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The case method of instruction
(CMI) emphasizes the teaching of application
skills. A trainee's mastery of theory,
facts, and specific skills is considered important, but
only insofar as the trainee is capable of employing them
in problem-solving and decision-making
when confronted with real-life situations. The method was
adopted and refined by the Harvard Business School in the
mid-1900s and has since been incorporated into the training
agendas of numerous professions to help bridge the gap between
theory and practice.
In CMI, students or trainees
are presented with narrative descriptions of situations
that practitioners in their chosen profession are likely
to encounter in their work. These narratives, or case stories,
present a dilemma from the point of view of a practitioner
or group of practitioners and, in the end, the situation
is left unresolved. As in real life, the situations described
are complex, with multiple factors contributing to the problem(s).
In addition, there is no one obvious solution to the problem
but, rather, several alternative solutions are possible.
When using CMI, the majority
of instructional time is spent in lively discussion of
case stories and students are expected to keep up to date
on related readings, read and prepare each case prior to
class, and participate actively in class discussions and
other case-related activities (e.g., role play, team simulations).
Through the instructor's skillful facilitation, trainees
are taught to sort through the facts presented in the case
stories, to identify problems, to analyze the various factors
contributing to the problems, and to use sound judgment
in deciding upon a course of action to follow. It is the responsibility
of the instructor to create an atmosphere of suspended judgment,
encourage independent problem-solving by participants, and
keep the discussion going without becoming involved in
the actual problem-solving. The instructor also serves as
a resource, providing trainees with factual information and
theory in the particular area of study or pointing them in
the right direction to find answers for themselves.
As many CMI instructors
have pointed out, it is the process of arriving at a solution
rather than the actual solution itself that is of primary
importance and benefit to trainees. For, in addition to
learning the basic steps of problem-solving, trainees who
participate in the process also learn how to listen to the
perspectives of others, how to effectively communicate
their own views, how to deal with uncertainty, and how their personal
values and beliefs contribute to their perspectives of a situation
and the decisions they make.
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