What is Case Study

A type of research that typically studies a particular person, group or situation. Learn more in: The Types of Case Studies in Research and Career-Based Endeavors

A qualitative business case study is a method of inquiry of which the individual firm that is reviewed is the basis of study, not the method of inquiry. The basic goal is to understand the complexity of a case via the most appropriate descriptive sources of data available to the researcher. In general, qualitative methods that describe best business practices were used in this chapter. Learn more in: Lean Principles and Optimizing Flow: Interdisciplinary Case Studies of Best Business Practices

An examination of a current phenomenon in context. Learn more in: Asynchronous Electronic Feedback for Faculty Peer Review: Formative Feedback That Makes a Difference

This is a learning approach that has students analyze a real business problem (case) and decide upon course of action, and then respond. Learn more in: Facilitating Scholarly Discussion Boards for Human Resource Education

Research method often used in complex questions, having the purpose of expanding knowledge on the subject or strengthening what had been learnt in previous research work. Learn more in: The Challenge of Sustainability within the Italian Fashion System

A case study methodology allows a researcher to respond to how and why questions about a contemporary set of events and theory building. This method involves an in-depth and detailed analysis of a single or multiple subjects (or cases) in a specific context. Learn more in: The Shift Towards a Digital Business Model: A Strategic Decision for the Female Entrepreneur

An intensive study of a single unit with an aim to generalize across a larger set of units. Learn more in: Comparison of Case Studies in Managing E-Learning Programs

Investigation of phenomena in naturalistic setting, conducted in order to enable an in depth analysis of that phenomena. Learn more in: Making Sense of IS Project Stories

An observational empirical study, which is done by observation of an on-going project or activity. A case study typically monitors a project or assignment. Case studies are normally aimed at tracking a specific attribute or establishing relationships between different attributes. Learn more in: Evaluating Open Source Software through Prototyping

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A research method which study of an individual unit, as a person, family, or social group, usually emphasizing developmental issues and relationships with the environment, especially in order to compare a larger group to the individual unit. Learn more in: Social Entrepreneurship in Sheltered Employment Centers: A Case Study of Business Success

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Research about a specific group or individuals that discusses a specific incident that occurred. Learn more in: Personalized Learning Case Studies

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A research method aimed at in-depth, detailed examination of a defined subject (the case). Learn more in: A Research Design for the Examination of Political Empowerment Through Social Media

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A particular instance of something used or analyzed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle. Learn more in: Nonprofit Fundraising Transformation through Analytics

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Refers to a research strategy, commonly used in the social sciences, that aims at investigating a phenomenon (a case) within its real-life context. Learn more in: Bridging the Academic-Practitioner Divide in Marketing: The Role of Business Schools

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An in-depth description and analysis of an organization or event to examine the interplay of important elements that represent the forces at work in the object studied. Learn more in: Challenges in International Consulting: A Leadership Case Study

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is defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research means single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Learn more in: Managing ICT in Healthcare Organization: Culture, Challenges, and Issues of Technology Adoption and Implementation

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In-depth investigations of a single person, group, event, or community. Learn more in: Sustainable Development in Family Firms

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A flexible qualitative research approach that uses multiple data sources in investigating a question. Learn more in: A Longitudinal Case Study on the Use of Assistive Technology to Support Cognitive Processes across Formal and Informal Educational Settings

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A research methodology which focuses on a specific unit or context, for example, a course, a school, or an individual, and uses a variety of types of data to yield an in-depth understanding of the unit or context. Learn more in: Creating Collaboration in Global Online Learning: Case Studies

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It is a research method qualitative normally used in social sciences. It seeks to interpret a reality through a particular perspective. It is normally used to answer questions like “how” and “why.” It is commonly used to address constructivist research processes. Learn more in: Critical and Inhibiting Success Factors in Interorganizational Networks: A Case Study

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A research method utilized in social sciences to explore detailed traits of a particular event or phenomenon. Learn more in: Developing Online Instructional Resources: Building Organizational Capacity and Promoting Professional Competency

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A process or record of research in which detailed consideration is given to the development of a particular person, group, or situation over a period of time. Learn more in: Building Faculty SoTL Skills Through a Multi- and Interdisciplinary Writing Community of Practice

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A study of a group of people or unit (schools) through a systematic investigation done by researchers who examine rich qualitative and quantitative data relating to several variables in order to increase understanding. Learn more in: Teacher Residency 2.0: Case Studies of an Innovative and Evolving Preparation Program Implementing Culturally Efficacious Instruction

