills, including
building analytic skills that distinguish high priority from low priority items. Moreover,
working in groups on cases also helps students develop interpersonal skills and the capacity
to work in a team, presentation skills, time management, information gathering and
analysis.
Cases also help students make connections between what they might otherwise consider to
be separate disciplines—for example, they see the need to draw upon principles in
economics, environmental studies, and ethics to solve a problem in urban planning, or the
need to use historical, philosophical, and sociological materials to make a decision about
carrying out an anthropological project.5
Teaching a case is an exercise in leadership: engaging student participation in the collective
examination of a problem and the determination to reach a joint resolution. In a traditional
lecture, you analyse course material and convey your interpretation of it to the class. In a
case discussion, the students analyse the material themselves and your function is to guide
and facilitate their work: frame the task, focus the enquiry, stimulate interaction, probe
thinking, set direction, register progress and bring closure.
The teacher stands between the material and the students in lecture. In case discussion, the
students meet the material more directly, and they interact with each other as well. The
teacher’s role in teaching a case is to facilitate those encounters towards purposeful ends
and, as the dotted lines suggest, to learn from them as well, about the students and the
case. While intellectual and procedural authority (*) belongs to the teacher in lecture,
teacher and students share it in case discussion. Both determine what is learned, and
students, as well as teachers, can raise questions. With case discussion the exercise is more
challenging and interesting. However, the success of the discussion is critically dependent
upon a number of factors that need to be carefully considered when planning the
introduction of the case method. The different interaction between the instructor, students
and course material in lecture and in case discussion is described by Boehrer (1995), as in
figure below:
4 Guglielmo Volpe London Metropolitan University,Published September 2002
5 STANFORD UNIVERSITY NEWSLETTER ON TEACHING WINTER 1994, Vol. 5, No. 2
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Overview in Europe
Despite its apparent attractiveness, the case method remains debated, and case teaching is
not as widespread as its effectiveness would suggest. Two reasons can explain this
phenomenon: first, most of teachers have learned by traditional methods -- lectures,
seminars, problem sets, and examinations -- and they tend to teach as they themselves have
been taught. Second, because the case method needs teachers and trainers to acquire new
skills and attitudes towards teaching, a process which takes time and it can lead to the
elimination of some material from the curriculum that would have otherwise been
presented. It seems easier and safer simply to lecture.
This study oriented toward social work working with migrants focuses on the career
counsellors’ learning methodology.
Settings for career guidance delivery are extensive and vary considerably from one country
to another: Such networks commonly exist in adult education settings, and are the subject
of deliberate strategies in some countries, such as the ‘learning regions’ programme in
Germany. Other networks have developed in response to funding opportunities or
specifically identified client needs: prime examples are a considerable number of European-
Union-funded transnational projects addressing the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers.
Training may be developed on an ad hoc basis to meet project needs, or may be accessed
from existing providers. There are specific issues that rise for career guidance in relation to
vocational education and training (VET). In some countries, the individual’s choice between
academic and vocational routes is overlaid by questions of status, or a perceived lack of
parity of esteem between academic and vocational routes. Legitimate considerations of
esteem need to be carefully balanced with individual inclinations and capacities, both to
best support choices for each individual and to serve national economic and skill needs.
Similarly, after embarking on a vocational route, trainees should retain access to career
guidance services. They are as likely as other learners to want to explore options for
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progression or changes of direction. Contributors to the study generally worked in publicly-
funded services or in the public education sector. Coverage of the private sector, in terms of
private career guidance services and of support to employees, is therefore limited.
Social field integrates case studies method with other methodologies based on the practice
and experience.
The term ‘practicum’ is used here in an inclusive sense to cover both the use of
employment workplace experiences, for those who are undertaking training while in
employment, and the use of short-term work-experience placements and internships that
may be arranged by the course organisers for full-time students. Practice is the base for
reflective learning through specific case studies or for actual assessment tasks relating to
qualification. Such tasks might be observed and assessed interviews or group-work sessions,
detailed and reflective case studies of the student’s experience, or case studies of, for
example, occupations (job studies) and labour market information.
The most developed example of the integration of theoretical learning and practicum is in
the University of Applied Science of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) based in Mannheim,
Germany. This is described as follows: ‘In order to link the theory and practice as closely
together as possible the study course has a dual structure. Five trimesters of university
study are complemented by four trimesters of internship, supervised by the university
(project work). These are undertaken in departments of the Bundesargentur für Arbeit (BA)
in companies and other organisations. Placements abroad are also possible’. In Ireland,
some courses (at NUI Maynooth) place strong emphasis on reflective practice. A key
element of the assessment for the adult guidance diploma is four transcribed and reflective
accounts of real interviews with real clients. Casebook method is employed particularly in Sweden, where a university-based trainer
reports an interest in the balance between practical training and academic study. The
degree course concerned has about 20 weeks of 42 practicum spread over three years of
training, with progression in the different tasks that students undertake. These include case
studies development through interviews with Swedish people and immigrants, which are
then analysed and presented at the university, plus group and individual interventions that
are recorded on video and presented in seminars. Tutors also visit the student’s workplace
on at least two occasions to observe an interview which is assessed (and may be approved
or not). In France, training for the role of Conseiller d’orientation psychologue (COP)
includes a 16-week placement in a guidance centre (CIO) and six to eight weeks in an
enterprise. Both placements are used to produce evidence for the final assessment. The
recently developed master’s course in Latvia is the result of wide international consultation.
