Case study as a tool of Challenge-Based Learning

Challenge-Based Learning is a great innovation-oriented on helping students to establish more complex vision on contemporary problems. Such learning is mainly conducted with the help of a case study. Challenge-Based Learning is a great innovation-oriented on helping students to establish more complex vision on contemporary problems. Such learning is mainly conducted with the help of a case study. The case study method has found its way in medicine, law, mathematics, and political science. This method is a creative tool that makes students face a real choice, creating some kind of challenge, which in turn takes them out of a comfort zone and makes them take non-standard decisions. Such a challenge-based learning system contributes a lot to the development of critical thinking among students and improves their worldview.

Initially, the case method was contrasted with the traditional lecture method and was associated primarily with open discussion. It is assumed that the teacher leads the discussion of the problem presented in the case, and cases are to be presented to students in a variety of forms using multimedia, apps and simply printed hand-outs.

A case study method allows establishing the optimal combination of theoretical training and hands-on experience. Practical situations and their discussions lead to the development of elaborate thinking. The ability to lead a discussion, direct it, patiently ask different questions, challenge the group and lead students to the final decision making phase is a very important part of a teacher’s activities. Cases are designed not only to help students to answer the question, “How to write my essay bringing more practical ideas?” but to provide them with real experience while they are just studying at college. Nowadays, essay paper writing service offers a wide range of relevant cases from top corporations so it is a good opportunity for students to master them and get additional benefits.

A special feature of the case study method is its educational openness, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, rigidity in the learning outcomes. Both student and teacher are free and open to any kind of discussion. It contributes a lot to proper material studying. A teacher is responsible for the collection and selection of educational material, and the effective organization of its use. He is free to choose the most suitable cases from among the many existing ones. Students are responsible for being prepared for the lesson and efficiently performing case assignments, although they are free to develop solutions and conclusions drawn from the analysis of the case situation. Students can make erroneous decisions since case-based situations arise in the classroom. They also look for ideas on the Internet and often find something useful at online paper writing services. Although, as future specialists, they have to be aware of the degree of responsibility for a wrong decision in real life.

Cases can be used at different stages of learning: in the process of presenting new material and in the process of control.

Advantages of the case study method:

• Allows a student to demonstrate academic theory in terms of real events

• Allows a student to be interested in studying a particular subject, in the context of other subjects and phenomena

• Promotes the active learning of knowledge and skills for collecting, processing and analyzing information

• Provides students with analytical skills (ability to distinguish data from information, classify, highlight essential and irrelevant information, analyze, present it, find information gaps and be able to recover them)

• Provides students with practical skills (practical use of academic theories, methods, and principles)

• Improves creative skills (a case is not a situation to be solved just by simple usual logic. It requires non-standard decisions. Creative skills in generating alternative solutions that cannot be found in a logical way are very important)

• Facilitates communication skills (ability to lead a discussion, persuade others. Use of visual material and other media, cooperation inside groups, protection of one's own point of view, persuasion of opponents, creation brief coherent reports)

• Boosts social skills (during the CASE discussion, certain social skills are developed: an assessment of people's behavior, listening skills, supporting discussion or arguing the opposite opinion, etc.)

• Develops self-analysis (disagreement in the discussion contributes to the awareness and analysis of other people's opinions. A lot of moral and ethical problems require the formation of social skills to solve them that’s why self-analysis sometimes can be vital)

Cases are used at different stages of learning:

• In the process of studying

• In the process of control

Analysis of a case and the search for an effective form of presentation of this analysis to the audience represents the most serious stage of training. Starting classes (discussions or presentations) is the only time when the situation is completely in the hands of the teacher. To be effective, the educational discussion strategy should be carefully prepared, structured, regulated in time and controlled.

The process of case discussion is crucial. Depending on how students perceive the information the whole educational activity is structured.

Usually, a discussion begins with the teacher asking stimulating questions prepared in advance. A teacher should try to envisage the possible reaction of the audience to the questions posed, directing the discussion towards the achievement of learning objectives.

As a rule, during all discussions four main questions are to be formulated and solved:

1. Why does the situation look like a dilemma?

2. Who made the decision?

3. What solutions did the decision-maker have?

4. What did he have to do?

To sum, one should mention that challenge-based learning leans on the case-study method a lot and the following crucial skills are to be developed:

- Teamwork skills

- Generalization skills;

- Presentations skills;

- Interviewing skills: the ability to formulate a question, to argue the answer.