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It is a qualitative methodology used in social sciences and is appropriated to answer questions like “how” and “why”. It seeks to interpret a reality through a particular perspective. It is commonly used to addresses constructivists research processes. Learn more in: Searching for Opportunities and Trust in International Markets: Entrepreneurial Perspective of a Traditional Industry SME

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A qualitative research method that involves an in-depth approach to a single research problem. The goal of a case study is to understand why or how different phenomena occur, or can occur. Learn more in: The Call for Transformational Governance in the Knowledge Economy

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A case study is an instructional strategy involving complex scenarios where students analyze problems and forecast solutions. Learn more in: Case Studies in Virtual Multicultural Education

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An umbrella of approaches to research that have in common their focus on a phenomenon bounded by a specific unit of analysis and defined by contextual elements, such as space, time, and demography. Learn more in: Geometry for Computer Graphics in K-12 Education

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Research into, processing and communicating the results about a specifically defined problem. Learn more in: Project We Propose!: Building Territorial Citizenship From School

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(n) A research methodology used to investigate complex phenomena in real-world settings. It is used mainly in a wide range of social sciences disciplines to describe and analyze the complexity of single or multiple cases in their specific circumstances. Learn more in: New Roles for ESP Lecturers: The Challenges of Training Professional Researchers in Romanian Higher Education

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A case study is a detailed account of a company, industry or project over a given amount of time. The content within a case study may include information about company objectives, its strategies, challenges, results and recommendations. Learn more in: Leveraging Business Model Innovation in the International Space Industry

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Is a research strategy that draws together numerous data collection techniques to generate qualitative data. Learn more in: Exploring Relationships Between the Consumption of Digital Books and Digital Divide

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A research methodology common in social science. It is based on an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. Learn more in: Benchmarking Local e-Government: Lessons from the Adoption Process in a Tourist Town

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It is defined as a particular instance of something used or analyzed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle. Learn more in: What Do Candidates Look for While Selecting a B-School?

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Qualitative studies often use a case study approach to explore phenomena with one or more individuals and use a variety of data collection procedures over time (Creswell, 2009 AU13: The in-text citation "Creswell, 2009" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ; Punch, 2009 ). Because of the dynamic data, Yin (2009) suggested that case studies offer the “how” and “why” to complement research studies and due to the amount of time and data that is needed, should be carefully selected. Learn more in: Mobile Learning in Higher Education

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A case study is a particular method of qualitative research. Rather than using large samples and following a rigid protocol to examine a limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Learn more in: Evaluating the Potential of Free and Open Source Software in the Developing World

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The term case study can refer to a method, research strategy, or focus of study. In the latter meaning case studies aim at finding out what can be learned from a single case. Case studies can have quantitative and qualitative aspects, and they aim at giving rich, detailed descriptions of a phenomenon. Learn more in: The Social Study of Computer Science

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An up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of an organization. Learn more in: Implementing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

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A small collection of test items that are all related to a single scenario; the scenario itself may contain any number of stimuli related to the test items. These stimuli may be graphic, such as charts or diagrams, or may be text-based, such as reports or tables. Learn more in: Using Technology to Assess Real-World Professional Skills: A Case Study

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A research strategy in which the focus is on a single subject. Learn more in: Learning GIS in Architecture: An Educational Experience to Improve Student ICT Skills

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A process of examining phenomena in natural settings, using multiple data collection methods to gather data from one or a few entities. Learn more in: Understanding Group Interaction and Knowledge Building in Virtual Learning Environments

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A research method that can be used when to investigate the how and why of ‘a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context’ (Yin, 1994, p.13). Learn more in: Identifying the Factors that Lead to a Successful Intermediary in Electronic Commerce

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A research strategy which focuses on understanding the dynamics present within single settings. Especially suitable for research seeking to answer “how” and “why” questions. Learn more in: The Internationalization Process of Multilatinas from Chile

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A form of research wherein a real or hypothetical situation is explored from a particular theoretical framework and the complexities of the situation are uncovered and analyzed. Learn more in: Critical Humanism and Online Learning: Using Discussion Boards as a Means of Production

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A method of research that explores in depth a particular and specific subject or case. Learn more in: Beginning the Process of Humanizing Online Learning: Two Teachers' Experiences

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Investigation of phenomena in naturalistic setting, conducted in order to enable in depth analysis of that phenomena. Learn more in: From Stories to Histories in Making Sense of IS Failure

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Investigation of phenomena in naturalistic setting, conducted in order to enable an in depth analysis of that phenomena. Learn more in: Making Sense of IS Project Stories

