Guidelines on Case Studies of Exemplary Practice

Guidelines for JISC project teams

JISC-funded project teams are often asked to provide case studies to accompany studies related to e-learningExemplars of current practice help to illuminate key aspects of a particular study, but also fulfil a wider need by contributing to a body of evidence on e-learning and pedagogy accessed via the web by communities of practitioners and researchers.

Some questions posed by a case study-based enquiry
  • Who are we writing for, and which medium would be the most appropriate?
  • What is the best format and approach to use? Are there templates that could be repurposed?
  • How should the tasks of locating, capturing and presenting case study material be undertaken?

To help project teams formulate the right approach for their project aims and audiences, some guidelines on capturing and presenting case study content have been produced, drawing on the experience gained in studies completed within the JISC e-Learning Programme since 2004.

The aim is to compile a body of effective practice in the capture and formatting of information into case studies with activities and recommendations to support future project teams. These guidelines should be considered work in progress and may be the subject of further development in the light of continuously updated knowledge and experience.

The guidelines include examples and templates to illustrate a range of approaches, some developed within the e-Learning Programme and some by JISC Services and JISC partners, and provide a starting points for discussion between project teams and programme managers.

Further information on case studies
What is a case study?
How do you choose the right format?
What are the guidelines for locating and capturing case study content? 
How can the material be best presented to meet audience needs?
How can you ensure the case studies are accessible to all users?
Templates
Case study visit capture document (Word)
Participant consent form (PDF)
Exemplar formats
DeL Regional pilot stories JISC (2008)
LEAP case study (Word) Higher Education Academy (2005)
Tangible benefits of e-learning JISC infoNet (2008)
Innovative Practice with e-Learning JISC (2005) (Word and PDF format online and from a CD-ROM accompanying a publication)
Video Transcripts and Descriptors
Other examples of JISC-funded case studies
Case studies from the DEL Subject Centre projects
Design for Learning runnable and exemplary designs from the del.icio.us site
Designing Spaces video case studies
Digital Libraries in the Classroom – video case studies
Effective Practice with e-Assessment 
Effective Practice with e-Learning
Innovative e-learning practice case studies
eLIDA CAMEL Design for Learning case studies
Innovative Practice with e-Learning – mobile and wireless
MLEs for Lifelong Learning programme
Phoebe del.icio.us case studies
Planning and designing technology-rich learning spaces infoKit
Tangible Benefits case studies
Case study workshop presentations
JISC Case Study Workshop (PowerPoint)
What is a case study? (PowerPoint)
Practical Considerations (PowerPoint)

Guidelines in full (PDF)