In education, case studies are widely used as a pedagogical tool to encourage critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the application of theoretical knowledge. They serve as a bridge between theory and practice, promote active learning and the development of practical skills that improve their teaching methods. Our Ask a Tech Teacher crew has several resources for you to consider when you’re looking for case studies that relate to your next project:
Case Study Resources for Modern Teachers
Introducing case studies in your course can help prepare your students to deal with real-world situations. Well-planned case studies can challenge students’ problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. This teaching approach can help them analyze and find realistic solutions to complex problems.
As educators embarking on the application of case studies, creating your individual case studies or incorporating existing ones is pivotal. If the pursuit is to provide students with a custom assignment as you get started, opting for an online case study writing service is highly beneficial; services such as EduBirdie or Studybay extend premier case study writing services tailored to your needs.
Henrique Bertulino, the brand manager of Studybay, underscores the commonality of students encountering difficulties with various case studies and illuminates the extensive range of assistance available online to surmount such challenges. This provision is particularly beneficial for students struggling with creating content and ensures they receive high-quality, custom-made solutions, aiding them in understanding and resolving complex problems meticulously.
If you want to use published cases instead of writing one, this article will give you a list of online resources, as well as several guides for case method teaching.
Where to Find Case Studies?
For educators in pursuit of enhancing their teaching methods, numerous high-quality, open-source, peer-reviewed resources are available online. The following are some notable platforms where diverse and credible case studies can be accessed:
Harvard Business School Publishing
The Harvard Business School produces various curated course content that learners and teachers can use. You will find many different types of content in their extensive catalog. There are articles, core curriculum, pod cases, and simulation. In terms of case studies, the Harvard Business School publishes on different disciplines. So, no matter the field of study, you will find a relevant case in the Harvard collection.
National Science Teaching Association
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) offers an extensive knowledge base for science educators. From books and journals to blogs, you will find something that can be beneficial for your students. The NSTA also has nearly a thousand peer-reviewed case studies on various science topics. This comprises the NCCSTS collection, which you can access online for free.
NCCSTS stands for National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science at the University of Buffalo. It is the creator and curator of the NCCSTS case collections, which you can use for teaching middle to high school students.
Kellogg Northwestern University
Kellogg is a global business school with hundreds of case studies neatly organized by publishing year and date. Cases cover a wide array of business-related topics, including leadership and management. The collection may not be the most extensive, but it is a good place to start your search.
CLEO Collection of Free Case Studies
CLEO is a curated library of teaching resources. It is primarily designed for business school instructors. The site offers access to thousands of resources, including the most recent business cases, articles, and issue reports. The case studies are in full text and downloadable. You can use these cases to facilitate classroom discussion and allow students to grapple with real-world situations.
MIT Sloan School of Management Teaching Resources Library
Case studies in the Teaching Resources Library facilitate discussion on a specific business-related issue. Some case studies highlight the decision-making process in a management or business setting. Other cases showcase something that has happened or is happening in a particular business environment.
University of British Columbia Open Case Studies
Faculty and students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have created and published hundreds of open case studies. And you can find them online on UBC’s open case study page. The UBC case collection features a broad range of topics across different disciplines, including the following:
- Business
- Civil Engineering
- Conservation
- Digital Literacy
- Economics
- Education
- Law
- Political Science
- Social Justice
Sage Knowledge
Sage Knowledge is an online library of quality case studies. The cases are for instructors teaching public policy, public administration, and related subjects. The cases are available in several policy areas and may include notes for teaching and assignments.
Finding case studies these days is easier than ever because of the internet. The resources on this list are just some of what you can access. Countless websites exist waiting for you to discover. Some are premium and require a fee to use, while others are available for free.
Exploring these platforms can yield invaluable materials that can significantly elevate the learning experience, providing fresh insights and diverse perspectives to students and fostering an environment of enriched learning and critical thinking.
Instructors with the budget to spend on learning materials can consider purchasing case studies. There are many stores online that offer case studies as products. But if you need a specific study, consider a custom case study writing service.
Teaching Using Case Studies: Resources to Help You Get Started
If you’re new to teaching by the case method, below are some resources to help you.
Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning
The Christensen Center for Teaching and Learning promotes and supports teaching innovation and excellence within Harvard Business School. This center develops and shares materials showcasing best practices in case method teaching. There are also resources for preparing to teach case studies, providing students with feedback, etc.
Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning
The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning has published articles on case method teaching. The article is written specifically for instructors in the Center. However, the tips and information can be useful no matter where you teach.
The Case Centre
The Case Centre offers a diverse range of case studies on all aspects of national and international management and business. In addition, the center publishes articles discussing how teachers can teach using case studies. You can find a brief guide to case teaching, tips for choosing a case study, and case writing features.
From Search Engines to Services: Your Toolkit for Case Method Teaching Success
Case method teaching is becoming more significant as we transition to student-centered learning. With this method, students are encouraged to use higher-level thinking and their problem-solving skills instead of just memorizing.
To get started with case method teaching, you will need a case. The case study should be relevant, engaging, and clearly written. You can use search engines, like Google, to search for case studies you need for your class. You will get hundreds of results with just one click, but the problem is not all of them are high quality.
Sources:
Case Method Teaching and Learning | Columbia CTL. (n.d.). https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/case-method/
Gila Herald. (2023). How to write a lab report: Step-by-step guide. The Gila Herald. https://gilaherald.com/how-to-write-a-lab-report-step-by-step-guide/
Harvard Business Publishing Education. (n.d.). https://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/cases/
Library guides: open educational resources: open case studies. (n.d.). https://guides.library.sc.edu/OER/casestudies
NCCSTS case studies. (n.d.). NSTA. https://www.nsta.org/case-studies
Resources – Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning – Harvard Business School. (n.d.). https://www.hbs.edu/teaching/resources/Pages/default.aspx
Teaching by the case Method – Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning – Harvard Business School. (n.d.). https://www.hbs.edu/teaching/case-method/Pages/default.aspx
Using Case Studies to Teach | Center for Teaching & Learning. (2001, October 5). © 2023 Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/ctl/teaching-resources/using-case-studies-to-teach/
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Maggie S. Parker, Curriculum Content Writer and Education Content Writer, has extensive educational experience and is a skilled curriculum developer and education content writer. Because of her background in Educational Development, she has extensive knowledge of learning theories, instructional design, and content development. Her life’s work is dedicated to assisting students and teachers in reaching their full potential by creating high-quality content that promotes knowledge and skill growth.
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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
