Interrupted Case Studies
"Across the disciplines, case studies represent the possibility to create authentic learning situations where students can apply skills and knowledge to real life situations."
What is it?
An instructional strategy designed to actively engage students in their learning, by providing programmed interruptions, or pauses for thought and debate, which gives students an opportunity to work together and practice critical thinking. After being given information in a logical order, students are encouraged to investigate the facts, pose questions, and forecast future events. Following that, the students review their predictions after receiving new information. Giving students information from case studies in bite-sized chunks spaced out by overtime can teach students how to apply ideas and come up with workable answers to issues. In addition, a student’s critical thinking style, which is a gauge of their propensity for critical thought, can reveal how they approach problem or issue solving.
Skills Promoted
- Critical thinking
- Argumentation skills
- Inductive reasoning
- Analytical reasoning
- Knowledge integration
Who's using it?
SALTISE community members who use this strategy and are willing to share advice and/or resources.
| Institution | Discipline | Instructor | Classroom settings |
|---|---|---|---|
|
McGill Level: University |
Engineering |
Activity - Interrupted Case Study in Material Engineering Classroom size: Small (20-49) |
|
|
John Abbott Level: College & CEGEP |
Biology |
Activity - Don’t go NUTS: A Case Study on the Physiology of Stress Classroom size: Small (20-49) |
| Institution |
McGill Level: University |
John Abbott Level: College & CEGEP |
|---|---|---|
| Discipline |
Engineering |
Biology |
| Instructor | ||
| Classroom settings |
Activity - Interrupted Case Study in Material Engineering Classroom size: Small (20-49) |
Activity - Don’t go NUTS: A Case Study on the Physiology of Stress Classroom size: Small (20-49) |
Why use it?
- Students are more involved in the subject matter and are in a better position to draw parallels with real world applications
- In order to finish the assignment in a single class session and to ensure that the students are applying the material knowledge correctly, an instructor should provide feedback and guidance to the student groups as they work through each section of the case study.
- Spend more time facilitating and less time presenting so students have as much time as possible to work with the case study and their analysis. This is because learning happens as the students work with the case study.
Ready to try it out?
Strategy Workflow
Related Activities
Helpful resources
References
Herreid, C. F. (2004). Can case studies be used to teach critical thinking?. Journal of College Science Teaching.
Herreid, C. F. (2005). Using case studies to teach Science education: Classroom methodology. American Institute of Biological Sciences, ERIC.
Videos
SALTISE Workshop: Design Virtual Case Studies and Branching Scenarios Using Open Labyrinth – Leaders: David Topps (University of Calgary), Krista Bulow (Dawson College), Catherine Roy (Dawson College), Jason Lapointe (John Abbott College)