Supporting students to engage with case studies: a model of engagement principles

Figures & data

Table 1. Case study taxonomy. Derived from Herreid, 2011.

Lecture method	Lecturer as didactic storyteller.	Herreid, 2011
Discussion method	Whole classroom case discussion, lecturer-led.	Herreid, 2011
Small-Group method	Case prompts active and peer learning through discussion.	Herreid, 2011
Individual	Students work on a case individually, potentially with subsequent class discussion.	Herreid, 2011
Computer simulation/ Jigsaw/ Real-World Business or Consultancy	Students work collaboratively on a complex case. Information may be released over multiple weeks, with time for wider research.	Herreid, 2011; Erzurumlu & Rollag, 2013; Burdon & Munro, 2017
Clicker cases	Audience response systems capture responses to cases in large groups.	Herreid, 2011
Live cases	Guest speaker presents their story and prompts students to learn and engage, by offering decision points from real-life.	Cameron et al., 2012
Case study roleplay	Students are assigned roles or perspectives within a case.	Cox, 2014

Table 2. Mnemonic model of engagement principles.

REAL-LIFE	Students value case studies from recognisable real-life settings and situations, and are interested in their provenance.
APPLICABLE	Students want cases to be applicable and relevant to the module, subject learning and assessment, but also to them as individuals.
DEPTH	Students engage well with a focused case study, preferring depth to breadth.
APPEARANCE	Consider case study design, length and layout to maximise appeal to students.
READING TIME	For written case studies, offer in class reading time and multiple formats to support student engagement, and overall accessibility of the case study activity.

Herreid, C. F. (2011). Case study teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2011(128), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.466

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Erzurumlu, S. S., & Rollag, K. (2013). Increasing student interest and engagement with business cases by turning them into consulting exercises. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 11(4), 359–381. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12019

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Burdon, W. M., & Munro, K. (2017). Simulation – Is it all worth it? The impact of simulation from the perspective of accounting students. The International Journal of Management Education, 15(3), 429–448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.07.001

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Cameron, A., Trudel, M., Titah, R., & Leger, P. (2012). The live teaching case: A new IS method and its application. Journal of Information Technology Education, 11, 27–42. https://doi.org/10.28945/1566

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Cox, S. (2014). Learning and teaching guides: Case studies for active learning. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/learning-and-teaching-guides-case-studies-active-learning.

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