JISC

Defining characteristics

Defining what is understood by a case study is a valuable starting point. Project teams engaged in e-learning studies are frequently asked to produce externally facing outcomes such as case studies in addition to a final report, yet the meaning of the term is not necessarily understood in the same way across the post-16 and higher education sector.

From existing examples of case studies of e-learning practice, it is likely that a case study will:

• focus on an individual initiative or example of practice
• outline the context and background to the work e.g. its relationship to a preceding project or response to a nationally or locally identified strategy, need or purpose 
• give an account of what, why, when, where and for whom the practice was developed, including the intended outcomes, the nature of the participants, the environment in which it occurred, and the technologies used
• provide a narrative of how the initiative was implemented to explain the processes involved
• evaluate outcomes 
• locate the described practice within the broader context – for example, by giving the stage of development at which the case study was captured and indicating future plans 
• draw out features of the initiative that make it significant – for example, innovation, focus on the needs of particular learner groups, evidence of impact, realisation of a strategic initiative, lessons learned
• summarise steps to be taken by those wishing to replicate the practice
• identify quick and accessible gains for others – for example, by highlighting ‘tips and tricks’ or the ‘e-learning advantage’
• include learning objects used in the original activity to provide ‘off the shelf’ learning designs where appropriate
• reveal personal insights and statements from those involved

Not all of these characteristics will be evident in all cases i.e. these descriptors do not represent a template to be followed in all instances, but rather a set of benchmarks against which to determine what is most appropriate in your case.

Purpose

These characteristics suggest that the main aim of a case study is to share experiences and disseminate what has been significant about the processes or outcomes. Thus the overriding purpose behind a case study is to communicate the perceived value of the experience or initiative to others, in order to extend their understanding and expertise and add/or to their repertoire as practitioners. There may also be secondary aims, such as illustrating points or themes in a longer strategy document and recording outcomes of activities.

Beetham (2001)  suggests that most of what we know about how others teach – and therefore understand about what is effective or ineffective – is gained from indirect accounts, such as case studies and other representations of practice, rather than from direct observation. This underlines the importance for developers of case studies of identifying aspects of the practice that are most likely to build the capacity of the audience for whom the case study is intended, so that experience-based knowledge can be more effectively exchanged. Case studies can therefore also have a significant role to play as tools for staff development and consideration should always be given to the potential for a case study to become a staff development resource, even when the primary focus lies elsewhere.