The Case Method and Collaborative Learning

Abstract

With increasing interest in online education, instructors must have a repertoire of tools available to promote the critical thinking skills of their students. This chapter will present the case method as one pedagogical approach for teaching online courses. Example cases are provided. Pedagogical approaches to working with new and seasoned online students are addressed. Further, the benefits of using the case method to promote learning in the virtual classroom are explained. The case studies presented for online classes present concrete situations that can be used to stimulate analysis, requiring students to project how they might respond to a set of circumstances. The case studies promote Socratic dialogue and higher order thinking skills. Further, the case method can be a good vehicle for stimulating students’ thoughts about step-by-step planning.