CASE WRITING

TEACHING RESEARCH
NATURE Describe an actual business A research strategy for investigating
situation a social science issue

PURPOSE To establish a framework To guide an empirical inquiry that

for discussion and debate investigates a contemporary phenomenon
when contextual boundaries not clear
& multiple sources of evidence are used

CHARAC- Completeness & accuracy Completeness & accuracy essential

TERISTICS are important (not essential)

STIMULUS A professor recognizes the To develop or disprove theory

need to cover certain topic
 CASE STUDIES: LIMITATIONS

Inspite of realism they are not the actual business situation

Designed to “fit” a particular unit of class time

Designed to focus on a certain category of problems

A case is a snapshot taken at a point in time

Students make decisions, but don’t have responsibility for

implementing the decisions
 CASE STUDIES: BENEFITS

Exposure to “real-life” companies, industries and situations

Sharpen analytical skills

Help in learning to ask the “right” questions

Useful for developing set of principles and concepts

Create (renew) sense of fun and excitement

Allow high degree of involvement in the learning process

CASE STUDIES: TEACHING

A VERY DEMANDING FORM OF PEDAGOGY

FOR STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS

“[The instructor] is a planer, host, moderator,

devil’s advocate, fellow-student, and a judge”

R. Christensen
 CASE STUDIES: TEACHING

A VERY DEMANDING FORM OF PEDAGOGY

FOR STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS

 CASE STUDIES:
STUDENTS’ PREPARATION

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME & THOUGHT

- Read and digest the facts

- Identify key issues

- Look for data that support their analysis

- Plan the approach for addressing the issue

- Strategy for participation

 CASE STUDIES:
INSTRUCTORS’ PREPARATION
- Read the case thoroughly

- Prepare the specific concepts and skills to teach

- Prepare the class process

- Emotional and intellectual engagement

- Relinquish control while providing frameworks for learning

- Debriefing students

- Debriefing on class process

 CASE STUDIES:
INSTRUCTORS’ PREPARATION

“[The instructor] is a planer, host, moderator,

devil’s advocate, fellow-student, and a judge”

R. Christensen
 Before the Course Begins

- Develop overall frameworks of the course (and how

each case fits within them).

- Learn the names and backgrounds of the students.

- Think about the learning contracts (pace, tone, emotional style)

- Focus on technical aspects of teaching (how to work the boards,

lights, projectors, and audiovisual equipment)

- Sit on various part of the room and practice walking around

 Preparing to Teach a Class
- Read the case thoroughly

- Prepare the specific concepts and skills to teach

- Prepare the class process (avoid rigid teaching plans)

- Prepare a flexible board plan (to organize comments into

frameworks, and to foster discussion).

- If needed, prepare mini-lectures and transparencies to

summarize case discussion

- Understand contributions individual students may bring

- Be aware of “blind-spots” in class

 In the Classroom
- “Be Yourself” (relax and keep a sense of humor)

- Emotional and intellectual engagement

- Relinquish control while providing frameworks for learning

- Learn to manage comments and actions that appear hostile

- Manage time effectively in class

- Debriefing students

- Debriefing on class process

 After Class
- Record class participation

- Review the case discussion

- Write down suggestion for the next time you teach the case

- Think about your next class

- Reflect on the progress of individuals, and the class

(specially watch for changes indicating a problem)

- Plan for student feedback

INSTRUCTORS’ PREPARATION
“[The instructor] is a planer, host, moderator,
devil’s advocate, fellow-student, and a judge”

R. Christensen

- Read the case thoroughly

- Prepare the specific concepts and skills to teach

- Prepare the class process

- Emotional and intellectual engagement

- Relinquish control while providing frameworks for learning

- Debriefing students and on class process

 RESEARCH CASE WRITING

Draw cross-case
Conduct 1st Write conclusions
case study individual
case report
Select cases
Modify theory
Conduct 2nd Write
Theory case study individual
case report Develop
implications
Design
Data collection
Protocol
Write cross-case
report

Source: Yin (1988, p. 56)

 Critical Factors of “Case Study” Teaching

RESOURCES AVAILABLE
CONTEXT

RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
TEACHING
EFFECTIVENESS
“Be prepared...
but be flexible”
At student level
- Transfer of knowledge
- Subject tied to cognitive
map
- Involvement and contribution
CLASSROOM PROCESS - Judgment development
DELIVERY MANAGEMENT
STUDENT
- Start ups/ closures At context level
- “When in doubt...
- Questioning/listening/ - Set standards
trust the students”
responding - Set norms
- “Guide discussion..
- Attention/control/ respons- - Lower barriers to learning
but do not control it”
ability/collaboration/ - Freedom to fail
- “Encourage to appreciate
participation - Self-discovery is enhanced
rich complexity of multiple
- Uncertainty/feedback
solutions”
At teacher level:
- “Foster team work, and
- Continuous Intellectual
respect for individuals”
growth
TEACHER
- Continuous personal
CHARACTERISTICS
growth
SUBJECT - Enjoyment
- Ideas for Further Research
TEACHER SELF - Social Skills
MANAGEMENT