It integrates practical training into each module and includes a clear statement of purpose
for this: ‘the aim of practical training is to facilitate the development of the student career
counsellor’s professional competence, characterised by the skill to work with clients
professionally and creatively and to have an analytical-evaluative attitude towards the
counsellor’s work. In Bulgaria, the master’s degree incorporates the competence-based
global career development facilitator (GCDF) to provide a practicum, including an assessed
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case study. Vocational guidance psychologists in Finland’s employment offices are required
to have a master’s degree that includes the highest possible grade in psychology. Their
induction programme, which includes information about changes in society and labour
markets, then requires them to spend one to two weeks in a work placement outside the
employment service. In Scotland, a new postgraduate professional qualification has been
developed that places an emphasis on practice-based learning. All students at the three
universities offering the course are assigned a practice tutor by Careers Scotland, the
national career guidance organisation. The practice tutors act as mentors and experts for
the duration of the course, and contribute to students’ individual learning plans and
professional development. Less detail is recorded about several other instances where a
practicum is actively used, or under consideration:
• degree courses in human resource development in the Netherlands, with an optional
specialism in career counselling, have an assessment process which includes transcripts of
tapes and a ‘test of competence’. The third of the four years is spent on a work placement;
• in Poland, some degrees have a work placement of about eight weeks;
• in Iceland, the element of practical training is being developed as the course moves from
being a postgraduate diploma to become a master’s degree.6
Overview in each partner country
Austria
Case studies are mostly used in the university sector as didactic teaching materials in
Austria. Hereby, students are introduced to a practical approach to issues of a learning
process.
"Cases" within the meaning of case studies didactics are real decision-making situations
which are described for the purpose of teaching (cf. Peter Pantucek, March 2004)
In the field of social work and social pedagogic, coaching approaches in the area of
competence assessment, in the field of youth as a decision support after completion of
schooling and in some reports of case management for employees in the professional
integration several literature references to the reinforcement of case studies could be
found.
In particular, in the field of medicine and law it is described to explore solutions on the
processing of cases or case studies.
6 Professionalising career guidance Practitioner competences and qualification routes in Europe
Cedefop panorama series; 164 Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European
Communities, 2009 available online: file:///C:/Users/USER/Downloads/5193_en.pdf
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Case studies are aimed to recognize the problem through the presentation of information
and to seek for a solution. Case studies also contribute to discussions and are therefore
widely used in supervision settings and contribute significantly to the success of learning
outcomes.
In Austria, there are not many casebook systems in use. The few what they have are from
Germany, which are also in use in Austria.
Turkey
Despite of the use of case studies vary in Turkey, in recent years technology use and
awareness, usage of social media and e- learning, ICT have become phenomenon for
learning and teaching.
These methods are used in higher education institutions in both face-to-face and online
teaching environments, namely for blended learning and e-learning. For this purpose,
interviews have been conducted with instructors and students from two universities,
selected as cases, in order to answer various questions. The results indicates the current
state of social media usage in higher education in Turkey, since education institutions are
the leading ones for technological implementations all over the country, together with the
presentation of current literature on the issue. One of the main findings was perception of
social media as an informal environment that is used for communication and knowledge
sharing, as an information source. Another finding is that both instructors and students
were unaware of the potential tools and resources that they can benefit from in their
educational and research activities. It was obvious that connecting informal and formal
learning through social learning theories is the best way of using social media for
educational purposes (Chen & Bryer, 2012).
The quantity and quality of the methods addressing technology usage will be increased. The
people in target group should be sufficiently educated by providing qualified in-service
training opportunities, and in learning environments using of technological tools should be
developed. The potential usage of technology as a learning tool has not been realized by
both teachers and students and they added that “This outcome appeared to be the result of
limited infrastructure support, difficulties in infusing Internet use into curriculum, and lack
of appropriate teacher professional development alignment with the curriculum/mission,
teacher leadership, and public/private roles for technology recognition. Both infrastructure
and teacher competencies are critical for successful implementation of ICT in learning
process and must be supported by bringing together different cases in various schools.
In addition there are case studies that implemented as good practices in pedagogical area.
Results of this study indicated that teachers need casebook to overcome challenges and use
it as curriculum and pedagogical tools. And thanks of these kind of good implementation
facilitate deeper awareness, understanding.
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Although, there are good implementation on other area like business, healthy sector in
Turkey, but most of them have been conducted in educational environment.
France
In France the use of case studies is very common in educational sector, especially in
business and legal education. In this context it has been used as a teaching method and as
part of professional development. The method is being used more and more as one of the
elements of so called ‘problem-based learning (PBL)’ which is being introduced in growing
number of universities. For instance, INSEAD - a graduate business school with campus in
Fontainebleau - offers various academic programs in which the case method is largely used
in the classroom as a teaching method. In fact, business case studies authored by INSEAD
professors are the second most widely used in classrooms by business schools globally, after
Harvard Business School's case studies. The Business cases that have been designed at
INSEAD have received many awards, and are made available in Case clearing houses, and
used by many other business schools.7
Many other educational institutions all over country make use of case methods in an
attempt to revitalize teaching and lecturing and to make learning process more interactive
and participatory. Case study method is an essential ingredient of ‘participatory teaching
and learning’, in which students take on more active role. The practices affect all areas of
working and learning process, which comprises of exercises, practical work, material design,
research and community presentations. The methods of achieving knowledge in that way
try to overcome the drawbacks of the monotonous one-way lecturing. Instead of just
listening to professor’s monologues, in this way of learning students are encouraged to
actively engage in the content that is being taught.
The university curriculum designers are increasingly recognizing the need for more
interactive methods and see the inclusion of such approaches as a solution to renew the
students’ interest, especially in the areas of science and technology.
Currently, the Nice medical school offers modules based on problem-based learning, which
is centered around case study method. Another example of usage of case method is a
programme called Certificate Case Studies in Medicines Risk Communication offered by
Eu2P: European programme in Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology.8
In addition to this, three major schools offer courses using this method: INSA6, the School of
Computer Science CESI Exia, and CESI engineering school. The computer school Epitech
offers a curriculum based on projects that include elements of problem based learning (e.g.
lively confrontation of ideas and more practical work).
