Experiences with case studies in a computing course

165

Experiences with case studies in a computing course

A n g e l a G o h a n d C h i u K o k - L a n The Centre for Computer Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Cle- menti Road, Singapore 2159

This paper discusses the use of case studies in a computer studies course. It is based on experience over the past five years of using case studies of varying sizes and in different contexts in the Centre for Computer Studies in Singapore. In order to set the scene, a brief description of the insti tution and one of the courses is given. A discussion of different teaching approaches used on the course will be followed by showing how cases are used to complement these approaches. The paper will elaborate on how case studies are developed and how they are integrated into a course. Examples of actual case studies are used to illustrate their supporting rrle within the courses. A discussion of the benefits of such an approach is also included, together with the problems faced.

Keywords: Case studies, Computer studies course.

Angela (?,oh is the Assistant Director (Academic) in the Centre for Com- puter Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore. She obtained her doctorate in Computat ion from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. She has been involved in computer education at a tertiary level for six years, following several years in industry as a computer consultant. Her current interests include database management systems and its related tools and methodologies. She is a

member of the Singapore Computer Society, the British Com- puter Society and the ACM.

Chiu Kok-Lan graduated from the University of Singapore with a B.Sc. (Hons.) in 1975, and joined National Semiconductors as a Quality As- surance Engineer. He moved to IBM (Singapore) in 1977 as a Systems En- gineer, involving himself in conduct- ing courses, and providing technical and marketing support for the cus- tomers. Later, in 1982, he joined Shell Eastern Petroleum, first as a Senior Systems Engineer and later as a Pro- ject Leader in the development of ap-

plication software. Currently, Chiu is a Senior Teaching Asso- ciate with the Centre for Computer Studies, where he has overall responsibility for the academic s tandard and assessment associated with courses in Design Methodologies and Database. He obtained his Masters degree in Comput ing from the University of Manchester at the Institute of Science and Technology. He is the Honorary Secretary of the Singapore Computer Society and a member of the British Computer Society.

Education & Comput ing 6 (1990) 165-171 Elsevier

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

Introduction

The use of case studies at a tertiary level of education is a fairly widespread phenomenon, al- though it is often thought of as being related to management courses or postgraduate courses. This paper describes the use of case studies in a practice-oriented computing course in the Centre for Computer Studies in Singapore.

In order to set the context, the paper briefly describes the institution and one of the courses. A discussion on the different teaching approaches used in the course is followed by showing how case studies complement these approaches. Exam- ples of such case studies are then given. The development of suitable case material is not a trivial matter. The method and manner in which this is done is described. We then relate our experience of the problem and benefits of using case studies.

Background

The Centre for Computer Studies and its courses

The Centre for Computer Studies (CCS) was established in July 1982 as a strategic component within the Singapore national programme for the education of computer and information technology professionals. Courses currently conducted present both practical applications and academic principles relevant to computer-based information systems.

One of the courses offered at the centre is a two-year full-time Higher National Diploma (HND) in Computer Studies, whose aim is to prepare high-school leavers possessing A-levels to become programmer/analysts . The course aims at ensuring that the graduands are able to do productive work for organisations soon after gradua- tion. Upon successful completion of the course, the student is awarded an H N D in Computer Studies from the Business and Technician Educa- tion Council in the United Kingdom and a Di- ploma in Computer Studies by the Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore. The course also provides exemption from the British Computer Society Part

166 A. Gob, Chiu Kok-Lan / Case studies in a computing course

I examination. The current intake of students is about 270 per year, with over 1,000 students hav- ing graduated since the centre started in 1982. There is also a part- t ime equivalent of the course which started in 1987. The course content can be described as four parallel streams of study spread across two years full-time [5]. They are as follows:

- Computer technology and architecture; - Design of systems and software development; - Methods of analysing organisations and their

information needs; and - Developing skills in communication and ability

in the use of English.

The computing facilities within CCS consist of an extensive local area network, linking both mainframe and microcomputer systems. There are well over 200 workstations of varying levels of intelligence in the establishment, including about 100 micros running MS-DOS. The ratio of students to micro is approximately 5 : 1, which com- pares favourably with many American universities running Information Systems courses [4].

