The Table of Contents in the paper and PDF version of Teaching with Cases: A Practical Guide
Preface vii
Acknowledgements ix
Chapter 1: Introduction: Why you should read this book 1
Why case teaching? 2
How case classes and students vary 4
Class size 5
Core versus elective 5
Part-time versus full-time 5
Gender 5
Weekly versus modular courses 6
Domestic versus international 6
Single versus multi-section 6
Executive versus graduate versus undergraduate 7
One of many case classes for students vs. only or one of few 7
In school versus other location 7
Practical Guidance for all Case-Teaching Faculty 7
The central framework: Foundation, flow, and feedback 8
Chapter 2: Foundations: Preparing for the course 11
Taking Ownership 12
Making a Contract 14
Developing Content 16
Structuring the syllabus 26
Selecting cases 18
Selecting readings and textbooks 24
Using guest speakers 26
Using assignments 28
Working with Students 29
Motivating Students 32
Enthusiasm and Engagement 33
Relevance 33
Opportunities to build valuable skills 33
Safe participation 34
Fun 34
Finding Information about Students’ Backgrounds 35
Helping the students prepare for case discussions 36
Classroom participation requirement 36
Establishing Infrastructure 38
Establishing seating arrangements 39
Using Name cards and seating charts 42
Setting length and frequency of class sessions 44
Session Length 45
Session Frequency 45
Wrapping up 46
Chapter 3: Flow During the Class Session 49
Preparing Yourself 51
Crafting a teaching plan 52
Demeanor in class 54
Dressing for class and impression management 55
Managing your anxiety 57
Preparation 57
Exercises 58
Rituals 59
Starting to Teach 59
The first class 59
Opening classes 62
Building trust in the class 64
Managing the Discussion 66
The Emcee: Calling on students and managing airtime 67
The Scribe: Using the board 70
Board plan 71
Writing on the board 74
The Conductor: Using body language, silence, and movement 76
Using the physical space 79
The TV Host: Asking questions 82
Giving up control 84
Time management 85
How long to let a discussion go 86
If you are running out of time 86
Breaks and other interruptions 87
Teaching long class days 88
Beyond Discussion 89
Using theory and other non-case material 89
Inductive versus deductive case use 90
Communicating Theory 91
Role-Playing 93
Multipart cases 94
Group work 95
Group Presentations 96
Group Discussions 98
Team teaching in the classroom 99
Are you getting the most from each student? 101
Humor in the classroom 102
Energy 103
Raising the energy level 104
Relationships among and with students 106
Concluding a Discussion 107
Chapter 4: Feedback: Assignments, Grading and Guidance 111
The Evaluative Mindset 112
Designing Evaluation 113
Designing assignments 115
Individual Oral Assignments 115
Individual Written Assignments 116
Group Oral Assignments 117
Group Written Assignments 118
Designing Exams 118
Selecting Cases for Exams 118
Writing Exam Questions 119
Take-Home Exams 121
Designing Term Papers 122
Term Papers as Research Method 124
Grading 125
A matter of scaling 125
How to structure feedback 127
Group Work 130
Final Exams 130
Class participation 131
Capturing Participation 133
Setting Expectations 134
Setting Expectations by Self-Evaluation 135
Exams 136
The dreaded extra-credit requests 139
Handling academic dishonesty 140
Conclusion 143
Chapter 5: Managing Classroom Issues 145
Issues with Individual Student 145
How do I manage students who hog airtime? 146
How do I manage combative students? 147
What can I do about students’ computer use in class? 148
What do I do if a student does not pay attention in class? 149
What do I do if a student complains? 150
How do I accommodate students with disabilities? 151
Issues with groups of students 152
What Do I Do When Students Are Not Well Prepared? 152
How do I get students to prepare better? 153
Reward Good Preparation 153
Help Them Along 154
Draw Out Prepared But Reticent Students 154
Require Case Write-ups or Give Pop Quizzes 154
Give a Stern Lecture 154
Make An Example of a Student or Two 154
How do I stop side conversations? 155
How Do I Manage Dysfunctional Class Behavior? 156
Hissing 156
Genuflection 156
Sharking 157
What if the class turns against me? 157
How is Teaching Executives Different? 159
How should I deal with student pranks? 161
How Do I Deal with Student Representatives? 163
How Do I Deal with Dysfunctional Groups? 164
Free-Riders 164
Personality Conflicts 165
Poor Project Management 165
Poor Performance 165
Issues Beyond Students 166
What if I can’t find enough cases that fit? 166
What do I do if I have lost track of the discussion? 167
What if I run out of questions? 168
How do I deal with problems in an intensive-format course? 137
Prepare Differently 169
Manage Expectations 169
Manage Process Closely 169
What can I do if I am low on energy? 170
What If the Administration Gets Involved?