“Be aware...
but be yourself””
 Critical Factors of “Case Study” Teaching

RESOURCES AVAILABLE
CONTEXT
- Assignments
- Resources RESOURCES
- Blackboard & other
- Support MANAGEMENT
Audio-visual aids TEACHING
- Infrastructure
- Teaching plan EFFECTIVENESS
- Prior history of “Be prepared...
- Student biographies
discussion-tea- but be flexible”
- Contingency plans At student level
ching
- Final Project - Transfer of knowledge
- Grading system
- Subject tied to cognitive
map
- Involvement and contribution
CLASSROOM PROCESS - Judgment development
DELIVERY MANAGEMENT
STUDENT
- Start ups/ closures At context level
- “When in doubt...
- Questioning/listening/ - Set standards
- Background trust the students”
responding - Set norms
- Experience - “Guide discussion..
- Attention/control/ respons- - Lower barriers to learning
- Motivation but do not control it”
ability/collaboration/ - Freedom to fail
- Capabilities - “Encourage to appreciate
participation - Self-discovery is enhanced
- Skills rich complexity of multiple
- Uncertainty/feedback
- Initial percep- solutions”
At teacher level:
tions - “Foster team work, and
- Continuous Intellectual
respect for individuals”
growth
TEACHER
- Continuous personal
CHARACTERISTICS
growth
SUBJECT - Enjoyment
- Expectations
- Ideas for Further Research
- Style
- Objectives TEACHER SELF - Social Skills
- Attitudes
- Scope MANAGEMENT
- Emotions
- Prior Re-
- Experience
search “Be aware...
- Skills
- Concepts but be yourself””
- Confidence
- Techniques
- Awareness of
- Structure
blind spots
Importance of Teaching Notes

- Increase teaching effectiveness

- Save time

- Build confidence

- Guide casewriting

- Contribute intellectual capital

 What Should a Good
Teaching-Note Contain?

WHAT the case is about

WHERE it fits in a course

WHY we are teaching it

WHAT we are going to teach

HOW we can teach it

 Teaching-Notes
Not substitutes for preparation
Nor surrogates for creative reflection
Not drama scripts

Rather,

Preparation accelerators
Pedagogical stimulants
Reference maps
Valuable guidance to expand teaching frontiers
 Some Final Thoughts

About Casewriting process:

“Constructive conflict is the essence of the case
discussion process and can only be engendered by
good case material.”

About Teaching-Notes:
“They are communicators of pedagogical wisdom and are
essential to achieving excellence in teaching.”

About Case Study teaching:

“Enabling students to engage in intellectual discourse
to learn how ideas are shaped and used, and
to articulate those ideas clearly.”
What is a Teaching Case Study?

“It is the factual description of a situation

faced by someone in an organization.”

A case study must have:

- A clear decision focus

- Several reasonable, defensible alternatives
- Enough depth and different evidence
 CU College of Business Teaching Program
and
Faculty Teaching Excellence Program

Symposium

Mastering the Case Method of Teaching

Spring 1999 Dr. Ramiro Montealegre

 Agenda

1. Philosophy underlying the case method

2. Discussion leadership skills:
(questioning, listening, responding, nonverbals,
board management, learning contracts, etc.)
3. Discussion process:
(teaching plans, opening, managing discussion,
establishing closure to case discussion, etc.)
4. Case writing
Spring 1999 Dr. Ramiro Montealegre
 Typology of Questions
Open-ended What are your reaction to the Prof. Graham
case? What aspect of this problem were of
greatest interest to you?

Diagnostic What is your analysis of the problem? What

conclusions did you draw from these data?

Info-seeking What was Janet Macomber’s background?

Testing Why do you believe that? What evidence

support your conclusions?

Sequence Given the time constraints at the end of the

class, what is the first step to be taken by
Prof. Graham? The second?
Effect of a Question Depend on...

- tone,
- voice level,
- speed of delivery,
- facial expression,
- body stance,
- eye contact
as well as content.
 Profiles of Student Participation
Student Content Process Frequency
Fred, a strengthening Naïve initially, increas- Well organized, Low,
participant ing in substance carefully selects increasing
questions

Robert, infrequent Varies from insignificant No evident problem, Very low

participant comments to excellent but little data
opening

Susan, a single subject Consistently a single Comment carefully Adequate

topic placed in discussion,
articulately presented

Ginger, a well-prepared Excellent--challenging Excellent--careful Moderate, but

participant topics or issues, knowledge listener, follows flow, adequate
able and thoughtful well-organized

Jim, a dysfunctional accurate, but hidden in Poor--answer questions High

expert jargon inappropriate for expertise
fails to explain clearly,
treats others disdainfully
 Great Contributions to Discussion
- Applying conceptual material from the readings or lectures,

- Doing some outside readings and applying them to the discussion,

- Integrating comments from previous classes into current discussion,

- Taking issues with a classmate's analysis,

- Pulling together material from several places in the case,

- Drawing parallels from previous cases,

- By consistently demonstrating that one have carefully read the case

and given it careful thought.
 Typology of Questions (Cont.)
Action What needs to be done?