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A case study is defined as a holistic investigation and analysis of a person, group, or phenomenon within a real-life bounded system. Case studies offer researchers the opportunity to study the processes, perspectives, and experiences of a person, group, or phenomenon in the original context and culture. Case studies allow researchers to study a particular how or why question in great detail within the parameters of the person, group, or phenomenon’s unique context. Learn more in: Middle School Teachers' Sensemaking of Job-Embedded Learning

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A case study is a research approach involving an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of a subject of study (the case), as well as any related contextual conditions. Learn more in: Learning Through Successful Digital Opportunities for Effective Competition Preparations

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Case study is a documented study of a specific real-life or imagined business situation, it is often used as a training method in education environment. Students through analysing the cases and developing as well as presenting their understanding and solutions, apply their learnt theoretical knowledge in tackling practical problems. It is a very popular method used in HEIs’ business/management courses, to facilitate students’ learning and relevant skills’ development, including CT. Learn more in: Do Chinese Students in Public and Private Higher Education Institutes Perform at Different Level in One of the Leadership Skills: Critical Thinking?: An Exploratory Comparison

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It is a qualitative research method customarily used in social sciences. It seeks to interpret reality from a particular perspective. It is typically used to answer questions like “how” and “why.” It is commonly used to address constructivist research processes. Learn more in: Does Theory Really Fit Real Life Situations?: A Case Study on the Internationalization Process of a Technological Service-Based Firm

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A form of qualitative descriptive research that is used to look at individuals, a small group of participants, or a group as a whole. Researchers collect data about participants using participant and direct observations, interviews, protocols, tests, examinations of records, and collections of writing samples. Starting with a definition of the case study, the guide moves to a brief history of this research method. Learn more in: Exploring Entrepreneurship and Innovation Scenarios in a Portuguese Hospitality Group

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An approach to organizing research to intensely study and consider a particular person, group, or system. Learn more in: Peer Review in Online Professional Communities to Support Elementary Disciplinary Literacy Planning

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Attempts to shed light on a phenomenon by studying in depth a single case example of the phenomena. The case can be an individual person, an event, a group, or an institution. Learn more in: Data Speaks: Use of Poems and Photography in Qualitative Research

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The qualitative form of research strategy that focuses on the naturally occurring entity (for example, person, university, town). Learn more in: Questioning: Transitioning to Learner-Centred Questions

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It is a qualitative research method normally used in social sciences. It seeks to interpret a reality through a particular perspective. Learn more in: Challenges of the Internationalization Strategy of a Technology-Based International New Venture

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An in-depth description and analysis of an organization or event to examine the interplay of important elements that represent the forces at work in the object studied. Learn more in: Defining Technology Challenges to Growth of an International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO): A Case Study

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A research method which relies on detailed description of a particular subject, object, or event within its context; it does not allow for statistical generalization and its validity is judged based on shared common characteristics and value systems. Learn more in: Leave No One Behind, Not Even the Animals: Implications for the New Meat Alternatives

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A pedagogical decision-based tool as prescribed in this chapter. Learn more in: Writing the Case Study

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It is a qualitative methodology, normally used in social sciences, that seeks to interpret a reality through a particular perspective. It is normally used to answer questions like “how” and “why.” It is commonly used to addresses constructivist research processes. Learn more in: The Internationalization Process of a Born Global: A Case Study of a Beverage Firm

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Methodology of research which involves researchers undertaking an in-depth study of particular organizations with a wide variety of evidence being collected as a result. Learn more in: Knowledge Management Strategies Implementation in Innovation Intensive Firms

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Intensive analysis of an individual unit (as a person or community) stressing developmental factors in relation to environment. Learn more in: Healthcare Process Development with BPMN

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A in-depth ‘rich’ research report describing and analysing a ‘case’ or bounded set of real-life circumstances involving particular phenomena of interest to the researcher. Learn more in: Growing the eLIDA CAMEL Community of Practice Case Study

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The case study teaching method is a highly adaptable style of teaching that involves problem-based learning and promotes the development of analytical skills. Case study method is ideal for developing higher-order reasoning skills and that use of cases spice up the semester and show students how their esoteric learning impacts on the world. Learn more in: Importance of New Class Teaching Methods in Curricula Development in Developing Countries

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A research approach that allows for in-depth study of a person or program. Learn more in: Global Pull of Community Engagement: Urban Students Growing Into Youth Ambassadors

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A research method that involves a detailed examination of a subject of study (the case), considering its related contextual conditions. The case to be studied can be an organization, an action, or an event, existing in a specific time and place. Learn more in: Internal Control in a Public Hospital: The Case of Financial Services Expenditure Department

