The Effect of Using Case Studies in Business Statistics

Abstract

The authors evaluated the effect on learning of using case studies in business statistics courses. The authors divided students into 3 groups: a control group, a group that completed 1 case study, and a group that completed 3 case studies. Results evidenced that, on average, students whom the authors required to complete a case analysis received significantly higher grades on their comprehensive final examination. Their perceptions of their learning experience were also significantly higher with respect to communication, software use, and the ability to apply statistics to business decisions.

Keywords:

• active learning
• case studies
• experiential learning
• pedagogical research
• statistics