Prediction If your conclusions are correct, what might

be the reaction of Ms. Macomber?

Hypothetical What could have Prof. Graham done at the

end of his class, if Ms. Macomber would
have not come up with the answer?

Extension What are the implications of your conclusions

about the Prof. Graham case for teachers
using the case method?

Generalization Based on your teaching experience, what do

you consider to be the major forces that
enhance class discussion?
 Listening: A Critical Imperative
Objectives:

1) Gauge the student’s command of material and logic of arguments

2) assess the potential contribution to the group’s continuing dialogue

- Listening is an audiovisual exercise.

- The key to listening is selectivity.

- Invite a colleague to observe the quality of listening.

Response: Instant Artistry

- Ask a further question

- Restate the speaker’s points

- Request additional information

- Offer a personal analysis

 Response: Instant Artistry

Will my response put the speaker at high risk?

Balance the needs of the individual and the wider group?

Balance the needs of the class with the needs of the course?

Will stretch the group’s knowledge, but permit honorable

retreat if expectations are unrealistic?

Will response fit the norms and values of learning environment?

Balance class time with the needs to explore the topic in depth?
 Class Openings
Opening Question: 1) Linked to class purpose
2) Type of question to employ
3) Instruction of question handling

Assigning which student: 1) Volunteer

2) Warned call
3) Cold Call
Explicit Learning Contracts

- Precise subject of the course

- Time and place of class meetings
- Textbook and case studies
- Assignments
- Class format (lecture, seminar, group discussion, or mix)
- Instructor’s office hours
- Grading policy
 Implicit Learning Contracts
(values, assumptions, and ideals)
- Way people speak with each other

- Manner in which instructor poses questions

- Thoroughness of students preparation for class

- Emotional feel of the course

1) Prevent (or contains) attacks, monopolies, intimidation, and

conflict handling

2) Encourages enthusiasm, responsible preparation, active

participation, risk-taking, courtesy, and cooperation.
 Assistant Professor Graham
and Ms. Macomber Case Study
Follow-Up
- Janet slumped back in her chair, feeling like a defendant
released from hostile cross-examination.
- Janet listened carefully to the Professor’s closing remarks,
but he said nothing to indicate she was right.
- Comments from classmates ranged from good-natured
teasing to open incredulity.
- Janet made a humorous reply to classmates, but made a
silent resolution: “This won’t happen again.”
- In the fifth week of the course: Janet had become silent,
ceasing to voluntarily take part of case discussions.
What--if anything--can Prof. Graham do about it?
 Prof. Graham

Rookie (2nd. Year) Discussion

Committed to case teaching
QA & OM Spotlighted Janet
Situation Interaction:
Frustrated Tone: aggressive “just”
Disapproved “pat answers” 2nd week of classes “well, well”
but could not leave class 10 minutes to go No time for further comments
confused. 1 more comment Assumes: everyone knows that
Teach the class the Janet’s answer was correct
It is simple
“you idiot is easy”

Jane Macomber Potential Impact:

- younger student Class Emotion:

- from CalTech Embarrassment
- Excellent academic - “Louder” hostility Fear of participation
record - Frustrated Social ostracism
- limited work experience - More work!
- “Snickers” Intellectual
- Looked nervous & talked Anti-quantitative
softly & apologizing No answer
- Brave and risking “I am sorry
but class’ recommendation
is not an answer”
Assistant Professor Graham Case Study

The Primary Objectives of this discussion were:

• Provide an opportunity to examine a critical challenge

faced by a teacher during a discussion.

• Understand the role of the instructor, the need to test

our assumptions, and appreciate the rich dynamics of
the case teaching process.

• Provide a common situation to discuss further tools

and skills that are useful in case study teaching.
 Other Good References
Education for judgment : the artistry of discussion leadership /
edited by C. Roland Christensen, David A. Garvin, Ann Sweet,
Harvard Business School Press, 1991.

The art of case analysis: how to improve your college performance by

developing better classroom discussion skills, better writing skills,
better 'blue book' testing skills, better team skills, better numbers skills,
and better presentation skills / Robert Ronstadt. Wayland, Mass. :
Lord Publishing, 1993.

Teaching and the case method : text, cases, and readings / Louis B.
Barnes, C. Roland Christensen, and Abby J. Hansen. Harvard
Business School Press, 1994.

Teaching and learning with cases : a guidebook / Laurence E. Lynn, Jr.

New York : Chatham House Publishers, 1999.
 Faculty Teaching Excellence Program
1999 Summer Institute for Technology,
Scholarship and New Media Pedagogy

June 1999 Dr. Ramiro Montealegre

College of Business
 Coming Up:
Mastering the Case Method of Teaching
Spring 2000
A two-day symposium covering:
• Discussion leadership skills
(questioning, listening, responding, nonverbals,
board management, learning contracts, etc.)
• Discussion process
(teaching plans, opening, managing discussion,
bringing closure to case discussion, etc.)
• Case writing
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