online case study template

online case study template

Effective Online Case Study Development: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Introduction to Online Case Studies

1. Introduction to Online Case Studies

This is a practical guide for researchers, academic developers, educators, librarians, and professional bodies interested in how to integrate online case study analysis and development into their practice. Case study research is a centerpiece of qualitative methodology. It is fundamental to our understanding of society and related fields of practice and a cornerstone of professional education as well. Online case studies are an exciting phenomenon and offer a wide variety of ways to complement and contribute to knowledge as well as to professional practice.

1.1. Why Case Studies?

Case studies are a fundamental way of learning about social phenomena and their applications across many different areas of inquiry. The social world needs to be understood and activities in society need to be controlled, developed, or enhanced (somehow!). Within education, case studies are a pedagogical style that has been used for many years in Medical, Law, and Business Schools. Used in both pre-professional education as well as professional development in communities of practice in the workplace, their objective is for the ‘student’ or learner to examine, analyze, and provide interpretations of what is happening in a ‘live’ situation. In this way, case studies serve to allow insight into the complex real-world factors and constraints that may influence democratic decision-making. Within research, the case study is a method for the development of theory and theory testing and useful when able – to develop an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon rather than to define its frequency relationships.

Research methods have and do utilize all of these functions, especially a move back to the value of a theory for theory building and development. In this sense, case studies play a valuable methodological role in presenting the ‘flaws’ in the theory, thereby making the identification, reflection, and possible amendment of the theory, more in tune with the real world. It could therefore be said that the case study has its most valuable application at the interpretive rather than in the positivist tradition, as the case study situates ‘facts’ within the context that produced them as opposed to seeing ‘facts’ in isolation. This practical guide is structured for use by researchers, research students, and supervisors who wish to disseminate the findings of research through written case studies. It will also help academic and interdisciplinary researchers to develop a second stream of valuable outcomes. The skills and experience of research staff and students in learning case study research can also be converted into a valuable tool for dissemination and exploitation purposes. This book is conceptualized as an integrated teaching and learning resource that provides a foundation in the most fundamental concepts, structure, and means and methods of teaching in the form of case studies as well as the fundamental concepts of case study research and case study development, and the creation of teaching cases online.

2. Designing an Engaging and Informative Case Study

How to develop an effective online case study

Although valuable, many traditional case studies do not cater to online environments. The production of online content has different requirements, mainly because of user attention spans (or their lack), and the embedding of design and interactive elements within the case study. While a case study may not always cover “the basics” of what a study is about, this guide is intended to delve into more detailed discussions about what individual steps, sub-sections, and elements can be included in order to keep your audience invested.

To capture audiences’ attention, an online case study could serve as an (extensively detailed) retelling of a narrative that reveals a hidden, or untold, side of the research process. Whatever structure you choose for an online case study, it is important that it includes signposting to inform the reader of what to expect. This will offer clarity for the structuring of multimedia elements and interactive data representations. Lastly, you may demonstrate the ways users access further information.

In thinking about creating engaging and visually appealing case studies, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, users reading your case study will have a very different experience on a small phone or a large computer monitor – this is known as “responsive design”. Having taken measures to be inclusive of those that need assistive technology to access your case study, making an emphasis on making a case study easy to read and navigate should suit a broad audience. The majority of people are “visually oriented” or “visually biased” learners. Thus, creating an engaging case study should include the principles of what makes engaging storytelling, including multimedia and graphics to prompt emotional responses, evoke curiosity, highlight the “point” of the case study, and facilitate the absorption of dense material.

3. Collecting and Analyzing Data for Case Studies

In online environments, case studies take on many forms, with differing purposes, audiences, engagement activities, and assessment and feedback considerations. Regardless of their purpose, readers of an online case study have high expectations that the data source is reliable, valid, and legitimate. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to ensure these three layers of veracity when designing their investigations. This chapter will explore approaches for collecting and analyzing data for case studies, with a focus on ensuring their trustworthiness, historical and social perspectives.

When considering the relevant data source, particularly for an online case study, it will add a layer of reliability if an attempt is made to connect data from credible sources. Data from a library catalogue, an alumni newsletter, and a university Facebook page are three potential sources. Other reliable databases for collecting demographic data are the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the CHANGE.gov site in the U.S., and Census QuickStats. Despite the wealth of quantitative data, an online case study can be based purely on qualitative data such as comments or messages. The best way to gather data is to employ mixed methods, first collecting quantifiable data and then engaging in qualitative investigations to uncover the context of the numerical data and generate quality raw material. Tailor the qualitative approach to address the quantitative data that was collected.

