Abstract
Case method of teaching is one of the key pedagogical tools to create an experiential learning environment in the classroom. Through this chapter, the author tries to trace the ramifications for creating a platform for effective learning using questioning techniques to facilitate development of critical thinking skills. This is done by tracing the importance of a method adopted by the Greek philosopher Socrates, the essays of Indian scholar Ramanujan, and the stories by Vishnu Sharma. The authors draw inferences from real-time classroom experiences to bring out the analogies. The perspective developed by the author signifies the importance of reflecting the ‘learnings from past' to create benchmarks for management education in the current context.
TopThe Context-Case-Method As A Pedagogical Tool
Arun Kumar Jain’s Article (Vikalpa 2005) highlights the Case methodology as highly context specific in terms of effectiveness; therefore, the instructors must be extremely choosy about the choice and age of the case, keep in perspective the participant’s (student’s) profile, their background, and the lessons (conceptualizations) sought to be realized. The author not only deals with foundation, philosophical, scientific bases of case method as a pedagogical tool but also how the focus should be on a mixture of theoretical concepts, lectures for arriving at inductive or a deductive framework. The authors would like to reiterate the onus of a ‘successful’ case-study experience lies entirely on the Case Instructor who acts simultaneously as a harbinger, a change agent who through personal experience, knowledge opens the mind of the case-participants.
Indian historical traditions replete with stories of “The great king” (Chandra Gupta) Bhatti Vikramaditya solving the various cases put forward by ‘Vethala’ and wise decisions being made in context of the situation. Panchatantra stories also followed a unique way of enabling learning. In the 1880s, Christopher Langdell, the dean of Harvard Law School, revived the case study method (discussion of paradox through ‘Parable’) that the early Chinese philosophers like Confucius, Han Fei-Tsu used. It soon found applicability in the schools of Business, Law and Medicine.
Management Education has reached a point where the traditional classroom ‘Lecture’ Method holds value only till the point theoretical concepts must be propounded! The actual learning for the management students happens, when divided into different groups in a 24X 7 environment, they indulge in brain churning discussions in the institute canteen, amphitheater, etc.
In business education, the case-method has been closely identified with the Harvard Business School (Barnes, Christensen & Hansen, 1994). The school is well known for active discussion-oriented learning mode, disciplined by the case-problems drawn from complexity of real life. What the school propounds together with colleagues in other professional business schools, to synergize the concepts of management with action. In India, Late Prof. M.N Vohra of IIM-A is credited with pioneering like the case-study approach with ‘endless why’ technique much before corporate like Toyota and ITC did.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Pedagogical Tool: A pedagogical tool is anything that a person uses to learn or teach.
Vishnu Sharma: He wrote Panchatantra to teach political science to his royal disciples.Vishnu Sharma was already 80 years old but was known to be a savant in all the Shastras and the theory of politics and diplomacy.
Socrates: He was the first Greek philosopher to seriously explore questions of ethics.
Effective Learning: Effective teaching can be defined in many ways including teacher behavior (warmth, civility, clarity), teacher knowledge (of subject matter, of students), teacher beliefs, and so forth. Here we define effective teaching as the ability to improve student achievement as shown by research.
Ramanujan: Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of India's greatest mathematical geniuses. He made substantial contributions to the analytical theory of numbers and worked on elliptic functions, continued fractions, and infinite series.
Case Study Method: A case study is a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context. It is an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in the social sciences.
Management: Management is a process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling the human resources, financial, physical, and information resources of an organization to reach its goals efficiently and effectively.