Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course Guide 2023

CASE METHOD

Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course

SUBJECT OUTLINE Have you ever worked with a group of people trying to solve a problem? There are different opinions, different considerations, and each person’s perspective provides a different angle on the problem. Ultimately, you must decide a course of action. There’s no right answer, but you have to confront the complexities of the choice you make. What if that room was filled with people from diverse countries, and backgrounds? All trying to analyse a problem and make a decision? Every day? Case Method is an educational method made famous by Harvard Law School and is now filtering into senior school classrooms. Case method puts you in the role of a protagonist in a real-life event (case), which will be discussed during the class The main character of a case is always faced with decision-making, so you have to think about what is best in a given situation, then discuss the course of action during a small-group discussion and a large class discussion. Naturally, it is difficult to speak out if you haven't prepared for the class beforehand. However, if you read the case properly and prepare for it, all you have to do during class is to speak. We don't conduct discussion only to gain some knowledge on the subject, the aim of this method is to broaden the world view and perspectives by pursuing participant-centered learning such as independent discussions between students or role play. A typical case study class will proceed as follows: 1. Preparation What is a Case? • An open-ended factual story, situation or experiment approach based on a current subject area • It depicts real-life experiences, challenges, and issues • It could be long or short, simple, or complex • Students must conceive of possible approaches and solutions to the problem 2. Group Discussion 3. Class Discussion

AIMS

The aims of teaching Case Method is to: • Promote active learning • Build capacity for critical thinking, developing questions skills for discussion and debates • Develop a framework for making decisions • Develop skills that promote the exchange and flow of ideas in a group; trust, respect and risk-taking • Promote contextual learning and long-term retention • Develop skills of collaboration and communication • Develop global understanding through real life issues • Appreciate perspective and values in decision making • Promote interdisciplinary thinking Why teach using cases? Case discussions bring energy to the classroom and students are able to engage in the case rather than watch or read about how it is done by others. Cases allow students to work on complex real world problems. This forces students to ignore irrelevant material and to focus on finding and using evidence to come up with a compelling solution. Cases often have many parts and reflect many points of view, require analyses that involve several steps and involve a variety of intellectual tasks. Case discussions help students learn effective listening and response skills, push them to present clear and reasoned arguments and enhance public speaking skills. PATHWAYS

Case method is a component of our tertiary engagement strategy for our IB students.

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