Pedagogical - EN

How to write teaching cases and teaching guide

Many of us want to use case-based teaching in our classrooms, but face the difficulty of finding published cases that are relevant to our course learning objectives. Also, many of us have generated research that is relevant to the learning objectives in courses we teach, but have yet to translate that research into classroom-friendly cases and teaching guides that can set the stage for facilitated, inductive learning.

This course will guide you on how to write teaching cases relevant to your course learning objectives and based on your own research. We will cover, for example, how generate data and/or use existing data to write cases, the parts and plot structure of a typical case, and how to create a dynamic opening dilemma that motivates student engagement. We will also discuss how to write a teaching guide in parallel with the case, as an effective teaching guide is critical to making sure appropriate theory is engaged and that the case hits its intended mark in terms of learning outcomes. This step involves the art of designing productive questions and organizing “fields” of discussion that build towards desired closure.

We will use most of our time in this session on how to write cases based on research, but we will also review other ways to create cases from found resources like news articles and videos, and by hosting special guests.

The course will include opportunity to workshop your own case. Participants are therefore encouraged to arrive with an idea for a case you would like to develop for classroom use (perhaps based on research you have already done, or research you would like to do), or a “case” of some form that you have been using in the classroom but would like to elaborate/refine. You will receive specific instruction on how to briefly outline your idea in advance.

The session is led by Shannon Hessel, PhD and frequent co-author of cases and case-based books published by Harvard Business School. Shannon has more than 10 years of experience with case writing and case-based teaching and course design; most of this experience at CBS. Our approach is primarily informed by the HBS case writing model, but includes some variations.

 It is an advantage if you have taken the course -case-based teaching but not an enquiryment

Shannon Hessel
External Lecturer