7 Source: http://knowledge.insead.edu/
8 Source http://www.eu2p.org/
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Besides health and technological sciences, the strong tradition exists also in psychology and
psychotherapy, with the aim of helping the client (an example of this is a study: Family and
drug treatment in Adolescents, which is a case study that examines the effect of parent’s
involvement in treatment of their children.9
Also disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, history, the administrative and
organizational sciences, use the label ‘case studies’ in research with an emphasis on detailed
description and an understanding and explanation of a social process or phenomenon. On
another level, the political sciences and parts of economy apply the method of ‘case
studies’ mostly using cities or nation states as a unit. One example of this is OECD report
which uses case study method with the aim of examining the green growth potential of the
Paris-IDF region.10
Moreover,the method is also gaining acceptance,along with other qualitative methods, within the small business and entrepreneurial research community.11 Lastly, the method has been used in France also in the area of vocational training.12
Italy
The case of study methodology was introduced in Italy around mid-fifties driven by big
industries located in Piemonte (Northen Italy). Harward School carried out one experimental
teaching year from 1952 to 1953 that showed encouraging results. The following year, in
Turin, an ex Harvard Faculty was created (Ipsoa) and was composed by a Dean and five
professors.
Following these origins, the Casebook methodology has been used in Italy for teaching and learning in several fields.
The management education field is worth being mentioned first since this area has always
been characterized by active didactic methods to start and strengthen the learning process
in adult people. ASFOR (Italian Association for the Managerial Training) has identified the
study case methodology as a central tool to train executive managers and has recognised a
great added value to the way in which it contributes to the learning process of participants,
it leads to the production of original and innovative material, to the analysis of the company
context resulting in a personalized intervention. It underlines the importance for School of
Management and Corporates of finding in this methodology a way to build a direct
exchange and partnerships. SDA Bocconi (Milan) and Politecnico di Milano, Italian Academic 9 Source: http://www.erudit.org/revue/efg/2010/v/n13/045424ar.pdf) 10 (Cities and Green Growth Case study of the Paris/Ile-de-France region, source: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/5k9fd0fg78bs.pdf?expires=1420285126&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=D155BDF86DAD0DA32D9FE939634CC7C8) 11 http://www.swiminthedigitalworld.eu/site/?cat=9 12 Source: http://www.irepsbretagne.fr/IMG/pdf/etude-cas.pdf
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Excellences, have officially embedded the Case method and Casebooks in their curriculum,
giving birth to outstanding excellence (see the 3 good practices below). Needless to day, as
in many other countries, casebooks are widely used in teaching in the Law, Medicine,
Psychology and in the Social Research field.
Finding the Case method in other education levels, though, harder. In the 70’s, when active
and participatory teaching methods started to widespread, schools started to adopt the
case method as an alternative to the systematic and traditional approaches that proved to
be valid but also cause a sense of distance and low involvement in students.
Most recently, schools have started to adopt this method and tried to embed it in their
curriculum. In 2003, Europolitelia, a network of 50 different Italian schools, in collaboration
with Institutions and local associations, started a project in order to promote educational
experiences of active citizenship inside schools by developing multidisciplinary projects and
didactic materials targeted to teachers. The case method was identified as the best tool for
a teaching focused on active citizenship education. In 2014, the Training Center for
International Cooperation together with 3 different schools located in Trentino Alto Adige
has kept working on this issue and, in March 2015, has started the training with Primary and
Secondary School teachers: case studies are, once again, at the center of the training,
Interestingly, the case method and management has recently also become part of the
selection process for future Heads of Schools since it implies provision of different kind of
disciplinary and professional expertise and competences that are now considered essential.
In this test, Heads of Schools are required to analyse and/or develop their own case study.
The research shows that, despite the difficulties to systematize this methodology in the
teaching field, in Italy the study case methodology has been used more and more often to
analyse situations and map problems both in the public administration field, energy and
renewable energy field and so on.
United Kingdom
In the past, casebooks (or case studies) have been used in the UK in teaching more mature
professions most traditionally in Law, medicine and Business. However, teaching and
learning styles are, by their very nature, changing and in recent years there has been a
noticeable move from lecture-based activities towards more student-centred activities. Case
studies are an increasingly popular form of teaching and have an important role in
developing skills and knowledge in students. This is particularly true for teaching in
psychology and social sciences.
Certain disciplines now rely on case studies as part of the teaching and learning process e.g. Humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and business.
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In Medicine cases are typically structured as follows: Symptoms are described, probable and
possible causes suggested, treatment recommended, prognosis recorded, and the date
when the patient was discharged or buried.
In other disciplines problems are not always highlighted or even made clear; they emerge as
the case material is subjected to analysis. A conclusion is not necessarily stated nor is the
situation reached in the case irreversible. It is usually possible to ‘take over’ operations at a
suitable point in the role of an external adviser or from a position in the case. Most business
cases fall into this category.
Three different methods have been used in business case teaching: (1) prepared case-
specific questions to be answered by the student, (2) problem-solving analysis and (3) a
generally applicable strategic planning approach.
The first method listed above is used with short cases intended for undergraduate students.
The underlying concept is that such students need specific guidance to be able to analyse
case studies.
The second method, initiated by the Harvard Business School is by far the most widely used
method in MBA and executive development programs. The underlying concept is that with
enough practice (hundreds of case analyses) students develop intuitive skills for analysing
and resolving complex business situations.
The third method does not require students to analyse hundreds of cases. A strategic
planning model is provided and students are instructed to apply the steps of the model to
six to a dozen cases during a semester. This is sufficient to develop their ability to analyse a
complex situation, generate a variety of possible strategies and to select the best ones.
The case method of teaching using didactic and experiential methods is also now widely
used in social science. Essentially, the case method involves in-depth class discussions of
open-ended accounts of actual practice situations that are themselves ambiguous and
complex. These accounts require participants to first formulate the problem and then
decide on a course of action. The case discussions help participants to acquire and refine
important critical thinking and decision-making skills
The method is extremely flexible and adaptable and because the vast majority of cases are
drawn from real life they can present situations with no clear-cut solutions, forcing students
to develop judgement skills and teamwork. The Case method has been more widely
embraced in teaching a range of subjects because it has been recognised that real
advantage of the method is that it brings real life into the classroom and gives students the
opportunity to participate actively in their own learning. The teacher’s questions not only
generate dialogue, they encourage students to build on each other’s comments, probe each
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other’s assumptions and hypotheses, communicate with one another (horizontal learning),
and reach consensus on recommendations for action.