By examining a case, students actually get to grips with a ready-made solution that can be applied to similar circumstances. Hands-on experience is being acquired and the skills to resolve any business or research problems are being formed.

Challnts to establish more complex vision on contemporary problems. Such learning is mainly conducted with the help of a case study. The case study method has found its way in medicine, law, mathematics, and political science. This method is a creative tool that makes students face a real choice, creating some kind of challenge, which in turn takes them out of a comfort zone and makes them take non-standard decisions. Such a challenge-based learning system contributes a lot to the development of critical thinking among students and improves their worldview.

Initially, the case method was contrasted with the traditional lecture method and was associated primarily with open discussion. It is assumed that the teacher leads the discussion of the problem presented in the case, and cases are to be presented to students in a variety of forms using multimedia, apps and simply printed hand-outs.

A case study method allows establishing the optimal combination of theoretical training and hands-on experience. Practical situations and their discussions lead to the development of elaborate thinking. The ability to lead a discussion, direct it, patiently ask different questions, challenge the group and lead students to the final decision making phase is a very important part of a teacher’s activities. Cases are designed not only to help students to answer the question, “How to write my essay bringing more practical ideas?” but to provide them with real experience while they are just studying at college. Nowadays, essay paper writing service offers a wide range of relevant cases from top corporations so it is a good opportunity for students to master them and get additional benefits.

A special feature of the case study method is its educational openness, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, rigidity in the learning outcomes. Both student and teacher are free and open to any kind of discussion. It contributes a lot to proper material studying. A teacher is responsible for the collection and selection of educational material, and the effective organization of its use. He is free to choose the most suitable cases from among the many existing ones. Students are responsible for being prepared for the lesson and efficiently performing case assignments, although they are free to develop solutions and conclusions drawn from the analysis of the case situation. Students can make erroneous decisions since case-based situations arise in the classroom. They also look for ideas on the Internet and often find something useful at online paper writing services. Although, as future specialists, they have to be aware of the degree of responsibility for a wrong decision in real life.

Cases can be used at different stages of learning: in the process of presenting new material and in the process of control.

Advantages of the case study method:

• Allows a student to demonstrate academic theory in terms of real events

• Allows a student to be interested in studying a particular subject, in the context of other subjects and phenomena

• Promotes the active learning of knowledge and skills for collecting, processing and analyzing information

• Provides students with analytical skills (ability to distinguish data from information, classify, highlight essential and irrelevant information, analyze, present it, find information gaps and be able to recover them)

• Provides students with practical skills (practical use of academic theories, methods, and principles)

• Improves creative skills (a case is not a situation to be solved just by simple usual logic. It requires non-standard decisions. Creative skills in generating alternative solutions that cannot be found in a logical way are very important)

• Facilitates communication skills (ability to lead a discussion, persuade others. Use of visual material and other media, cooperation inside groups, protection of one's own point of view, persuasion of opponents, creation brief coherent reports)

• Boosts social skills (during the CASE discussion, certain social skills are developed: an assessment of people's behavior, listening skills, supporting discussion or arguing the opposite opinion, etc.)

• Develops self-analysis (disagreement in the discussion contributes to the awareness and analysis of other people's opinions. A lot of moral and ethical problems require the formation of social skills to solve them that’s why self-analysis sometimes can be vital)

Cases are used at different stages of learning:

• In the process of studying

• In the process of control

Analysis of a case and the search for an effective form of presentation of this analysis to the audience represents the most serious stage of training. Starting classes (discussions or presentations) is the only time when the situation is completely in the hands of the teacher. To be effective, the educational discussion strategy should be carefully prepared, structured, regulated in time and controlled.

The process of case discussion is crucial. Depending on how students perceive the information the whole educational activity is structured.

Usually, a discussion begins with the teacher asking stimulating questions prepared in advance. A teacher should try to envisage the possible reaction of the audience to the questions posed, directing the discussion towards the achievement of learning objectives.

As a rule, during all discussions four main questions are to be formulated and solved:

1. Why does the situation look like a dilemma?

2. Who made the decision?

3. What solutions did the decision-maker have?

4. What did he have to do?

To sum, one should mention that challenge-based learning leans on the case-study method a lot and the following crucial skills are to be developed:

- Teamwork skills

- Generalization skills;

- Presentations skills;

- Interviewing skills: the ability to formulate a question, to argue the answer.

By examining a case, students actually get to grips with a ready-made solution that can be applied to similar circumstances. Hands-on experience is being acquired and the skills to resolve any business or research problems are being formed.