Case teaching and learning
The case method is one of the cornerstones of LUSEM’s present and future teaching and learning approaches. For our students, faculty and partner organisations, the case method provides an opportunity to meet the interdisciplinary demands of real business and organisational situations.
Given its ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice, Lund University School of Economics and Management´s (LUSEM) case teaching method plays a crucial role in our external engagement efforts. Case competition teams from Lund University School of Economics and Management have over the years been very successful in international competitions and our case techers have recieved international acclaims as coaches.
Teaching
At LUSEM, we develop and adapt the case method to fit and work in different learning situations and objectives. Case-solving calls for analysis, teamwork and judgment and allows the students to train decision making and solving challenging questions.
Competing and judging
As in all types of competition, the training and coaching leading up to the actual competition is motivating. LUSEM case competition training activities for students have both general and more specialised formats and content. Above all, the student gets a solid grounding in case-solving in a class format. At least once a year, an open seminar about competing with cases is arranged for all LUSEM students, preparing them to excel in different case competition formats.
Case-related collaborations
The case method of teaching and learning helps students develop ways of understanding a corporation’s problems and contributing to their solution. Working with cases in general, and case competitions in particular, provides a natural intersection for university students to engage with society and learn about business in different contexts and industries, and vice versa.
Purpose
The purpose of a case study is to place the students in an active learning mode by challenging them to accept responsibility for their education by giving them first-hand appreciation and experience of the application of knowledge in practice. In essence, a case study is an acceptance that “the learning is in the classroom”, based on preparation, analysis and the discussion of the case together with others.
The case teaching and learning method helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In essence, case teaching and learning provides opportunities for problem solving, the application of analytical tools, decision-making and coping with ambiguity.
How to use cases
Cases come in many formats, ranging from a simple “what would you do in this situation?” question to a detailed description of a situation with accompanying data to analyse. Whether the case is a simple scenario or complex and detailed depends on the learning objectives. Case teaching and learning is a multifunctional method to be used in different ways and for different purposes. The three main types of cases are:
- Written cases to be prepared individually or in study groups followed by class discussion
- Live cases presented to the class, followed by questions to discuss
- Ad hoc cases based on a current event, for example, as reported in the media
Cases – for whom?
In principle, the case teaching and learning method can be used in any discipline when instructors want students to explore how what they have learned applies to real-world situations. In comparision to many international higher education settings, the method is already introduced at bachelor’s courses at LUSEM. A majority of our business courses at bachelor level are using cases and the use has also spread to other subjects such as economics, statistics, business law, informatics and economic history.