Germany
In Germany the use of case studies is very common in different perspectives, e. g. in the
empirical social and medical research, as well as in teaching and the recruitment of
personnel in companies or organizations. In the field of social work and social pedagogy case
studies are widespread and used for the training of professionals (Müller 2012, 5).
In social research case studies support the exploration of individuals or groups. The aims of
case studies are explorative and descriptive statements about the object of investigation.
Case studies are mainly connected with ethnography, field studies and participating
observations Any target group is addressed. Examples can be found in the field of migration
(Bock 1994; Akkent 1985).
Case studies are an important instrument for teaching and learning in Germany and they are
often established at school, in the University, in vocational training and further education
(Arnold 1997). Today case studies are worldwide used in leadership trainings (Ellet 2007,
10).
The solutions of case studies are generally open and given by the student himself/herself.
Sometimes they are given with solutions which are to be discussed by the students. A case
study is more than an “ordinary example” because it provokes active learning and concrete
action by the student (cf. Borchardt 2007, 33-48).
In Germany we differ types of cases:
- Case study method
- Case method
- Case problem method
- Case incident method
The case differs by the following learning effects:
- Information: The relevant dates for the solution of the case are incomplete,
fragmentary or not given at all.
- Problem: The problem in the case study can be named explicitly. On the contrary the
learner might be demanded to see the problem independently and decide about
relevances
- Solution: Alternative solutions are to be found by the learner, he/she could be asked
to decide on one solution. The solution could also be given and serve as a subject for
discussion.
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In Germany the use of case studies has its origin in the training of physicians at Universities
in the late 17th century. The first documentation using the “case method” was found for
doctors from the 1778-1780 (Renschier 1987, 2). Computer-supported or blended learning
seminars with the use of case studies are comparatively new and are still in the test stage
(Schrader et al 2010).
Since there is a very broad use of case studies and varieties in the application in all fields
there is no general research in regards to the evaluation for Germany. All in all every case is
a single case and therefore suitable for some individual learners and the didactic format for
use of a study case is of high importance for the learning success.
Benefits and challenges
In order to create a casebook that will improve the learning and teaching methods within
career counselling and social work field, we gained the views of professionals supporting
migrant inclusion through interviews whose the grid used is attached in this report.
We gathered 12 interviews across partnership countries with representatives of the targets
the casebook is addressed to, such as: trainers in social field, social workers, career advisors,
psychologists, researchers in training field. These experts work all with migrants in
vulnerable situation (for instance young people, unemployed people and women) and/or
with future social workers. The majority of our targets have previously experienced Case
Method in different forms.
The benefits of using a casebook they found are the following:
- To enhance discussions and reflection in teams
- To have an insight in practical work as educational institutions or training
organisation can be very theoretical and away from the reality
- To avoid to drop a clanger - To discover blind spots and broaden the horizon
- To enhance discussions and reflection in teams
- To learn from experiences experts and colleagues,
- To learn from experiences experts and colleagues,
- To collect and share experience
- To avoid to drop a clanger - To have a common answer for common issues
- To set up training pathways of migrant users
- To compare cases with their own issues
- To stimulate problem solving through a narrative approach especially with migrant users
The challenges in using a casebook they found are the following:
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- There is not one solution
- The solution is a process and not a one way track
- Case studies may reduce the complexity of each case
- Some trainers/counsellors can be reluctant to the innovation of methodology
By identifying the challenges before the casebook development, we give us the opportunity
to face these obstacles; however, we need to raise awareness of these challenges the final
casebook users.
Furthermore, from our field research arose that a casebook addressed to career counsellors
and social workers has to consider, not only migrant issues, but also social work issues
(social worker role, team issues, limited funding…) as they are closely linked.
Good practices
In order to show examples of the use of the case methodology in teaching in several fields,
especially in social work we selected a good practice from each partner country.
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1. An individual coaching: one participant, one case
Project name CHARISM – Case management for unemployed youth Presented by Verein Multikulturell, Austria
Promoting organisation BFI Tirol, Mag. Margit Kerschbaumer MSc, Ing.-Etzel-Straße 7,
6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Target group Young people, case manager, employment services and training providers (youth organisations, social worker, teacher, people and organisations who support youth in the phase between the end of the compulsory school and the entrance into the training-/labour market)
For more information www.charism.eu
The goal of CHARISM is to develop a common European model to support disadvantaged
young people while seeking a job or an apprenticeship and provide help during the
application process based on the methodological approach of Case Management.
CHARISM aims to integrate youth socially, educationally and vocationally with the method
of Case Management, to strengthen the individual competences of unemployed youth so
that they can find a fitting job as a first step towards a sustainable career.
The “manager” focuses individually on the unemployed person and works with a holistic
approach, taking into account any aspect that could empower the unemployed person”
The actual beginning of the professional life often presents a biographical and psycho-social
crisis for many youths.
The resource- and strength-orientation as well as the focused one-on-one educational social work of the CHARISM approach provides the necessary basis for an overview of the partici- pants’ development and for the CHARISM Case Managers to engage in a continuous relationship with their clients. Together, the Case Managers and the youths embark on a process of deter- mining the participants’ occupational and personal perspectives and setting them into relation with the demands of the job market. Based on this, individual strategies can be developed. For the personal coaching and supervision to work, each Case Manager has to be attentive to possible emotional, psycho-social, or health issues. Thus, the Case Managers have to think and act systematically and make the best use of the available resources.
