The case method is a popular way of teaching at b-schools, though the degree to which they use it can vary.  B-schools like Harvard Business School and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in the US,Richard Ivey Business School in Canada and IE in Spain are known for their case method pedagogy and use it as their predominant mode of teaching. At HBS and Darden, students go through more than 500 cases during the 2 year Full time MBA.

These b-schools are committed to conducting extensive research and have built an exhaustive cases database. While HBS has a 13,000+ strong cases repository, Richard Ivey’s Ivey Publishing adds a whopping 250+ cases to its 8000 strong database every year.

So, what sets their teaching methods apart? Unlike in the lecture-based teaching which is faculty-led, in a case study, the entire class participates. Cases are based on real-world business problems faced by real companies. Students are expected to step into the managers’ shoes and use their analytical, decision-making and communication skills to arrive at possible solutions.

Darden Student Anand Rao (2009) blogs that case method should be looked at, “as a three stage process. First ‘prepare’, second ‘participate and engage’ and third ‘reflect’. Case-method will only be effective when one chooses to actively participate in the conversation.”

Class participation is vital to leading a case discussion successfully. At HBS, 50% of a student’s grades for many courses are based on the quality of class participation.  The class size is kept large at 90 students, to make it conducive to discussing cases at an exhaustive length. Additionally, unlike in some other b-schools, students can not waive core classes, even if they have studied the course in undergrad. The advantage is that they benefit the entire class with their perspectives on the case and therefore make the discussion richer and livelier.

At Darden, students are grouped in learning teams of 5-6, based on their diversity. After spending time on cases individually, the learning teams get together to discuss the case for class-discussion. By the time students are in the class, they have individually identified problems, analyzed data and outlined action points and refined their ideas through team discussion. In the classroom, the professor opens the discussion by “cold calling” any one student- asking her/him to lead the discussion for that case. This builds pressure on the students to come prepared to class and gives them a great opportunity to lead a real business like situation.

Diversity of the class incredibly helps in adding depth to the discussion. Most US b-schools have a 30-35% international class-composition, while it is 90% at IE. International students because of their experiences in varied settings, can bring out entirely new perspectives to the case discussion.

In the case method approach, the real learning takes place when students are willing to listen to others’ perspectives and are flexible enough to adapt to others’ points of view.  Compared to the faculty-focused, lecture based study, students become equal contributors in each other’s learning, and the faculty takes on the role of a facilitator in this process.

Detractors of the case method feel that with the focus shifting to student-based learning, there is less learning from professors. However, this does not undermine the professor’s role in ensuring a successful case discussion. They are like directors of a theatrical production and the class, their stage.  Other than planning on the case to discuss a particular concept, the faculty steer the direction of the discussion by asking thought provoking questions and promoting debate, while managing the allotted time for a logical conclusion.   They can also make the class more interactive through role play- students are assigned roles of stakeholders within the case study and are encouraged to think and communicate like them.

Additionally, faculty can ensure added depth by letting students who have the industry/market perspective or have been in a similar situation in a different environment, a chance to speak. At HBS, faculty use class cards – background descriptions of every student- to get them to chip in at crucial moments.

The most engaging  case studies are the ones that are followed by debates much after the class is over – this could also last upto weeks – these are a definite high point for any professor. Therefore, reflection on the case is as important and the insights can prepare students to tackle similar situations in the future.

The case method is an excellent platform to develop skills like dealing with ambiguity, analyzing the same problem with different outlooks, and taking a stand in tough situations. The learning team/ study group model enhances team building and communication skills – all of these skills are required by managers of tomorrow.

For those who have experienced the case method, there could be no other way to learn.