Case technology in education. Case technologies in preschool education. Case – technology in the educational process
CASE STUDY technology
2. The purpose of technology is to help each student determine his own unique path to mastering the knowledge that he most needs. Student's outlet for self-education. Creation of social and pedagogical conditions for the formation of a culture of working with one’s own future.
1. The case method appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and became widely known, primarily thanks to the Harvard Business School and the School of Government at Harvard University.
The method of specific situations is based on simulation: the use of this method in teaching is preceded by the development of a specific example or the use of ready-made materials describing a real situation. This can be a statement of any events, a description of some conflict or problem, emotional and behavioral aspects of interaction - a process corresponding to the content of training is modeled in real conditions.
5. The teacher’s key questions when analyzing the situation: “What did you do?”, “What aspects of the action do you consider correct?”, “What could have been done better?”, “How can you solve this problem?”
These questions help the student develop the ability to look at the world in a new way: at a specific job, organization, own activities and views. It is future-oriented, aimed at re-evaluating its activities, developing new approaches: “What could we do?”, “What is the problem?”, “What are possible ways to approach the problem?”, “What can happen and what can happen?” bring if...?"
When working technologically with a specific situation, the student is “immersed” in certain circumstances, his own understanding of the situation, assessment of the situation, determination of the problem and its essence. Then the student determines his role in solving the problem and develops an appropriate line of behavior. During summing up, the participant in the situational analysis must correct his views, correlate them with group views and develop plans for the future.
A case represents a real life situation, the description of which reflects some practical problem. Ideally, a problem should not have a clear solution. In other words, the case must have some kind of intrigue to maintain interest in the situation. In addition, the time frame of the situation must be clearly outlined and all information for analyzing the case must be given. An important condition is the presence in the case of an “actor” responsible for making a decision
The method is a specific type of research technology, i.e. combines the operations of the research process and analytical procedures. The case acts as a collective learning technology that integrates developmental learning technologies, including procedures for individual, group and collective development, and the formation of certain personal qualities of students.
In methodological terms, the case method can be represented as a complex system into which other, simpler methods of cognition are integrated. It includes modeling, system analysis, problem method, thought experiment, methods of description, classification, game methods that play their roles in the case.
The case must meet the following conditions:
the presence of a really existing group of people, an organization on the basis of which the situation was developed;
a certain chronology of events, time frames,
presence of a real problem, conflict,
the situation should be presented in an “event” style, where not only events are reflected, but also characters, their actions, actions;
the action unfolding in the case must contain intrigue.
Organization of training based on the method of specific situations.
1. Preparatory stage (before the start of classes).
The purpose of the stage: to specify goals and develop a specific situation and course of the lesson.
2. Introductory stage (during class)
The purpose of the stage: involvement in the analysis of the real situation, selection of the optimal form of presenting the material for familiarization.
3. Analytical stage (beginning of case discussion).
The purpose of the stage: analyze the case in a group and develop a solution.
4. Final stage (presentation of group solutions).
Purpose: to present and justify the group’s decision/conclusions regarding the case.
During the discussion of the case, the teacher usually tries to refrain from answering questions. Instead, he asks the audience questions and lets the students answer them themselves. In the process of discussion, a discussion ensues, and the truth is born in the dispute. Case study technology places the main emphasis on independent thinking, the ability to convey one’s thoughts to an audience and constructively respond to criticism from one’s opponents.
Organization of work with the case
There are a lot of options, this is an opportunity for the creativity of the teacher himself. We offer the most generalized lesson model according to which work can be organized.
Stages of organizing a lesson:
Stage of immersion in joint activities 1.
The main task of this stage: formation of motivation for joint activities, manifestation of initiatives of discussion participants. At this stage, the following work options are possible:
The text of the CS can be distributed to students before class for independent study and preparation of answers to questions. At the beginning of the lesson, students' knowledge of the CS material and interest in the discussion are demonstrated. The main problem underlying the CS is highlighted, and it is correlated with the corresponding section of the course.