The teaching approaches adopted

There are many teaching approaches used by educational institutions in addressing the specific aims and objectives of their computing courses. For the very practical course described above, a varied and yet complementary range of approaches has been adopted in CCS.

The first is the use of practical hands-on exercises. With the facilities mentioned earlier, there is a tremendous opportunity for the student to gain invaluable experience working with various types of computing equipment.

Small group tutorials also enable discussion and feedback to take place. Seminars and talks given by different computer professionals enable the students to gain insight into working life. Similarly, visits to major computer sites are able to introduce a greater range of applications and tools and facilities to the students. R61e-playing, whereby students act out the r61e of analys ts /pro- grammers, in presenting information to management /users , is also used in CCS. Through the use of video recordings, students are able to see their own style of presentation and to learn through this medium. The use of traditional pen-and-paper ex-

ercises is not left out. The students are also exposed to the latest tools of the trade. This means that they are expected to write reports using word processing packages, communicate with others through electronic bulletin boards, and use computer-aided software engineering tools (CASE) in the system analysis, design and development work [2]. Finally, the approach which this paper will discuss in detail, is the use of case studies.

What are case studies and how do they fit into the courses?

Case studies are used in many of the units of the course. There are different types of cases, but they fall broadly into two classifications. The first is illustrative, in that a real-life situation is used to illustrate how general principles can be applied. For example, a documented case of an unsuccess- ful software project could be used to show how non-conformance with good software development practices could lead to failure. The other classification is experiential [3]. Here, cases provide a vicarious experience in which the student is able to apply the theory taught on the course. Typically, this second type of case study should provide scope and flexibility for different solutions to be reached, just as one would expect various approaches to be adopted by different people in real life.

The case material used in CCS ranges from short case histories, which could be a page long and be applicable to a single tutorial session, to major case studies which could consist of several chapters and be used throughout the year. Some are presented as complete descriptions of a scenario, upon which discussions can be initiated. Others are used to paint the scene, on which a piece of work would be based.

The cases used originate from various sources. Some are adopted without change from textbooks; others are written by staff, based on their experience in industry; and yet others are modified from published cases, in order to suit the Singapore context.

The core subjects of the course include communication, software implementation, information analysis and systems design. In looking at the main course content of the course, it can be seen that case studies provide a pertinent context and

A. Goh, Chiu Kok-Lan / Case studies in a computing course 167

vehicle through which the aims of the core subjects can be achieved. The major common factor in these areas is that all the activities in the core subjects are carried out in some context and not in isolation. In other words, realism and meaning to these subjects can only be achieved if a scenario is presented.

In the area of human communications, case studies present scenarios in which students can rSle-play and hence exercise their skills in oral and written presentation. The case specifies the application and the people they are dealing with. Therefore, whether it be a written report or a verbal presentation, the case context forces students to apply general principles in an appropriate manner. Students should be able to adopt different approaches when communicating with a varied group of people, ranging from naive, first-time computer users, to members of the software development team.

In the other areas, where technological and human factors combine in real life to complicate the methodology and concepts taught, cases are used to illustrate how situations are tackled by computer professionals in the real world. Learning from others' experiences makes up for the lack of working experience found in most of the students. This is particularly true for information analysis.

Design work, whether it be a database schema or an information system flow diagram, must be done in context. Case studies provide such a context, thereby introducing interest and realism to what could be mere theory. Software design and development for large and non-trivial applications, which require teamwork and subsequent integration, is best presented in the form of a case scenario. This again makes it more interesting for the student and more true to life.

Examples of case studies

The Case S tudy Unit

The first example is what is known as the Case Study Unit on the diploma course. This unit is assessed with the same weighting as any other course unit, such as programming or database management systems. The case is used throughout the whole of the second year of the course, and has the following aims:

(1) to integrate further the knowledge and skills developed during the other units of the course;

(2) to develop further an understanding of the design and implementat ion of computer-based information systems in the context of an organisation as a whole;

(3) to draw on experience of working in small teams; and

(4) to develop oral, written and non-verbal communication skills.

