A Sampler of Case Study Formats to Meet

Your Learning Objectives

Andrew Graham, Queen’s University School

of Policy Studies and National Editor, Case
Studies, Institute of Public Administration of
Canada
 Here’s the Plan…….
Perspectives on Cases – Making,
Buying, Writing

Different Case Formats – Quick

samples, how they work best

Look into the future: the multi-media

case

Sharing experiences

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Here’s a Great Resource

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Of Course, Here’s Another One

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5
The Psychological Perspective
of the Case Writer

Article Writer Case Writer

• “I have to create for others
the discovery experience that
I had.”
• “I must lay out the information
to entice others to actions,
analysis or reflection.”
• “I must avoid imposing a
solution.”
• “ I must present the story with
the end use in mind.”
Important Design Questions
Important Design Questions
Determine focus of the case
Repurpose, Adapt,
Borrow

• Cases often need minor changes

• Nothing is cast in stone, concrete or steel
• Being new is not necessarily being on point
• Remember, everyone has a story.

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Issues of Length
and Detail
Writing a Sustainable
Case – Key Attributes
Teaching Notes
Teaching Notes
Characteristics of the
Case Process
A Different Role for Teacher

• Pull not push

• Facilitation
• Less active
• More exploratory
• Process guide not director
• Getting the questions right not the answers

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The Teacher’s Role
The Teacher’s Role
 The Problem Case
• Two forms: table drop or assignment
• Short and uncomplicated
• Often used to move from presentational
teaching to interactive, using example and
exercise to bring key learning point home
• Focus on short discussion, feedback and
integration

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 Scenarios – Simple
and Intense
• More complex stories
• Most readily identified as case studies in
traditional sense
• Offer more context and nuance
• Less clear on outcomes with several possible
scenarios
• Both in class and assignment
• Key to make it experiential and not a
referenced term paper
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 Thematic Case Pack
• Series of short cases centered on key learning
objective or theme
• Built around overall teaching objectives to
draw out the key points
• Risk CasePack example
• Ideal for class discussion with each group
dealing with a different short case
• Permit the instructor to bring the feedback
together and back to the key learning points
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 Risk Case Pack
Topic Case
Risk Definition Case 1, 6

Risk Identification Case 2,3,4, 6

Risk Tolerance Cases 2,

Risk Mitigation Case 3,4

Risk Culture Case 4

Risk Management Case 5, 7

Risk Case 8
Communication 22
Live Cases

• Three main formats:

– In class guest working through a case – The
Fishbowl Series
– Interactive communications with a public sector
leader – Kathy Brock, Queens University
– Intense project of co-operation on a case
challenge – University of Toronto experience
• Other examples: Kennedy’s Policy Analysis
Exercise, Wagner’s capstone consulting project

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Benefits of using Real
Cases

FOR GOVERNMENT FOR STUDENTS FOR FACULTY

● Public ● Practical ● Heightened

accountability implementation institutional profile
○ Posting student experience ● Fulfilment of
briefing notes ● Expanding network of experiential learning
online policy professionals objectives
● Building the policy ● Developing
community communication and
○ May be used as negotiation skills
a recruiting
mechanism
● Assistance in solving
difficult policy
challenges

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4
 Costs of using Real
Cases
FOR GOVERNMENT FOR STUDENTS
● Time: ● Reduced breadth of
○ Full-time learning:
employees to ○ Focus on the
facilitate & assist client issue rather than a
the students range of policy cases
● Public Relations Risk ● “Sink or Swim”:
○ Necessary to seek ○ Reduced
buy-in from impacted opportunities to
stakeholders on specific master basic concepts.
cases. ● Time and Energy:
○ Higher stress
levels and time
demands than
other courses.
FOR FACULTY
● Increased course design
& lesson planning
requirements:
○ Scaling up the
program has the
potential to be
onerous for
instructors
compared to other courses.
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Digital Case Study
https://divebeta.com/overview

• Media-powered reboot of the concept of case

studies
• Excellent examples from Humphry School
• Innovative project from The Leadership Lab at
Ryerson University, Toronto
• Enhances story-telling aspects of cases
• Modular structure permits extended and more
complex use
• Really a meta case
• https://vimeo.com/350775405/17937d2afd
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 Digital Case Study
• Digital case model has several features:
– Episodes – short, character-driven
– Dives – supplementary digital content for each
episode, permitting deeper dive
– Additional resources – lengthier background
material
– Tags – content clustered and used based on
thematic categories of case (#advocacy,
#finance, # policy design

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