For example, if a case is being built around demographic research and quantifiable data, semi-structured interviews would be a logical way to gather qualitative data. Crushing data into a particularly shaped mold for the sake of an interview misses the point of a mixed method data set. There are no rules for gathering qualitative data, but one piece of advice is to be patient and gather data for as long as possible so as not to limit your results. In addition, the researcher must work ethically when researching private communications. Newspaper articles frequently have tidbits of potentially personal information or facts about people that are newsworthy, but using them in a single case study or description would be unethical. Newspaper articles on a federal level are often acceptable, particularly in situations that have flown well beneath the radar.

4. Best Practices for Writing and Presenting Online Case Studies

Online case studies are a valuable research tool and can be used to accomplish a range of academic goals. Through online case studies, students have the opportunity to grapple with issues that exist in the “real world” and confront the uncertainties of human experience as evidenced in the case narratives of social workers, mental health professionals, and other case managers. Extensive online clinical training in healthcare has been conducted through virtual patient systems (Serious Games), and the lessons learned through the development and implementation of these types of programs can be applied to the online design of MSW case studies as well.

4.1 Writing a Case Study 4.1.1 The Basics Since online case studies have unique technological design components, discussion of writing case studies adequately begins with guidelines for developing the narrative and does not pretend to include all the details. For an excellent and comprehensive guide to writing case studies, see Sanford’s guide to case writing. Sanford provides a comprehensive discussion of structure, process, and examples. Our discussion takes place on the assumption that you have read these texts and are informed about case study format and outline, and as a result, we do not repeat those tenets. Let us first mention the overall principles of effective case design and the elaboration of these principles for the specific case-study objectives of The Case Research Lab. First and foremost, communicate exactly what you want the students to learn from the case. State the objective goal of the case in a single succinct sentence. Then, create a case narrative that will steer them towards the objective. Second, make the case story as simple and compact as possible. In other words, evaluate all the information you have gathered to see what is most crucial and relevant to the teaching objective. An over-inclusive case history will diffuse the students’ attention and disorient them. Practice pruning unessential details. In addition, present the case historical data clearly and succinctly. We have to have the feeling, right at the start, that we are looking at only what is necessary and we have the appropriate clarity and specificity. Third, use clear and straightforward delivery. These techniques are for writing in the Abstract and for teaching case designers how to write in the Abstract. They are redundant when writing in the General because when one writes in overtly weighty language, their peers don’t socialize with them. Likewise, when a case is written in overly complex language, students don’t learn as effectively as when the language is simple and straightforward. Fourth, be persuasive in the storytelling. Avoid a tone of detachment. Finally, be general in the presentation of new technologies, multimedia, and “web-features” when writing in the Abstract. In the General, specify and illustrate with actual examples of technology use in case stories.

5. Utilizing Technology and Multimedia in Case Study Development

This can also have profound implications for case study applications and implications. Given this, development approaches should encompass more than written narrative. In this section, we go into detail about when and how technology and multimedia should be incorporated into a case study to make them more multi-dimensional and engaging tools for learning. Students are growing up in a multimedia environment, which provides rich resources for those aiming to learn from experiences. The challenge for case developers is to harness that technology in an effective way. Not every case study requires technology investment and multimedia development as an essential feature of the case study. However, the use of technology and multimedia does need to be addressed during negotiation and development planning.

The central issue is whether interactivity, images, audio, visual and motion are all central to the narrative. We will cover three areas: strategic considerations of integration and the level of integration; the types of multimedia that could be used and a derivation of the interface benefits that multimedia provide; the issues that surround using multimedia. Interactive or immersive multimedia materials should only be developed when the strategic use of the media has been decided upon and accommodated in the teaching process. Multimedia should only be developed when it is an essential part of the telling of the case study narrative. Think of multimedia as adding another layer to the case. All decisions, including the interface experience and the story portrayed, should be based on the teaching approach and learning objectives. Choose the media best suited to this end position, from sophisticated full immersion scenes to simple visual images. Address technical compatibility concerns after deciding essential design equivalence. Ensure interface and narrative equity are present at all stages. Finally, teach participants how to work with the media by giving background understanding.