2. Training of trainers
Project name Cases for Educational Development Presented by Mozaik Human Resources of Development, Turkey Promoting organisation Samsun Counseling and Research Centre
Target group Social workers; social pedagogy; consultants who will be active on education area or graduated from university new. For more information
The main activities delivered during this training based on Case method are: - Preparation the training for development of people who will be active on education
area
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- Implementation of training - Taking and evaluation of feedbacks
The learning outcomes are the presentations of personal development, and providing comprehensive analyses in local area. After positive feedbacks and outcomes, the context was become more comprehensive and is still in use in Counseling Centre for other participants.
3. Case method for digital technologies
Project name The SWIM Consortium, SWIM in the Digital World Presented by Elan Interculturel, France Promoting organisation It is co-organised by Sciencescom (Nantes, France) and the San Jorge University of Zaragoza (Spain), under the supervision of the SWIM Consortium that also gathers : Audencia School of Management (Nantes, France), Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca – Journalism Department (Cluj, Romania), the Berlin University of the Arts (Germany) and as Associate member : Westerdals School of Communication (Norway). Target group Media and communication students and also young audio-visual producers For more information www.swiminthedigitalworld.eu
SWIM in the Digital World is an 18-day training programme focuses on the applications of digital technologies for contributing to the development of new ways of creating, producing, distributing and consuming digital media content. Its pedagogical process is based on the Case Study method. Its main goal was to contribute to the development of new ways of creating, producing, distributing and consuming digital media content through immersion training seminars focusing on innovative practices, intercultural crossroads and providing a marketplace for the transmission of knowledge. The Case Study method is on the spread in the media and communication higher education institutions, through a specific concept : the Creative Case Studies.
The SWIM Consortium has selected 4 topics according to criteria of business, art and technologies relevance, nationality and proximity to the students’ concerns.
The groups investigated in-depth the case studies with their tutor’s support. At the end, the students represented their ideas in front of a jury composed with professionals and academics. This practice were assessed and the best pitch honoured.
From this shared and dynamic vision between professors of partners schools and universities, the SWIM Consortium was born and has developed since its Nantes France seminar in 2008 and its Cluj, Romania seminar in 2009, with the steady support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.
The SWIM training action has given over 75 students from France, Germany, Romania, Spain, Italy, Hungary, etc the opportunity to seriously work together on real problems in the European audiovisual arena arising from the digital revolution under the supervision of lecturers and professionals closely involved in this issue. Case Study method was the core of the seminar. It was be applied to the following audiovisual concepts :
new ways of creating and producing,
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new distribution strategies and marketing,
new ways of commercialising and distributing programmes.
It is a good practice because students were encouraged to create new products based on
real problems and situations. In this case the method was applied to the audiovisual
industry and digital media.
4. Case collection
Project name Bocconi School of Management case collection Presented by Oxfam Italia Promoting organisation Bocconi School of Management, Milan Target group Educators, Students, Corporate Customers
The faculty of SDA Bocconi School of Management has been committed for more than 30 years to writing cases covering a broad range of industries and several topics such as strategy, entrepreneurship, accounting and finance, organisational behaviour, human resource management, marketing, innovation and operations, ICT, and many more. It collaborates to build up the Case Centre database with more than 330 case studies. The SDA case collection contains thousands of cases with their teaching notes, simulations, and business games in both digital and text format. All cases have been tested in the classroom. The majority of cases are based on field research, the rest are based on consulting experience, as well as on published sources. Teaching with cases (educators) The Case Centre aims to provide as many tools as possible to assist you become as effective a case teacher as you can. Foremost among the services for case teachers is the case collection of over 89,100 items and an intuitive search facility to assist in finding the very best materials for particular teaching situations. More than 22,700 teaching notes are available in the collection to accompany cases. Teaching notes help the case teacher identify and focus on the key learning outcomes designed in the case and to plan class discussion and dynamics. 95% of the most popular cases have teaching notes. Guidance on writing teaching notes is also available. Students There are many articles and books available from The Case Centre that explore the pedagogy of the case method. Written by experienced case authors and teachers these valuable resources are designed to provide guidance and support to students. The Case Centre also offers Student Sessions to introduce them to the excitement and exhilaration of case learning, giving them key insights into the case method and a solid foundation. Corporate Customers Case Centre offer the largest collection of management case study materials to be found anywhere in the world: Case studies: 32,000+ cases from leading business schools on all aspects of national and international business and management. Management articles: 2,000+ articles from a wide range of leading management journals
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and newsletters • Book chapters: 1,700+ individual chapters from a variety of management education books, • Instructor materials: 16,000+ teaching notes and instructor materials to accompany cases. • Multimedia: 125+ multimedia and interactive items. • DVDs: 600+ DVDs to accompany a variety of cases.
5. Filmed case studies
Project name Community Integration and Cohesion Presented by Merseyside Expanding Horizons Promoting organisation Merseyside Expanding Horizons Target group The immediate target group are adults within vocational education and training delivered by colleges and voluntary sector organisations. We are particularly aiming at adult learners from inner city and/or disadvantaged marginalised communities who by utilising the CIC course will be encouraged to build positive relationships between different groups and communities. The secondary target group is also trainers/tutors teachers. Who work with VET/HE of adults For more information [email protected]
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the training participants will: Raise Awareness: Be aware of the case studies from a variety of diverse groups and individuals in social exclusion. Deepen Knowledge: Explore possible actions and solutions to remove barriers for people who are experiencing social exclusion, and to be able to overcome these barriers. Change Behaviour: Identify internal and external support systems that would ensure better support for the people from the target group responding to their needs. It is a flexible teaching methodology using real life case studies . The case studies are filmed and spoken by the actual subjects, which makes it very real. The accompanying training materials are easy to use adaptable and can cover a range of social issues. Also following the pilot the methodology was used successfully to teach different target groups in different EU countries. The training materials developed suggest session plans and direct trainer on how to use materials, examples of questions are given and sessions are cover the three phases of learning. Suggested questions to use with cases are grouped into the three phases. There are also resources for evaluation of learning.
