Case Methods in Teaching How case methods work Models for case teaching PBL or CBL? Planning your case teaching What students think about CM References and resources

Centring teaching around case-based methodologies aims to get students actively engaged in discussion and analysis to foster inquiry and problem-solving. This can be done on an individual basis to some extent, but a person studying on their own is less likely to be able to view all aspects of a complex issue or problem. Everyone gets more out of the process if they are able to discuss and share. (How much more do you learn from a staff development workshop session when you are listening to the comments of others?)

Teaching using cases can be tackled in several ways, and this web site shows you several examples. Many of these methods do rely on small-group learning for at least some of the process. This isn't difficult when class sizes are small, but what can you do with large classes?

Here are some options you can try:

• Where space allows, a large class can be split into four or more break-out groups, each with a voluntary secretary to take notes. Each group moves to a corner of the classroom, or to other areas if available. Each group's ideas and conclusions can be shared by a spokesperson reading out the notes when the class reforms at the end of the session.

• Really large classes in a lecture theatre can work in groups of 3 (neighbours) or possibly 6 (with those in an adjacent row) without moving seats. This can work for short discussions. One member from each group puts up their hand when finished; when at least 60% of the groups seem to have finished the lecturer can pick on selected groups to share conclusions with the class.

• Learning tasks identified in class can be allocated to student groups to workshop outside formal face-to-face sessions. Groups report back to the whole class at the next session.

• Cases can form the basis of informal group discussion requiring individual submission for formal assessment. (e.g. Human Life Science uses cases with multiple-choice questions on WebCT. Each student enters their own answers, but they have two weeks to complete the assessment and peer discussion is encouraged.)