Essay About Case Study Method And Important Point

Financial Management Made Easy
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The case study method of teaching used in management education is quite different
from most of the methods of teaching used at the school and undergraduate course
levels. Unlike traditional lecture-based teaching where student participation in the
classroom is minimal, the case method is an active learning method, which requires
participation and involvement from the student in the classroom. For students who
have been exposed only to the traditional teaching methods, this calls for a major
change in their approach to learning.
This introduction is intended to provide students with some basic information about
the case method, and guidelines about what they must do to gain the maximum benefit
from the method. We begin by taking a brief look at what case studies are, and how
they are used in the classroom. Then we discuss what the student needs to do to
prepare for a class, and what she can expect during the case discussion. We also
explain how student performance is evaluated in a case study based course. Finally,
we describe the benefits a student of management can expect to gain through the use
of the case method.
WHAT IS A CASE STUDY?
There is no universally accepted definition for a case study, and the case method
means different things to different people. Consequently, all case studies are not
structured similarly, and variations abound in terms of style, structure and approach.
Case material ranges from small caselets (a few paragraphs to one-two pages) to short
cases (four to six pages) and from 10 to 18 page case studies to the longer versions (25
pages and above).
A case is usually a “description of an actual situation, commonly involving a decision,
a challenge, an opportunity, a problem or an issue faced by a person or persons in an
organization.”1 In learning with case studies, the student must deal with the situation
described in the case, in the role of the manager or decision maker facing the situation.
An important point to be emphasized here is that a case is not a problem.