Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 1

Cook up a case study

Ros Smith

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 2

What is the purpose of a case study?

Record processes and document evidence eg from a project or an activity?

Tell a story from a particular perspective eg the practitioner’s view?

Summarise a longer activity so as to identify and highlight its key points?

Building capacity - encouraging interest and confidence amongst others to undertake new challenges?

Building capacity - developing higher level skills in others through (eg) analysis of learning designs, project planning and evaluation techniques?

Sustain a community through sharing of best practice?

Providing sharable, possibly runnable, examples of learning designs, with the case study as ’the instructions on the tin’?

Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 3

Some examples

Tangible benefits – infoNet

TechDis

Effective Practice guides – e-Learning programme

Higher Education Academy

QIA and Ofsted Good Practice database

Project outputs eg D4L Programme

Ferl + acLearn

Your own institution

Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 4

Why we need to know?

To develop more effective searchable databases of exemplars

To empower or build communities of practice

To capture current practice and even influence future direction of e-learning

To contribute to a body of evidence on pedagogies associated with e-learning in ways that are meaningful to others

To provide effective cohesive messages across programmes of research

To make best use of print publications and web based resources

Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 5

Cook up a case study

Activity

Work in twos and threes to identify your six main requirements from a case study on e-portfolios

Complete the two columns on your worksheet with the outcomes for a) print and b) web

Share your choices with others on your table. There is a comments column for recording interesting comparisons and differences

Joint Information Systems Committee 04/19/23 | | Slide 6

Some aspects to consider

Length

Level of detail

Objectivity v. particular viewpoint?

Approach - lessons learnt, or exemplars of good practice?

Readability eg highlighting of key points, explanation of jargon and avoidance of language specific to narrow communities of practice

Evidence eg data relating to benefits

Inspiration eg testimonies + quotes

Recommendations arising from the practice eg advice on implementation

Relevance to a surrounding discussion eg using representations of practice to illustrate and clarify