Abstract:

Case studies are an established learning and teaching resource used within a range of disciplines to facilitate student-centred pedagogic strategies such as active-learning and problem-based learning. They are a flexible resource that can be used to support learning outcomes by providing a realistic context within which to, for example, illustrate best practice, apply tools and techniques or facilitate problem solving.

Traditionally, case studies have been regarded as a textual narrative that describes a real-life or life-like situation. Innovations in the availability and ease of use of information technology provide new opportunities for creating, adapting and interacting with case-based resources. This paper proposes that a case study should comprise of multi-modal resources and be regarded as model of a situation or scenario, which may represent a single event or provide an account of a series of actions over a period of time.

The paper first reflects on the different roles of case studies in learning and teaching strategies and identifies some of the challenges in case-based learning. The range of adaptations that can be applied to case studies are then discussed. Simulations, animations and serious games are briefly considered as being at the one end of the adaptation range. Such innovations are extremely costly and exceed the resources of the average lecturer. In contrast, this paper focuses on how case studies can be rewritten and adapted to incorporate multi-media components simply and cheaply.

A staged approach to adapting a narrative case study to create multi-media case resources is presented and illustrated with an appropriate example from a UK university. The approach is then evaluated in three ways. Firstly, the effectiveness of the case resources developed from the approach is evaluated by analysing vignettes of student experience of using the resources. Secondly, the impact of using the multi-media case resources on student achievement of learning outcomes is compared with results attained from use of a narrative case study. Finally, staff reflect on the application of the adaptation process and consider issues such as the time and resources required. The paper concludes by reflecting upon the wider context of the way in which students interact with case materials and identifies the challenges and opportunities for case study adaptation in multi-media learning environments.

Keywords:

case studies, learning resources, multimedia, active learning.