The case material was adapted from a case study known as the "Reliable Motor Company" , which originated from the National Computing Centre of the U.K. The material has been exten- sively modified to suit the local geographical and operational environment. The case revolves around a motor spare parts company, situated in Singa- pore, which supplies parts to dealers in both Singapore and West Malaysia. The company is planning to expand its operations to Indonesia and East Malaysia.

Teams of students will rSle-play as consultants to the company. An overall study of the sales order processing, purchasing, stock recording, warehousing, dispatch, invoicing and financial accounting procedures of the organisation is un- dertaken. Students a re expected , to draw on knowledge and skills acquired thus far in the course, to identify the problem areas, propose solutions (both manual and computerised), sug- gest a hardware strategy and justify the recom- mendations. The findings are given in an oral presentation, which is video-recorded, as well as in the form of a management report. A detailed study of the inventory control system is also carried out. The aim of this study is to produce system and program specifications for the com- puterisation of this function.

During this case study, interview techniques, analysis and design methodologies (and tools to automate these), programming methodologies and system configuration techniques will be utilised by the students. During the fact-finding phase, students will study documents provided as case material, as well as interview lecturing staff, who rSle-play as employees of the company (such as the Sales Manager or Stock Recording Clerk). Data flow diagrams and other structured analysis and design methods will be used to document the current procedures and to recommend new procedures. In development program specifications, stu-

168 A. Goh, Chiu Kok-Lan / Case studies in a computing course

dents are expected to use structured programming design methods. Thus, it can be seen that all the major streams in the diploma course have some input into the case study.

There are scheduled hours throughout the year, during which students perform the various tasks mentioned above. The staff assigned to oversee this work are drawn from different teaching areas. This ensures that the students apply their knowledge and skills appropriately and correctly. Fur- thermore, it emphasises to the student that each component of the course is a facet of the total body of knowledge he will require as a computer professional. The same group of staff will assess the students' oral presentations, reports and specifications.

Case studies in Sys tems Design

In the Systems Design course, the cases used are developed in-house. One of the cases currently in use depicts a computer supermarket called Apex Computer. This retail company sells computers and computer-related products in the personal computer range. Due to its rapid growth, the organisation faces difficulties in coping with its paperwork and administration. Thus, APEX has engaged a consultant to study its operations, to document the preliminary findings and to under- take systems analysis work. The functional areas studied include the Sales, Delivery and Invoicing Systems. The case material is based on the report of this fictitious consultant.

The students' tasks are to study the consultant's report and to perform systems design work in teams and as individuals. They therefore r61e-play as Systems Designers. In an attempt to integrate the Systems Design process with this single case, students are required to interpret data flow diagrams and a data dictionary documented by the consultant and tO produce inpu t /ou tpu t screens layouts, report layouts, file layouts and program specifications. Through the students' work, the staff are able to assess the students' ability to design input and output interface, taking into consideration human factors; to identify the data requirements and a data model for effective computer storage and retrieval; to apply the technique of normalisation; to understand and apply the Structured Design methodology; and to write

functional and program requirements in Struc- tured English and decision tables/trees.

The case materials are given to the students in a piecemeal fashion as the course progresses. This allows the students to focus their efforts on specific tasks and to avoid information overflow. As there are many factors to be considered in file design, students work in groups where they can brain- storm and learn from each other in justifying their design considerations. This has proved to be an effective learning process.

Similarly, structured design also requires various considerations and justifications in order to provide a realistic solution. The students form teams within which they discuss and learn from each other for three weeks, and subsequently present their proposals both in written and oral form. Students are assessed on their ability to apply, justify and recognise the limitations of their solutions.

Case studies in Database Management Sys tems

In the database course unit, various cases are used as a basis upon which students are expected to do design work. One such case involves the staff training programme of a software house called Better Computer Systems. The scenario revolves round the training needs of the company and the courses offered by various vendors. The case material handed out to students includes a data model, information requirements and a nar- rative explaining the organisational context. The students are required to design a network (CODASYL) database, and to create the corre- sponding schema, storage schema and subsche- mas. By being "forced" to design the database according to the specific requirements of the company, the students learn to apply general design concepts in their appropriate context. The scenario is sufficiently broad to enable different design options to be exercised. The material is also flexi- ble in that different design solutions can emerge which are equally acceptable, depending on the students' assumptions and interpretation.

