How to Prepare for Case Method Learning – The Student’s Perspective
Traditional learning largely consists of a teacher doing the teaching in a monologue with a few questions to the audience. Here, students take on a largely passive role in that the students take in the knowledge imparted by the professor. The case method stands in contrast to this, in that the case method is an exercise in active learning, active listening, and wrestling with new ideas in real-time, which makes the case method dynamic, fast-paced, and a tool full of energy.
For a student to get the most out of a case study, the student should be prepared. However, case method learning can be a new and challenging experience for many students, with insecurity about how to prepare. For this, we list below how students can prepare so that they get as much learning experience as possible from the case study. The guidelines are a compilation of wisdom of experience professors as well as students. The purpose of the guidelines is to help students to grasp better how to prepare for the case study learning experience. Below we discuss how students can:
– approach a case;
– identifies and analyzes key issues in the case; and
– participate effectively in class discussions on the case.
What is Case Study Method
At EECC, we define the case study method as a learning technique where the student is faced with a specific and realistic business problem, which is presented with adequate information. With the case method, a business problem can be simulated, so that the entrepreneurs can experience this problem before it actually occurs. In real business situations, cases usually involve a set of business problems and complex decisions; this is also the form of the case method. Furthermore, the information can be extensive and often presented in an unstructured way, as well as omitting relevant information.
Decisions about the business situation will affect the future of the company where important assumptions must be made, and the outcome and consequences of the outcome of the various decisions must be estimated. The goal of case analysis is to select relevant information and structure it in a way that helps to handle the case’s issues and make decisions. And many times, decisions have to be made with insufficient information and assumptions, reflecting real business situations.
Two Types of Case Study Methods
At EECC we divide the cases into two categories:
- Decision case, here we refer to action-provoking cases, where the students are to make decisions in a particularly complex situation. Cases are often used in problem-based learning, in which students are placed in a problem situation and are encouraged to take the role of problem decision-makers and relevant decision-makers in that particular situation for analysis and action recommendation;
- Role play case, here we refer to cases that are very similar to the Decision cases. The case outlines a realistic business situation, but instead of just having one view, the participants will interact with other people but with a specific role and with a specific view and own interest solution to the business problem. With all having the goal of having the startup company strive, all of the role players have their own agenda, which has to be accommodated for the company to move forward.
- Analytical case, here we refer to the reference cases, where the cases not only describe a specific situation but also include which solution was chosen and how it turned out. By analyzing and reasoning about the chosen solution and its outcome, students gain a deeper understanding of the relevant factors in a certain specific situation.
- Inspirational case, here we look at the modus operandi of a real business situation but also include the chosen solution and the successful outcome of the solution. Students review those cases and reason about how and why a solution succeeds. Through this reasoning process, students get the inside on a success story giving them inspiration for their own particular situation.
The written cases may be complemented by other means such as background information, report, video, etc.
Much of the case study method is for the students to listen, speak and most importantly change their way of thinking. These achievements can only be made if the student has prepared himself. Because the case method is demanding for the students. Besides arguing for their suggested decisions, the students have to adjust their thinking with fellow students’ alternative suggested decisions in real-time, which can only create a learning experience if the students are prepared.
How to Prepare
The climax of the case learning is the classroom discussion. Here, the professor guides the students on how to approach, analyze, and how to make a decision on the case business problem —however, the professor will not provide the students with one full solution. Instead, it is the students that will suggest and discuss different solutions. In the classroom, the students interact with other students—debating the issue, presenting new viewpoints, countering positions, and building on one another’s ideas. And after the class discussion, there is time to reflect on the classroom discussion.
