Using Case Studies: Suggestions for Scaffolding Case-Based Learning

Scaffolding means that the course instructor takes an active guiding and facilitating role as students make meaning of rigorous concepts (Hmelo-Silver et al., 2007). To enable students to gain the most knowledge from cases, instructors need to attend to at least three aspects of scaffolding: (a) attitudes and learning habits, (b) metacognition, and (c) knowledge (Marzano, 1992; Schoenbach et al., 2010).

Attitudes and Habits. The attraction of case-based learning for school leader development is likely to be frustrating for many students.  That is, a good case has authentic ambiguity, the hallmark of most situations that school leaders face on the job (Bass et al. 2011; Fossey & Crow, 2011; Hanson, 2005).  For students, though, ambiguity seems risky, if not suspicious.  Many aspiring school leaders are among the educational professionals who like working in schools because of their consistent school success.  Many graduate students pursue additional degrees because they have developed learning strategies that rewardingly lead to “getting an A.” They have developed learning habits that feature a large degree of certainty by asking very detailed questions about how to get that A.  They want to know number of words or pages.  They want a list of specific criteria for As and definitely challenge any grade less than an A.  A case-based learning approach challenges those strategies because of the critical feature of ambiguity and instructors need to guide students through their qualms about aspects they do not know about the case.

Some specific steps to help students cope with case-based ambiguity include the following points for guiding their casework:

  • Analysis requires reference to some guiding principles for identifying what’s critical to know and what is a distraction (Ellet, 2007).
  • To determine what is critical there is one essential guiding question for school leaders in all cases:  What is best for the students?
  • To understand the differences between critical information and distracting information in studies of politics in schools, the following questions may be helpful:  Who gets what and how?  And, who does not get what they want and why?
  • In the experiences of any school leaders, not all the information that would be helpful is available at the time that a decision is necessary.
  • If a decision has an unintended consequence, then the situation requires more analysis and a different decision.

Metacognition. Most teachers are aware of the importance of successful learning to an individual student’s awareness of his/her own learning.  Emerging research suggests that group metacognition may lead to more productivity on the job (Siegel, 2012). Because school leaders must establish a collegial work environment and share decision making, case-based learning should be a group activity.  Beyond the information of the case, a group approach to case-learning establishes the experiences of group processes essential to a strong professional culture and effective communities of practice (Lave, 1991; Wenger, 1998).

Knowledge.Aspects and functions found in ISLLC Standard 6 have been identified in the beginning of each chapter. To scaffold learning, the content functions should be explained to students as they begin their case analysis.

References

  • Bass, L., Garn, G., & Monroe, L. (2011). Using JCEL case studies to meet ELCC Standards. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 14(1), 1–12.
  • Ellet, W. (2007).  The case study handbook: How to read, discuss, and write persuasively about cases. Boston, MA:  Harvard Business School Press.
  • Fossey, R., & Crow, G. M. (2011). The elements of a good case. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 14(3), 4–10.
  • Hanson, K.L. (2005). Preparing for educational administration using case analysis (2nd ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
  • Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Duncan, R. G., & Chinn, C. A. (2007). Scaffolding and achievement in problem-based and inquiry learning. Educational Psychologist, 42(2), 99–107.
  • Lave, J. (1991). Situating learning in communities of practice. Perspectives on socially shared cognition, 2, 63-82.
  • Marzano, R.J. (1992). A different kind of classroom: Teaching with dimensions of learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
  • Schoenbach, R., Greenleaf, C.L. & Hale, G. (2010, October). Framework fuels the need to read: Strategies boost literacy of students in content-area classes. JSD, 31 (5), 38–42.
  • Siegel, M. A. (2012). Filling in the distance between us: Group metacognition during problem solving in a secondary education course. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21(3), 325–341.
  • Wenger, E. (1998): Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.