Overview: Case studies in Learning in practice courses invite students to review a narrative presentation of a professional issue, learn about specialized vocabulary and concerns in a field, and identify how people use skills at work. Students will learn about the kinds of questions and problems people working in different industries have to address, and analyze the outcomes of each case they read. One course should include at least three short case studies so students have multiple opportunities to practice analyzing and evaluating a professional issue.

Jump to:

• See list of sample texts for examples of narratives that can be used for case studies.

• See some sample Case Study Assignments created by our working group.

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General guidelines for Case Study Assignments:

Case Studies develop students’ understanding of the reality of workplace culture and practices alongside the ways problems are solved in different fields. Students analyze a reading and complementary media to understand the question or problem presented in the study and what strategies (i.e., skills) the people involved had to learn and use to address it.

Successful completion of the case study includes:

1. Analysis of the question/problem, with extensions to understand the socio-economic context in which it occurs and/or the workplace and social norms that influence it
2. Explanation of the aims and purpose of the organization, institution, and/or professions that are subjects of the study
3. Familiarization with terms, events and lenses that are key in understanding the case, the problem and the profession
4. Identification and classification of the skills the people in the study learned and used to address a problem (either successfully or not)
5. Discussion of professional culture, including norms and practices that are typical of the workplace and potential barriers to workers developing the skills necessary to work effectively and ethically
6. Comparison to students’ own academic and professional interests
7. Connection to the course theme

Case Studies take 2-3 class sessions to complete and involve active collaborative reading and writing in the classroom, as well as individual work outside of class time. Readings may be from professional or academic journals or from popular media.