Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 8:50 AM
258-3
Using Case Studies to Enhance Learning in Turf Courses.
Cases are narratives of problematic situations in which people are an integral part of the problems that must be, or have been, addressed. Incomplete narratives that take the student to the point at which the decision maker must conduct an analysis and provide a solution are called “decision” cases, while complete narratives that cover not only the situation but how it was addressed and the outcome of the decision maker’s actions are called “historical” cases. Historical cases, or case studies, demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships by linking the actions taken and the results achieved in a particular set of circumstances. Decision cases provide learners with opportunities to practice their analytical and problem-solving skills. In addition, they can be used to either reinforce previously acquired factual and concept knowledge, or to create a compelling need to acquire such knowledge in order to address the issues presented in the case. Short decision cases can be employed in introductory courses at the conclusion of a lecture to enable students to understand how the material just covered can be used to address a real problem; they can also be employed beforehand to motivate students to learn the material to be covered in the lecture. Intermediate or advanced courses can employ more sophisticated or complex decision cases, reflecting the greater technical or operational complexity of the material covered in the course. An ideal “capstone” course can be composed entirely of decision cases, perhaps with access to related historical cases. Such a course can bring all of the knowledge and skills that students in a particular major should be expected to acquire as a result of their program of study. Cases of different types and levels of complexity will be shown and their use in class demonstrated.
Recorded presentation