6. Help for helping themselves
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Name project Change Management in Enterprises and Organizations Presented by BBQ Berufliche Bildung GmbH, Germany Promoting organisation Denkmodell GmbH Berlin Target group HR Mangers, Consultants, People working in Change management processes (e.g . Manager, responsible staff), people working in development aid More information www.denkmodell.de
The course is based on cases given by the training provider and all training steps refer on the case showing solutions, instruments & tools for working with the company. The good practice show how to solve difficult problems by giving the client help for helping themselves (empowerment).The learners in the course also present cases (real cases from work) to exchange good practice and lessons learnt by mistakes and difficult situations. All modules and learning steps are explained by cases. The idea of giving the learner the chance of presenting his own case is a very good method for improving motivation and stimulating of learning processes. Working on one case with a complex situation and with different problems is more efficient and interesting than working with many cases that expect you a lot of reading.
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Suggested structure for a Casebook addressed to career advisors
and social workers supporting migrants
Online casebook
The online casebook will have approximately the same structure as the paper version. The
value of an online casebook is represented by the opportunity to integrate hyperlinks to the
quoted organisations ’websites and to data. Moreover, the interest in providing an online
casebook goes beyond this as it is also an opportunity for a collaborative exercise that will
allow for the creation of a more in-depth and creative set of materials that can be done in
traditional hard cover format. Indeed, therefore, the partnership will invite all practitioners
to submit additional cases not covered in the casebook and additional relevant literature.
Suggested structure of a casebook on paper and on the web
Below we suggest a structure for a casebook addressed to career advisors and social
workers supporting migrants.
In the first part of the book, we do need to thank all organisations and individuals who
contributed to collect the cases.
- Acknowledgements The Partnership should thank organisations who contributed to collect cases across Europe.
We should quote their names and their countries. We suggest at least 3 for each partner.
Their contact’s details will be gathered at the end of the book, in the appendix, under
“Useful contacts”.
- Foreword Project information, migrant issues and needs of career counsellors and Social workers
supporting migrants
- Introduction We will introduce briefly the Erasmus+ programme, the partnership description, and we will
provide a picture of the structure of the casebook: e.g. “This casebook collects 60 case
studies, each of which raises meaningful issues connected with migration and with work of
career counsellors, social workers and other practitioners in the field of migration.
This collection is proposed as a tool to support training programmes and self-learning.
Teachers will normally select a number of case studies that will be distributed to the
participants to provoke and focus discussion. To assist those using these case studies in their
classrooms and workshops, guidelines on how to use casebook have been included in this
book in order to support teachers and self-learners. Individuals who want to stimulate their
own thinking about migrant issues or to become more familiar with a range of questions in
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supporting migrants, especially in the countries involved in the project, can also benefit
from perusing this book, either on topics of special interest to them or as a whole.”
Guidelines: How to use casebook
The client cases in the Casebook will be used as the focal point for independent self-learning
by individual students and for in-class problem-solving discussions by student groups and
their teachers. If meaningful learning and discussion are to occur, students will need come
to discussion sessions prepared to discuss the case material rationally, to propose
reasonable solutions, and to defend their suggestions. This will require a strong
commitment to independent self-study prior to the session.
The case method is used primarily to develop the skills of self-learning, critical thinking,
problem identification, and decision making. When case studies from the Casebook will be
used in the curricula of the migrant supporting professions or for independent study by
practitioners, the focus of attention should be on learning the process of solving practical
problems rather than simply finding answers to the problems themselves. Moreover, by
reading the cases, students will learn more about the original countries of migrants, their
history, culture and issues. Students do learn legal framework and common issues related
to migrants during the resolution of case study problems, but they usually learn more from
their own independent study and from discussions with their peers than they do from the
teacher. Working on cases studies with similar problems strengthens information memory.
Traditional programs in the migration field that rely heavily on traditional lectures tend to
concentrate on dissemination of legal and juridical contents with rote memorisation of laws
rather than the development of higher-order thinking skills.
Case studies in the migration field provide the personal history of an individual or a family
and information about one or more problems to be solved. The learner's task is to work
through the facts of the case, analyse the available data, gather more information, develop
hypotheses, consider possible solutions, arrive at the optimal solution, and consider the
consequences of one's decisions. The role of the teacher is to serve as facilitator rather
than as the source of “the answer.” Indeed, in many situations there is more than one
acceptable answer to a given question. Because teachers do not necessarily need to possess
the correct answer, they need not be experts in the field being discussed. Rather, the
students also become teachers, and both teachers and students learn from each other
through thoughtful discussion of the case.
Case studies can be used in teaching in a variety of ways. The choice of teaching method is
of course up to the individual teacher, based on the resources and time available, the nature
of the class and the students and the subject of the case study in question.
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We suggest below 4 main ways to use them:
- Class discussion: the case is presented to learners, either on the spot for immediate discussion, mirroring a real-life situation, or as preparatory work in advance of discussion in a later class. The discussion itself may take place among the entire class, or the class may be divided into small groups, each of which analyses the case and reports back to the larger group.
- Role plays: The case study may be presented either in whole or in part as a role play. Discussion and analysis would proceed either through the role play or at the conclusion, as a class review
- Interviews: The students may only be presented with part of the information and be required to ask questions to extract the rest of the data needed and provide their analysis and recommendations. The instructor or other students may answer questions.
- Assignments: The case study may be presented as an assignment, with the student required to write an analysis and recommendations.