We divide the case preparation into four aspects:
- Read the Case
Preferably, the student starts by reading the introduction to the case, to get an overview of what the case is about. After reading the introduction, the student should get an overview of the status of the startup company as well as the business opportunity and recognition by skimming the rest of the case. It is important that the student gets an overview of the case so that the student can identify the questions: What is the case really about? And what information is needed to analyze and make decisions in the case? And that the student is able to identify what problem the startup company is facing. Here it is important to distinguish between issues, symptoms, and problems. When an issue is repeating itself, that’s a symptom and it is repeating itself because there’s a problem that needs to be resolved. The student should identify what fundamental problems of the startup company the decision makers are trying to solve. A hint is that the answers to this are usually given in the questions in the case.
As entrepreneurial companies conduct their operations on the front line, the basis in the entrepreneur cases is usually to gain a basic understanding of the company. For an early startup company, the analysis would cover recognizing and defining the market opportunity, and recognizing what would be required to exploit that opportunity. Here we want to understand what the market is. Products the startup company sells/or intend to sell, customers, and how and why they buy? What is the want or need of the service or product for the customers? Further, does the product or service have moneymaking characteristics? We want to understand the total addressable market, trends, and growth. How does the company stand out from its main competitors? Benchmark the startup company against competitors and the industry average. And how will the company stay competitive in the future? What strategic and financial challenges does the company face in the near future? What is the cash flow? Short-term cash position? Burn rate? Debts?
When the student has grasped the fundamentals of the startup company, the student should analyze the issues. When an issue repeats itself, it is a symptom. If the issue is repeated because there is a problem, then the problem needs to be solved. Here use the facts in the case. It is important to limit the issues to a manageable set.
When the problem is identified, then developing different alternative solutions to the problem. With the different solutions, weight in the gain and risk of each one. Chose the most feasible solution and implement it in the company’s simulated decision-making process. When evaluating the alternative solutions, use established Business Concepts, Models, and Tools.
2. Discuss. Pre-Class
Before the student participates in class discussions, it is usually a good preparation to discuss the case in small groups. It is advisable to have this pre-class discussion with people outside the student’s “core” group of people, but instead with people in different functions, industries, and geographies. Such a group often gives students a more different and more diverse view than they would otherwise get. This means that the student must take the view of the members of the discussion group and the student must take his view and the student must argue for his view but also analyze the views of the others. Many educators see the pre-class discussion as a critical component of the learning experience.
In a good group discussion, all students express their opinions and challenge others. It gives the student an understanding of the way of thinking of others and their different ways of attacking and solving the problem. Offer everyone in the group to take turns and have a high ceiling, give examples and share your experience – doing this and these discussions give the most to the group’s participants.
3. Class discussion
The class discussion is the climax of the case study method. This is where the simulated real-life situation is twisted and turned to cover all possible angles to find an optimal solution to the business problem. This is where the students want to excel in their learning by experience. The students should be able to suggest specific and realistic solutions to the business problem, which should be backed up by the pros and cons of the solution.
The class discussion can start in different ways. The common is that the professor starts the discussion by asking a student to:
- Give the background of the case
- Elaborate on what the student should do if the student were the decision maker in the case
In the class discussion, the students’ given time will be limited, so they have to be concise and focused. The keyword is quality over quantity. Quality means that the student should speak with clarity, exactness, and logic. The logic should be based on models and tools, and the facts and assumptions going into them. Though also outside research and personal experience may be presented to support the solution. It is important to get the synthesis, i.e. combine the elements to form a connected whole.
Further, some creativity in the solution may be to the advantage as well as adding humor. Last the relevance of the suggestions and comments is important; for the discussion to progress smoothly the timing of the students’ added comments is important.
4. Reflection
The purpose of the case method is to prepare the students to make a time-sensitive decision with limited information. Even with good preparation, much new information and solution suggestions will be presented at the class discussion, which might take time for the students to digest.
Reflecting on what was said in class discussion, it can help improve the students’ problem-solving process as well as simplify solutions developed by them in their teams. By reflecting on class discussion, the students gain better management learning that supports improving problem-solving efforts and thereby prepares the students for their further roles in startup companies.