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An instruction tool containing a detailed description of a real world situation Learn more in: Simulation, Games, and Virtual Environments in IT Education

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It is a depth investigation of a subject (the case), using one or more methods, as well as its related contextual conditions. Learn more in: Networks Collaboration in Wine Sector SME: A Study Applied to a Portuguese Wine Region

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An examination of a phenomenon in its natural setting using fixed boundaries such as time. Learn more in: Qualitative Methods in IS Research

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A research method that involves a detailed examination of a subject of study (the case), considering its related contextual conditions. The case to be studied can be an organization, an action, or an event, existing in a specific time and place. Learn more in: The Implementation of Internal Control in the Financial Services Expenditure in a Hospital Department: A Case Study

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Methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result, the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Learn more in: Understanding the Virtual Community of Gamers

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Stake (2005) mentions that: “the case study is the study of the particularity and complexity of a particular case, to get to understand their activity in important circumstances” (p. 11). Learn more in: Applied Competences for Students by Using M-Learning Devices in Higher Education: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

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Investigation of phenomena in naturalistic setting, conducted in order to enable in depth analysis of that phenomena. Learn more in: Making Sense of IS Failures

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A research strategy that draws together numerous data collection techniques to generate qualitative data. Learn more in: Examining the Dynamics of Value Propositions in Digital Books: A Social Constructivist Perspective

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This is a scenario used to illustrate the application of a learning concept; it may be either factual or hypothetical. Learn more in: Analysis of Platforms for E-Learning

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A form of qualitative descriptive research. It refers to the collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular group or individual and the specific context. The conclusions drawn from a case study research project are only applicable and valid for this particular case and context. The emphasis of case study research projects is placed on exploration and description. Learn more in: Social, Political and Ethical Responsibility in Broadband Adoption and Diffusion: A German Case Study

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Cases are descriptions of a specific activity, event, or problem, drawn from the real-world of professional practice. They provide narrative models of practice to students and other novice practitioners. A case study is a well-accepted pedagogical method in many disciplines. The major purpose of a case study is not to present complete knowledge to students or learners. Instead, it aims to invoke critical thinking and improve problem-solving ability. Learn more in: Introducing Digital Case Library

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A research design that employs an in-depth or rich investigation of a phenomenon; the unit of analysis can be a single or several person/individual, organizations, or environment/ context to be examined. Learn more in: Building Social Relationships in a Virtual Community of Gamers

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Research conducted to assess a single instance of a phenomenon. Learn more in: Faculty Participation in Distance Education Programs

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Is a descriptive, exploratory, or explanatory analysis of event. Learn more in: Social Innovation as a Promoter of the Welfare: The Case of One Dollar Glasses in Brazil

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It is a construction taken as a reference to perform surveys, modelling and analyses. Learn more in: On the Assessment of the Seismic Vulnerability of Ancient Churches: The Case of “San Francesco ad Alto” in Ancona (Italy)

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A form of research focusing on an in-depth analysis of one or few scenarios and used as a basis for making inferences on similar scenarios. Learn more in: Global Citizenship Education in the Era of Globalization

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According to Yin (1994) it is an empirical study that examines a contemporary phenomenon within its real context, especially when the limits between the phenomenon and its scope are not clearly defined and multiple sources of evidence are used. Learn more in: A Qualitative Study of Knowledge Management: The Multinational Firm Point of View

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A very common research methodology for qualitative studies, which aim to explore and understand complex and localised human activity systems and social environments. Learn more in: Formulating a Framework for Desktop Research in Chinese Information Systems

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A technique based on a problem-based approach. During a case study, students are provided with materials describing a concrete, authentic experience and are asked to critically analyze the case. Often, learners are asked to propose or collaboratively define a possible solution for the examined case, describing the reasons for their choices, and afterwards, they have the possibility to compare their solution to the one adopted in the real case by experts. As case studies are based on real problems, they represent a strong link between theory and practice. Furthermore, case studies are narrative forms of thinking as opposed to abstraction and generalization. For these reasons, case studies are particularly suitable for adult education, or in any situation where the ability to critically reflect upon experience is highly developed. Learn more in: Fostering Collaboration in CSCL

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A study of an individual unit, as a person, family, or social group, usually emphasizing developmental issues and relationships with the environment, esp. in order to compare a larger group to the individual unit. Learn more in: Examining Stakeholders' Roles in Influencing IT Project Cancellation Decisions

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