Stage of organizing joint activities. The main task of this stage– organization of activities to solve the problem. Activities can be organized in small groups or individually. Students are divided into temporary small groups to collectively prepare answers to questions within a time determined by the teacher. In each small group (regardless of other groups), individual answers are compared, finalized, and a unified position is developed, which is drawn up for presentation. Each group selects or appoints a “speaker” who will present the solution. If the case is correctly composed, then the decisions of the groups should not coincide. Speakers present the group's decision and answer questions (speeches must contain an analysis of the situation using appropriate methods from the theoretical course; both the content of the solution and the presentation technique and the effectiveness of the use of technical means are assessed). The teacher organizes and guides the general discussion.
The stage of analysis and reflection of joint activities. The main task of this stage– demonstrate the educational and training results of working with the case. In addition, at this stage, the effectiveness of organizing the lesson is analyzed, problems in organizing joint activities are identified, and tasks for further work are set. The teacher’s actions can be as follows: The teacher ends the discussion, analyzing the process of discussing the CS and the work of all groups, tells and comments on the actual development of events, and sums up the results.
Results of working with the case
The case study method has very broad educational opportunities. The variety of results possible when using the method can be divided into two groups - educational results– as results associated with the acquisition of knowledge and skills, and about educational results– as the results generated by the participants of the interaction themselves, the realized personal learning goals.
How to choose a case?
Matching a course to a particular location in a course module is a process that has been carefully reviewed by various authors. For example, professors at Harvard Business School observed students in search of an answer to the question: “What are the characteristics of a successful case?” Their findings may be of interest as a list of criteria for selecting material from cases. A good case tells . Like all good stories, a good case should have a good plot. This brings us to our next find. A good case focuses on a topic of interest. . For a case to be a real, living example and for the student to forget that it is made up, there must be drama in it, there must be tension in it, the case must be resolved somehow. A good case does not extend beyond the last five years. Perhaps students will perceive the case as news rather than as a historical event. If the reasoning is correct, and to the extent that it is correct, modern cases are preferable. A well-chosen case can create a feeling of empathy with its main characters. It is important that the case describes the personal situation of the central characters; in many cases this is an important element in the decision-making process. Cases should evoke empathy in a variety of real-life situations. A good case study includes quotes from sources within the company itself. Quotations from company materials (spoken or written, formal or informal) add realism and allow the student to interpret such quotations in light of what he knows about the people from whom the statements come. A good case contains problems that the student can understand . This develops a tendency towards empathy (participation, sympathy, empathy). A good case requires an appreciation of the decisions already made. Since in real life decisions are made based on precedents, previous actions, etc., it is advisable for the case to represent rational aspects of previous decisions on which new decisions can be built. A good case requires solving management problems. Responses to this and the previous item reflected a preference for cases that require decisions to be made rather than those cases that require evaluating decisions that have already been made by others. A good case instills management skills. Some cases document the process of business management, thereby providing a model that the student can take as a model for real life. So, completely separate from subsequent learning through the resolution of the case, the case itself teaches the art of management - how to model a problem in the structure of a decision tree. A case that comprehensively illustrates the task of management is a good tool for developing management skills.
Stages of case development
Determining the place of the case in the system of educational goals
Search for an institutional system that will be directly related to the topic of the case
Construction or selection of a situation model
Creating a description
Collecting additional information
Preparation of the final text
Presentation of the case, organization of discussion
Case structure
Despite the variety of types of cases, they all have a standard structure.
Typically, a case includes:
Situation – case, problem, real life story
The context of the situation is chronological, historical, context of place, features of the action or participants in the situation.
CASE – METHOD
as an educational technology
Ibragimova Natalya Vladimirovna,
Primary school teacher MBOU Secondary School No. 1
s/p "Village Troitskoe"
The well-known and heatedly discussed proposal for teachers to “go into business” on the Internet, if not taken too literally, makes it possible to discover technologies that will enrich the teacher’s tools in shaping students’ meta-subject results. One such technology in business communication is"case" - technology.
Historical reference
For the first time, working with cases as part of the educational process was implemented at Harvard Business School in 1908.
In Russia, this technology began to be introduced only in the last 3-4 years.
This is a method of active problem-situational analysis, based on learning by solving specific problem-situations (cases).
Its main purpose is to develop the ability to find a solution to a problem and learn to work with information.At the same time, the emphasis is not on obtaining ready-made knowledge, but on its development, onco-creation teacher and student!The essence of “case” technology is the creation and assembly of specially developed educational and methodological materials into a special set (case) and their transfer (forwarding) to students
Today we will talk in detail about the case and its practical application. And we will get acquainted with the methods of case technology.
