“But I Don’t Have the Case(s) I Need!” Creating Scenarios Drawn from Experience and/or Public Sources Using Case Writing Techniques and Best Practices 

 

College Case Conference May 22, 2015Chandra Hodgson, Humber College

Goal SettingFind a group of people near you and discuss the

following:1. Do you use stories from your own experience

or pulled from headlines in classes?2. How do you use them? What do your

students do with them?3. What brought you here today? What are you

hoping to learn in this session? What is missing from the scenarios you write, in your opinion?

DefinitionsWhat is a case?A case is a description of an actual situation, commonly

involving a decision, a challenge, an opportunity, a problem or an issue faced by a person (or persons) in an organization. A case allows you to step figuratively into the position of a particular decision maker. . . Cases are field-based. A case researcher visits an organization and collects the data that comprise the case. Moreover, someone in this organization signs an official release document. It is this release that truly distinguishes cases from any other kind of educational material. (Learning with Cases, 2)

Definitions

What is a scenario?A scenario is a story that illustrates a

problem or challenge for students to process. The details are (usually) realistic. The content is based on the writer’s personal experience, anecdotal knowledge of another’s experience and/or details pulled from secondary research. There is no legal release accompanying the scenario.

Comparison of Cases and Scenarios

Cases Scenarios

Authenticity Verified Not authenticated

Complexity Chaotic; open-ended

Often “cooked”

Level of detail High (generally)

Low (generally)

Student Engagement

High (generally)

Lower (generally)

Barriers to Using Cases

•Availability•Length•Cost•Time to write•Legal barriers (healthcare, auditing, etc.)

Upshot: Sometimes, we need to use scenarios!

Anatomy of a Case

Organization Background

Specific Problem or

Decision

Conclusion

Opening Paragraph• Typically answers the Who,

What, Where, When and Why of the case.

Organization Background• Can include information on

the industry, structure of the company, history, financial situation.

Specific Problem or Decision• Can include information on

the background of the decision maker, the main stakeholders in the case, the inciting incident, the alternatives available. Often uses subheadings.

Conclusion• Typically includes a

reiteration of the task (the decision), as well as deadlines.

Opening Paragraph

Best Practices

Who•Make sure the protagonist is the decision

maker•Choose a protagonist whose shoes your

students need to step into (doesn’t have to be CEO)

•Choose a name carefully

Best Practices, cont’d

What•Decide what decision would make your

students practice a skill, apply a concept or theory that is at stake for them at a particular point in a particular semester. Don’t be lured by the “sexy story”.

•Decide whether to provide an open question, alternatives, or a decision taken that gives them a more constrained analytical task.

Best Practices, cont’d

Where•Make sure the company and geographical

location are realistic.•If you have to “move” a story to disguise

it, choose a location that has the same features (size, diversity, industry practices) as the real story.

Best Practices, cont’d

When•Make sure you adjust all details to

correspond to the time period you’ve chosen.

•Choose wisely – bylaws, best practices, regulations, technology all change.

Best Practices, cont’d

Why•Include an action trigger so that students

get to see how urgent a decision is, and how dilemmas typically present themselves in your industry.

•Circle back to this moment in the conclusion to launch the students into the task.

General Advice• Collect as much real data from real sources as

possible. Do your research!• Stay focused on the learning outcomes for the scenario

– what do they need to know in order to really learn what you need them to? This will help you to determine the level of detail needed.

• Learn to use Photoshop and other digital tools to help you to create exhibits that are realistic based on real sources.

• Be patient with yourself. No one hits it out of the park in a first draft.

• When you’re ready to write your first real case, come and find me at the CTL at Humber!