The database design work is carried out in small teams. The teams submit the final design and compiled listings of generated schema, sub- schemas, etc., for assessment. Individual members of each team are also assessed through a viva, during which various aspects of the design will


have to be explained and justified. Therefore, the use of a case study in this subject aims to simulate the activity the student will be involved in if he were in the real world. This includes working in a particular user environment, designing a database within a team, and implementing the resultant design.

D e v e l o p m e n t o f c a s e m a t e r i a l

I n t r o d u c t i o n

In this section, we share our experience of the development of experiential case material. Case development is a process whereby actual business and administrative situations are reconstructed for students to work with [1]. For this process to be successful, the staff who have encountered such situations must be wilting to share their experiences with the students. In CCS, there is a team of lecturers who are actively involved in developing cases. Each team member contributes by review- ing and improving the case materials, based on their personal experience in the computing industry. The case development team consists of a group of lecturers. Each member of the team has the opportunity to be the writer, who documents the basic content of the case as well as providing the administrative and coordinative support, while the other staff act as moderators.

The phases involved in the development of case study are analogous to those in the Systems Devel- opment Life Cycle in Computing. They can be classified as follows: - Identification of case study; - Design and development of the case; - Testing of the case solution; and - Case implementation and review. As in software development, these phases need not necessarily be in a "waterfal l" sequence, where the activities within the development process follow one after another. The four phases often overlap and may require iteration, as shown in Figure 1. The notes below highlight some of the key activities experienced in the case development.

I d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f appl ica t ion area

Before we can develop a case study, we must clearly identify its purpose. The case should be a

Figure 1. Case development cycle.

means to an end, which, in our context, is the achievement of the learning objectives of the course unit. The purpose of the case is to serve as a substitute for real-life situations, so that students can practise, exercise and develop their diagnostic and design skills in the classroom. On completion of the case study exercise, the students should be able to inter-relate the various elements of design principles and to make a formal written proposal with oral presentation of the case solution to a panel of teaching staff.

The selection of the case scenario also plays an important rr le in ensuring the success of this teaching-learning approach. One must be sensi- tive to the target audience. As mentioned earlier, the students are high-school leavers with little or no working experience in a business organisation, at the time of admission to the course. Thus, the business applications narrated in the case scenario must be situations with which they are familiar. Otherwise, there might be unnecessary distractions created by the new environment, which would preoccupy the students. These would distract the students from applying design skills, which is the primary objective of this exercise. Familiar, realistic and self-contained applications, such as stu-

170 A. Goh, Chiu Kok-Lan / Case studies in a computing course

dent information systems, video rental library systems and computer supermarket sales systems have been identified as appropriate case scenarios. It should be noted that this constraint is applicable only in the initial part of the course.

Design considerations

A new case is developed after many brain- storming sessions amongst staff. The starting point is a set of well-understood objectives. One of the main requirements of any case material is that it must be student-centred. What this implies is that we must design and package the material to meet the students' ability. It is therefore important that the case be well written; it should be clear, unam- biguous and precise. A poorly written case will only create difficulties and obstacles for the students. A readable case promotes the understanding of the requirements and, therefore, aids in the deriving of a solution.

It takes much time and experience to develop material which gives sufficient information without giving away the solution. Another challenge fre- quently encountered is how much, and what type of information to include in the case. The writer is faced with a choice between reporting only relevant facts and including some which have little bearing on the situation at hand. The relevance of information is discussed and debated b y the staff. It might seem irrelevant in certain parts of the case, but it could be useful in other sections within the same case. This conflicting situation arises when one tries to integrate different features and problems in the case, in order to address different, overlapping and interdependent learning objectives in the course.

It is therefore important to include learning objectives, the background of an organisation, and the type of analytical and design work expected of the students in the final specification.

Implementation of the case material

Synonymous to program testing in software development, the case is tested to ensure that it works and that the original objectives are met. Staff involved in teaching this course at tempt the exercises and feed criticisms and recommenda- tions back to the case writer, so that the case can be further improved. It is an accepted fact that

cases ha+e to be rewritten many times, and refined through many drafts, editing and feedback. The scope of the case may be simplified or expanded, and the tasks based on the case may be redefined. Only when all staff are satisfied with the quality of the case material, is it submitted for distribu- tion to the students.

