I remember when I decide to start graduate work because I
asked around what my chosen program would entail. The answer I heard the most
is everything is great except case studies are awful. Just the name of them
sounds unappealing… case studies. Everyone said do not leave the case studies
classes until the end or you will be burned out and not want to put in the work
that you absolutely have to put in so I put that in the 1990’s rolodex in my mind.
When I realized how many forms of case studies filled the
classes I felt heartburn instantaneously. Before ever doing a case study I
decided I couldn’t do it if it was that bad. One of the most important lessons
anyone will ever have in life is not to believe everything you hear. I am not
everyone else and they are not me.
I am not even sure how I learned to do case studies or how I
decided my approach. Two classes had a required format that looked for the
macro and micro problems, causes, systems affected, alternatives, and recommendations.
This was my first experience and my favorite. As it turns out I loved all the
case studies in those classes. They were challenging but it was a pleasure to
pick apart a story and ask questions as I glued it all back together in my
response.
Other formats utilize questions in a directed manner that
guide the learning and tailor it toward the various leadership theories. Some
case studies use shorter concise scenarios. Others were quite extensive. One
that stands out discussed a founder of Dickinson College that felt like it went
back to the beginning of time but really just with roots based in England and the
colonization of Pennsylvania and then moved through history to almost present
day. Needless to say beware if you play me in iPad Jeopardy because I am armed
with factoids.
I suppose my strategy for conquering them was to read them
and hope for the best. I was not sure what to expect so I figured that was the
way to get started. Admittedly between critical thinking training and being a
Paralegal Studies major in my undergrad it was not as intimidating as it was
made to sound.
Flash forward to today when I was browsing the internet for
how to cook brie cheese and I landed on an ehow article. Anyone wondering how
to do something and googled it has probably happened upon one of these
articles. It did not tell me whether or not using a baking stone would char my
cheese and burn down my house but at least I know the basics for having melty
goodness that I can make at home. It just so happens you really can find
anything on ehow including how to answer case study questions. Who would have
thought? Not me.
The first paragraph caught my attention because the best I
could articulate what a case study was is to say that I was going to “read a
little story and answer it” so it has already one upped me. I can whip up an
excellent analysis just do not ask me to explain it. The easier something is
the harder I like to make it.
The two best points from my perspective were to 1.) Figure
out what the question is asking you to solve and 2.) Imagine the problem and
try to solve it (King, n.d.). While that sounds overly simplified the article
points out that you should use what you already know to create the answer and
not to gloss over the details such as the arrangement of the words and included
facts or figures. Something that is not included is to beware of red herrings.
Sometimes there is something you want to fixate upon that is just in there to
throw you off the trail.
Another point I would like to mention is that for visual
learners create a story in your mind as if you are watching a movie and try to
picture what you are reading. The more in depth you can imagine it the better
you will be able to manipulate the problem within the context of the story. Without
fail when I read anything this is what I am doing. It does not work for
everyone but finding your own strength and making it work for you is a great way
to conquer cases or mostly anything else. You do not have to do it the same way
as everyone else you just have to be able to do it the best that you can.
Reference:
King, J. (n.d.). How to Answer
Case Study Questions. Retrieved December 6, 2015, from
http://www.ehow.com/how_8342765_answer-case-study-questions.html
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