Underlying Theories
There are two major learning theories that can be directly related to the case based method of facilitation: constructivism and cognitivism. Below are the reasons why:
Constructivist Theory
This theory relates learning to never beginning from scratch; learning occurs like a snowball in that what is learned is always based on what is already known. What is currently known is what shapes new learning. This theory relates nicely to many of the formats of case based learning in that in order to come to a conclusion, ideas must be based on previous knowledge (.i.e: in order to provide a diagnosis of a patient there must be present knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, skills of how to interview the patient properly, knowledge of what resources are available to aid in diagnosis, ability to listen to what is being said by the patient and more). The video below is a short clip of what constructivism is as seen through the eyes of an educator.
Cognitivist Theory
The two main tenants of this theory are :
- the memory system is an active organized processor of information
- prior knowledge plays an important role in learning (Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 284)
"The learner thinks about all the ingredients necessary to solve a problem and puts them together (cognitively) first one way and then another until the problem is solved." (Merriam et al, 2007, p. 285)
Click here to see a slideshow about the cognitive learning theory.