In order to ensure that the students and the teaching staff have a consistent view of the case, a briefing session is conducted to walk through the case materials and the work the students are required to do. During the first week after the initiation of the case exercise, there is constant feedback from students and discussion amongst staff. This provides opportunities for us to clarify any ambiguity and to enforce consistent understanding of the case materials.

Similarly, at the conclusion of the course, we meet and perform a post mortem, in order to review the performance of the students in relation to the case. The strength and flaws are discussed, so that the case can be improved for subsequent years.

Benefits derived through the use of case studies

Our experience with case studies in the last five years has convinced us of the value of using this approach on a computing course. There are many benefits in using this method to complement other teaching approaches.

Case material enables students to relate theory to real-life situations. If the student is to be im- mediately productive in his place of work, he must be able to adapt quickly to the environment. This does not simply refer to the technical environment, such as operating systems, programming languages and system tools. He must be equally adept at applying his knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the user. Thus, through the use of case material, a simulation of real-world situations is created.

The students are expected to enter into a wide range of working environments, ranging from multinational information centres to small software houses. Therefore, in order to prepare them for different application environments, the students are exposed to a varied set of case studies throughout the course of study.


In a number of the case studies, work has to be carried out within a team. This enables the student to put into practice the theory of team management and control. As most software projects require team work, the experience of group work is important. The problems and benefits of team work will be learnt through practical experience.

Case studies are vehicles through which independent learning and student-centred learning can be implemented. Given the case material, students are free to arrive at different solutions; they may use different methodologies and techniques in their work; they may plan their work in different ways. This promotes innovativeness and creativity.

Difficulties encountered

A number of problems relating to the use of case studies have been encountered. Most of these, however, are surmountable, provided there is sufficient commitment and manpower.

As case material is used, staff usually discover aspects which could be improved. There also arises a need to update the material and to introduce new aspects to the case structure, when the case has been used for a number of years. This obvi- ously takes time and effort to achieve. Maintain- ing case material can take up a lot of time, on top of the other lecturing and tutorial duties faced by academic staff. One person's effort is not sufficient to support a case study approach; it requires the commitment and time of many lecturers in order to achieve success. This point has been elaborated upon in our discussion on the implementation of the case material.

The benefits students gain, as mentioned above, is reaped at a cost. This cost is the added time needed for the student to assimilate the material. Thus, there is an extra overhead in terms of time needed to implement case studies to the extent

that has been done in our institution. If there is already a problem with compression on the course, due to a wide syllabus that has to be covered, the use of case studies will exacerbate this problem.

Conclusion

This paper has illustrated how case studies can be used effectively to complement other teaching approaches in computing courses. Specific examples have been given to illustrate the way cases are used in different course subjects. We have also discussed the approach adopted in the development of case material. Our experience with case studies has convinced us of their value, in that we are able to relate real-fife computing problems to the classroom situation. In spite of the difficulties encountered, the benefits accrued far exceed the implementat ion problems. We are confident that the case study approach can be used effectively in most areas of any practice-oriented computing course. It is hoped that through the sharing of our experiences, we shall be able to promote a wider usage of case studies in computing courses.

References

[1] J.W. Culliton, Handbook on Case Writing (Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, 1973).

[2] A. Goh, "A case for CASE on a computing course", in: Proceedings of the Asia-Pacific Conference on Computer Education, Shanghai, 1988.

[3] E.S. Henderson and M.B. Natherson, Independent Learning in Higher Education (Educational Technology Publications, Englewood Cliffs, N J, 1984).

[4] K.R. Isshiki, "Impact of new powerful microcomputers and software on the curriculum of the Computer Informa- tion Systems Department at California State Polytechnic University Pomona", in: R. Lewis and E.D. Tagg, eds., A Computer for Each Student (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1987).

[5] R. Shaw, "The Centre for Computer Studies", Information Technology for Development 1 (1) (1986) 45-58.

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Experiences with case studies in a computing course