As we prepare for the Fall 2018 semester, the team at Real Time Cases wanted to address some of the most common questions that we get from professors who are new to our product, especially around the topic of case flexibility and implementation. We’ve noticed that some professors like to customize and personalize their course materials, and even build them from scratch, while others prefer a more out-of-the-box approach.
An essential part of our solution is that each case was designed with the possibility of both approaches in mind.
Here are some ideas that you can use to personalize the content for your classroom needs, whether you’re teaching in a traditional setting, purely online, or in a hybrid of both:
TIME FLEXIBILITY:
While our Case Study with Teaching Notes (CSTN) resource includes a sample four-week plan, our materials really can be tailored to fit whatever time frame you prefer.
For example, each case includes two to four Theories. If your course is longer than six weeks, you could spend the remaining time on the last two Theories, and form a group project around those. Another option could be to incorporate the Major Considerations and Principles that are identified within each case study. Typically, there are three Major Considerations within each case, and they explore a deeper aspect of each Theory.
For courses lasting longer than 10 weeks, you may consider covering one Theory or Major Consideration over a two-week period.
GROUP WORK FLEXIBILITY:
Each Theory Application and Major Consideration also includes a variety of suggested questions that place the student either in the role of Executive, or Consultant to the Executive. In online/hybrid settings, these questions could serve as discussion topics posted to the Forum Board throughout the course; after all, healthy debate is an excellent learning mechanism for students.
For discussions, you could also assign teams to specific theories, and then have them present and debate why their assigned theory presents the best approach to solving the case challenge.
One suggestion is to host this debate in Week Four, after the introduction of each theory, and then spread the debate across one or two weeks.
Each Real Time Case also includes a separate Discussion section containing questions that are most often presented to students as preparatory work. While that approach may typically be the norm, the discussion topics could also be used within a follow-up activity to wrap and provide closure for the students.
INDIVIDUAL WORK FLEXIBILITY:
Recommended Assignments are available with each case and include suggestions for individual papers, individual presentations, or group work; however, these are purely suggestions.
When students are engaged in learning experiences they find relevant, and the result of their work offers value beyond the grade itself, they are motivated to learn and produce a more thoughtful product. Experiential learning stimulates students’ academic inquiry to enrich and apply key course concepts to the world around them. Real Time Cases provides authentic opportunities for this higher level of thinking and application through:
- Reflection
- Critical analysis and synthesis
- Opportunities for initiative, decision-making and being accountable for the results
- Opportunities to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or physically
If you’d like more information on how Real Time Cases can fit your classroom needs, please contact us today by completing this online form, which will connect you with one of our helpful representatives.
About the Author
Yunzhe Zhou helps people bridge the skills gap through experiential learning – by creating 30 day implementation projects. You can check out her writings on accelerated learning and experiments on life + work here.