Chapter 6 Quantitative and technical material 174
Flipping the Qualitative and Quantitative 175
Being Qualitative about the Quantitative 175
Being Quantitative about the Qualitative 176
Explicitly Teach Estimation 177
Quantify Anything 177
Know the Industry Data 177
Change Assumptions or Problems on the Fly 179
Teaching Quantitative Material 179
Making a Teaching Plan for a Quantitative Case 179
Pacing the Discussion 180
Asking for a Number at the Beginning 181
Managing Math Phobia and Aversion to Numbers 183
Making the value clear 182
Acknowledging the Phobic 182
Filling in the Holes 182
Fostering a Sense of Self-Efficacy 183
Using the Board 183
Making the best use of students 185
When Students Go Wrong 185
When No One Has the Correct Analysis 186
Discussing a Quantitative Case with Subjective Numbers or Estimates 187
Using Groups 188
Teaching Technical Material 189
Motivating the Study of Technology 189
Structuring the Teaching of Technology 190
Conclusion 192
Chapter 7 Adjusting for language and culture 195
The Foreign Student 197
Making Adjustments for Foreign Students 200
The Foreign Teacher 202
The Teacher Abroad 204
Expectations for teaching 205
Teacher power 206
Student behavior 207
Using Interpreters 208
Trust the locals 211
Chapter 8: Preparing for the next time 213
Debriefing a course 213
Interpreting and using student feedback 215
How to Read Student Feedback 215
Striving for High Evaluations 217
Reviewing Case Selection 217
Debriefing with a Teaching Group 218
Archiving Material 218
Evaluating case teachers, including yourself 219
Before Class 219
During Class 219
After Class 220
Managing relationships with alumni 220
Chapter 9: Fostering Case Teaching at the School Level 223
The Commoditized Business School 223
Relevance is Relevant 224
Integration is Integral 225
Institutionalizing Case Teaching 228
Recruiting, Incentives and Promotion 228
Teaching-Related Procedures 230
Getting Infrastructure Right 230
Classroom Design 231
Good, Abundant Board Space 231
Blackboards Rather Than Whiteboards 231
Seating 232
Making Cases Easy to Use and Produce 233
Case Production 234
Chapter 10 Technologies for Case Teaching 238
Take Control of the Technology 238
Technology for Teacher Productivity 239
Teacher’s Computer Use in Class 241
Presentation Software 243
Tools for Student-Teacher Interaction 246
Learning Management Systems 246
Build a Sandbox 246
Explore the System 247
Maintain Communication Norms 247
Create a FAQ Repository 247
Structure for Reuse 247
Facilitate Searching 247
Consider the User’s Experience 248
Maintain Structure 248
Automate Availability 248
Explore the Analytics 248
Seek and Accept Help 249
Other Technologies to Support Student Interaction 249
Social Media 249
In-Class Polling and Voting Tools 249
Questionnaires 250
Shared Documents 250
Analysis Tools 250
Online Simulations 251
Online Teaching 251
Teleconference Teaching 251
Get the Basic Technology Right 252
Communicate in a Way Suited to the Medium 252
Communicate via Side Channel and Back Channel 253
Get to Know the Students 254
Videoconferencing 254
Lighting and Background 255
Sound 256
The Video Camera 256
Concurrently Teaching Face-to-Face and Remotely 259
Teaching Asynchronously with Discussion Forums 260
Foundations: Designing the Course and Forming the Contract 262
Flow: Running the Discussion 265
Guidelines for Students 267
Feedback: Evaluating and Closing the Loop 269
Managing the inevitable technical failures 271
Conclusion 273
Index 275
About the Authors 293
Applied Abstractions 