What is Case Based Learning?
Case based learning is in essence, an instructional strategy that acts like a dress rehearsal for real life situations that the learners will face outside of the predetermined learning environment (whether the predetermined learning environment be in the formal classroom, laboratory, teaching hospital, lecture hall, etc.). An instructional strategy is any purposeful act that is meant to facilitate learning or human development (Reigeluth & Carr-Chellman, 2009, p. 21).
There are different forms and methods that case based learning can take; discussion, debate, public hearing, trial, problem based, scientific research team, team-learning and the interrupted case method. Each method is to pose a plausible life problem for the learners to work through together to come to a possible conclusion or solution. The reason the term 'possible conclusion' is used, is because in case based learning sessions, there is not often a clear answer for the problem at hand.
The case method has been popular in such academic fields such as business, law, medicine and psychology. Perhaps one of the most well known and publicized advocates for this method is the Harvard Business School. Click here to see what the Harvard Business School's stand on using the case method is.
There are different forms and methods that case based learning can take; discussion, debate, public hearing, trial, problem based, scientific research team, team-learning and the interrupted case method. Each method is to pose a plausible life problem for the learners to work through together to come to a possible conclusion or solution. The reason the term 'possible conclusion' is used, is because in case based learning sessions, there is not often a clear answer for the problem at hand.
The case method has been popular in such academic fields such as business, law, medicine and psychology. Perhaps one of the most well known and publicized advocates for this method is the Harvard Business School. Click here to see what the Harvard Business School's stand on using the case method is.
Using the case method as a form of facilitation is the "development of analytical and decision-making skills, the internalization of learning, learning how to grapple with messy real-life problems, the development of skills in oral communications and often team work". (Freeman Herreid, 1994, p. 222)