The case studies
The case studies will be kept short (no more than two pages) and include those descriptive
background details that are relevant to the issue under discussion. In order to lead learners
to develop their skills in identifying key aspects in a case, we will also add some diversion
topics. While careful analysis will often reveal that more than one issue will be raised by a
case, each study will be centred on one or two problems. Cases will be grouped in 6
chapters based on the country, but the table of contents will suggest the main topic through
a colour key. Indeed there will be 8 main topics and each topic will correspond to a different
colour, for instance:
1. Employment
2. Language
3. School education
4. Family background
5. Social issues
6. Personal traits
7. Cultural issues
8. Health
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In turn, as readers or course organisers become familiar with particular cases, they might
want to re-assign them further colours to take account of the additional issues that seem
important to them. The arrangement of the cases (including the list of principal issues as
delineated by the topical chapter headings) is proposed to facilitate, not limit, creative use
of these materials. The cases in this collection were not invented. Rather, some of them
have been adapted in order to fit with teaching and learning objectives. The names in the
case studies and other topical information (such as locations) might been changed in order
to protect clients’ privacy
Glossary
Definition of key words used in the book such as: asylum, asylum seeker, benefits, culture
shock, discrimination, family reunification, homeless, inclusion, refugee, Home Office,
acculturation, circumcision… We can refer to the International Organisation of Migration
glossary13.
Suggested readings and resources
The readings and resources listed will be organised under the following headings:
- Those related to guidelines and guidance on Case method
- Literature on Migration
- Suggested reading by case (this reading list also appears at the end of each case)
13
http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Glossary%202nd%20ed%20web.pdf
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Appendix
- Useful contact details of organisations related to migrant issues, at least 3 national
contacts. The partnership should collect organisations who contributed to the
casebook and the main national organisations (public and private) seen as
milestones in the field of migration in their own country.
- Teaching note template: a tool for teachers. Teachers will be able to complete their
own teaching note according to their own learning objectives
- Case study template: an useful tool especially for the online casebook where the
practitioners will be invited to submit additional cases not covered in the casebook
Collecting and presenting cases
How to write a case study? 14
Teaching cases covering a wide variety of subjects are available from several sources. In
order to meet specific goals, teachers can write their own case. Writing a teaching case
involves the following steps:
- Preparing a case prospectus; - Conducting research necessary to writing the case; - Writing drafts of the case; - Seeking critical review of case drafts from knowledgeable people; - Editing and revising the draft until it is ready for use in teaching; - Preparing a teaching note to accompany the case; - Use of the case and further revision as needed; - Publication or distribution of the case through an appropriate channel.
The initial step, preparation of a case prospectus, generally conforms to the following
outline:
- Subject/topic/dimensions - Audience/pre-requisites - Teaching purposes/objectives - The story/abstract - Case content - Setting: where, when, why - Decision maker/main actor/other actors - Issues/problems/interests - Constraints/opportunities - Decision/action - Sources of information, data
14
Adapted from: Case Teaching Resources from the Evans School of Public Affairs. University of Washington
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- Research plan - Foreseeable difficulties
Research for a teaching case typically involves, first, a search of secondary sources, such
as published reports, press accounts, academic research, or other background
documents and materials. Next, based on this background preparation, the case writer
embarks on primary research: interviews with key actors and experts, personal
observation of settings and activities, analysis of administrative records, data, or other
facts; preparation of charts, tables, maps, time lines, or other materials to be used in
analysis. Finally, the results of the research effort are organized in such a way as to
facilitate preparation of an outline for the actual writing of the first draft of the case.
Primary research, and, in particular, identifying, contacting, and interviewing key
informants and other sources of information, is an all-important step. In the case writing
workshop, special considerations associated with the following topics are covered:
- Contacts and access: are key informants available to talk to you?
- The interview process: how can you most effectively elicit the information you are
seeking?
- Identifying additional sources: can interview subjects identify other sources of
information or people to talk to?
- Follow-up: have you left open the possibility of checking facts and quotations with
your interview subjects or returning to the scene of action? The successful case
writer is, above all, resourceful. Case research resembles the investigative activities
of good journalists much more than the straightforward methods of academic
research.
Below we suggest approaches characterising a successful cases studies:
- Curiosity. Asking, Why? Identify choices, conflicts, and rejected alternatives.
- Bring actors alive. Show them whole, as real people, interesting, complex.
- Be sceptical. Do not take a story at face value. Do not believe it the first time. Seek
multiple sources, corroboration. Seek multiple perspectives, unpopular views,
“unofficial” interpretations, maverick opinions.
- Follow your hunches, intuitions, instincts. You may be on to something.
- Collect scraps of information, gossip, attitudes, body language, side remarks, visual
clues, local colour.
- Suspend your own judgment as long as possible. Don’t prejudge or rule out
possibilities you don't favour. A good teaching case is a piece of original research.
Even participants in the events described in the case, most of whom have only
limited experience with the overall situation, should learn something from reading it.
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Case study template, interview guidelines and teaching notes
The presentation of a case should be as simpler as possible. In fact, readers shouldn’t be
influenced by any structure or sentence in the case. Cases should be presented as a story in
a narrative form. Below we suggest a template for creating a case study, we inspired by
“Writing a case study: a Manual” produced by the international records Management Trust
and adapted it for migrant issues.
The case study is often accompanied by a set of teaching notes, one to several pages long.
The notes are intended to help the instructor to facilitate the discussion, the questions that
might arise from the case and the professional or theoretical points that might be raised in
discussion.
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Interview guidelines
Key words: Which main topic your case will cover? (Max three)
Learning objectives: a statement that specifies what learners will know or be able to do as a result of a learning activity. Outcomes might be expressed as knowledge, skills, or attitudes. (Max three)
Title
A descriptif title
Introduction The introduction establishes the problem and provides the boundaries of the situation. You should be able to answer some or all the following questions:
- When and where has this situation happened? - Who are the main actors in this situation?
Overview/Analysis
The overview/analysis provides a scenario of the situation and offers more details. The narrative is presented in chronological order, with no foreshadowing. Since the problem is not intended to be straightforward, the narrative may include additional information, including ‘red herrings’ that the student must consider as they search for the key issues. It is important not to use language that might bias the presentation in any way, such as “unfortunately” or “he made the mistake of doing y”. The student must be left free to evaluate all aspects of the situation independently. The overview should bring the case up to the present, without necessarily providing information about the actual decisions made or action taken. That information is usually included in the status report. You should be able to answer some or all the following questions:
- What is the background of the situation? - In which country/countries the situation is set? - Who are the people involved in this scenario? - What are the framework policies relating to this issue? - Is it possible to identify which professional, cultural or theoretical issues
arise from the situation? - Can you add any graphic or visual aid such as budget, organisational
chart or technical specifications? - Can you add any diversion topics in order to lead learners to develop
their skills in identifying key aspects in a case?
Status report The status report describes the involved people s’ actions, on the matter. The
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status report presents the situation to date but does not offer the ‘solution’ to the problem. The students will be asked to determine the options available as part of their analysis of the case study. You should be able to answer some or all the following questions:
- What the involved people have acted to date? - Are there any constraints of time or of place so far? - Can you add any statement from social workers or migrants or any
person involved? - Which options the people involved see?
Case problems
In many case studies, the status report may end with one or two case problems, which require the learner to analyse or solve a particular question. The case problem sets the task but does not offer the ‘solution’ to the problem. The students will be asked to determine the options available as part of their analysis of the case study. Case problems generally take one of three forms:
1. Give a situation and ask learners what they would do next.
2. Set a task, such as asking learners to prepare a report recommending an action for review by a key official.
3. Illustrate a scenario and ask learners to analyse the faults and recommend how it should have been handled.
Literature Insert all suggested readings and resources
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Teaching Notes Template
ELEMENT
DESCRIPTION
Synopsis The synopsis presents a brief overview of the case in question. The synopsis simply provides an overview of the key issue(s) of the case, serving as an aide-memoir for the instructor.
Educational objectives
The educational objectives include a discussion of the learning points raised by the case. The educational objectives of a particular case may vary depending on the environment within which it is used. For example, a case study may be addressed both cultural issues and legal issues.
Discussion outline/question set
The discussion outline/question set provides the instructor with guidelines for how to teach the case. It includes key questions to raise while discussing the case study, with appropriate answers or discussion points. The questions and comments serve to guide the discussion. Depending on the course within which the case is used, the discussion may focus on various aspects of the problem, from technical to managerial. However, students should be encouraged to consider all relevant concerns, even if they do not seem to have a direct bearing to the topic being taught at that time. The purpose of the case study is to introduce realistic situations in a classroom environment; students must have the opportunity to consider all the practical as well as theoretical problems that arise.
Tips for resolving the case problem
If a specific problem was outlined in the case, these tips might describe the objectives of the problem and tasks to be undertaken. Tips might also be included about approaches that might be taken, sources that could be consulted and points that should be addressed in arriving at a ‘solution’. The instructor can determine a number of actions students could take, or he or she could allow the students to determine their own activities. It is useful to offer guidance so that students don’t end up ‘off track’ and discussing issues that are not relevant to the purpose of the case study. (e.g. “Identify the key players, factors and issues in the case. Tease out the underlying problems, prioritise them, then identify resources and gather information pertinent to addressing them: Do you have sufficient information or will you need to gather more? What sources of information are critical?...
Appendices Appendices to the teaching note may include a bibliography, a glossary of relevant terms or a list of other activities or exercises that might be used to further learning of the subject. Some appendices, such as the bibliography or glossary, may be prepared in such a way that they may be easily reproduced for the students.
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Bibliography and Web references
Arnold, Eva (1997): Das ist ja hier der reinste Luxus. Kollegiale Supervision als
Praxisbegleitung in der Hochschullehre. Münster.
Edmund A Pew cases studies or the ABC of Case’s teaching Institute for the study of the
diplomacy Walsh School of Foreign Service Georgtown University 2000
Boehrer, J. (1990). Teaching With Cases: Learning to Question. New Directions for Teaching
and Learning.
Borchardt, Andreas; Göthlich, Stephan E. (2007): Erkenntnisgewinnung durch Fallstudien. In:
Sönke Albers, Daniel Klapper, Udo Konradt, Achim Walter und Joachim Wolf (Hrsg.):
Methodik der empirischen Forschung. 2., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, Gabler,
Wiesbaden.
Case Teaching Resources from the Evans School of Public Affairs. University of Washington
Ellet, William Ellet (2007): The Case Study Handbook. Boston.
Erfahrungen und Befunde zur Kompetenzentwicklung von Erwachsenenbildnern.
Griese Birgit, Grieshop Hedwig Rosa (2007) Biographische Fallarbeit: Theorie, Methode Und
Praxisrelevanz. Wiesbaden.
Kaiser, Franz-Josef 1983): Grundlagen der Fallstudiendidaktik – Historische Entwicklung –
Theoretische Grundlagen – Unterrichtliche Praxis. In: Franz-Josef Kaiser (Hrsg.): Die
Fallstudie – Theorie und Praxis der Fallstudiendidaktik. Band 6, Bad Heilbrunn, S. 9–34.
Müller, Burghard (2012): Sozialpädagogisches Können: Ein Lehrbuch zur
multiperspektivischen Fallarbeit. München, 7. Auflage.
Reschier H.E.(1987) : Die Praxisphase im Medizinstudium. Heidelberg.
Schönfeld, Hanns-Martin (1967) : Die Führungsausbildung im betrieblichen Funktionsgefüge.
Schrader, J./Hohmann, R./Hartz, S. (Hrsg.) (2010): Mediengestützte Fallarbeit. Konzepte.
Web references
http://www.casebookproject.eu/
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallstudie
http://knowledge.insead.edu
http://www.eu2p.org/
http://www.erudit.org/revue/efg/2010/v/n13/045424ar.pdf
http://www.oecdilibrary.org/docserver/download/5k9fd0fg78bs.pdf?expires=1420285126&
id=id&accname=guest&checksum=D155BDF86DAD0DA32D9FE939634CC7C8
http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/teachingLibrary/Case%20Teaching/case%20method.pdf
http://cet.usc.edu/resources/teaching_learning/docs/abcs.pdf
http://www.thecasecentre.org/files/downloads/research/RP0301M.pdf
http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/Glossary%202nd%20ed%20web.pdf
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Annexes