Each case is a complete set of educational and methodological materials developed on the basis of production situations that develop students’ skills in independently constructing algorithms for solving production problems. The results of completed projects must be, as they say, “tangible”, i.e., if it is a theoretical problem, then a specific solution to it, if it is a practical problem, then a specific result, ready for use (in the classroom, at school, in real life). If we talk about this method as a pedagogical technology, then this technology involves a set of research, search, problem methods, creative in their very essence.
Case - technologies are classified as interactive teaching methods; they allow all students, including the teacher, to interact.
Case-technologies methods are quite diverse. It will take a lot of time to understand them in detail. Today I want to focus on using case technology in primary school
The potential of the case method
Helps develop skills:
Analyze situations.
Evaluate alternatives.
Choose the best solution.
Make a plan for implementing decisions.
And as a result - a stable skill in solving practical problems
High efficiency of the case method
1) development of information structuring skills;
2) mastering technologies for developing management decisions of various types (strategic, tactical);
3) updating and critical evaluation of accumulated experience in decision-making practice;
4) effective communication in the process of collective search and justification of a decision;
5) destruction of stereotypes and cliches in organizing the search for the right solution;
6) stimulating innovation through knowledge synergy - development of systemic, conceptual knowledge;
7) increasing motivation to expand the base of theoretical knowledge to solve applied problems.
Opportunities of case technology in the educational process:
1) increasing students’ learning motivation;
2) development of intellectual skills in students, which will be in demand during further education and in professional activities
Using case technology has a number of advantages:
Students develop the ability to listen and understand other people, and work in a team.
In life, children will need the ability to think logically, formulate a question, justify an answer, draw their own conclusions, and defend their opinion.
The advantage of case technologies is their flexibility and variability, which contributes to the development of creativity
Case-technologies methods are quite diverse. Today I want to stop
When using case technology in elementary school
in children occurs:
Development of analytical and critical thinking skills
Connecting theory and practice
Presentation of examples of decisions made
Showcasing different positions and points of view
Formation of skills for evaluating alternative options under conditions of uncertainty
Case content requirements
1. A specific situation that occurs in real life is considered (main cases, facts).
2. Information may not be presented completely, i.e. be of an orienting nature.
3. It is possible to supplement the case with data that may occur in reality.
Results possible when using the Case Method:
Educational
1. Assimilation of new information
2.Mastering the data collection method
3.Mastering the analysis method
4. Ability to work with text
5. Correlation of theoretical and practical knowledge
Educational
2. Education and achieving personal goals
3. Improving communication skills
4. Gaining experience in making decisions, acting in a new situation, and solving problems
Teacher’s actions in case technology:
1) creating a case or using an existing one;
2) distribution of students into small groups (4-6 people);
3) familiarizing students with the situation, the system for evaluating solutions to the problem, deadlines for completing tasks, organizing students’ work in small groups, identifying speakers;
4) organizing the presentation of solutions in small groups;
5) organization of general discussion;
6) a generalizing speech by the teacher, his analysis of the situation;
7) assessment of students by the teacher.
Student's work with a case
Stage 1 - familiarity with the situation and its features;
Stage 2 - identifying the main problem(s),
Stage 3 - proposing concepts or topics for brainstorming;
Stage 4 - analysis of the consequences of making a particular decision;
Stage 5 - solving a case - proposing one or more options for a sequence of actions.
Using cases.
The case allows the teacher to use it at any stage of teaching and for various purposes.
Case – the method can be used
and as exams or tests:
Before the test, the student can receive a case assignment at home; he must analyze it and bring the examiner a report with answers to the questions posed. You can offer a case directly during the test, but then it should be short and simple enough to fit within the allotted time.
Creating a case
First you need to answer three questions:
For whom and what is the case written?
What should children learn?
What lessons will they learn from this?
After this, the case creation process will look like this:
The purpose of training
Structuring educational material
Selection of organizational forms, methods and means of training
Types of cases
Practical cases
Real life situations , reflected in detail and in detail. At the same time, their educational purpose can be reduced to training students, consolidating knowledge, skills and behavior skills (decision making) in a given situation. Cases should be as clear and detailed as possible.
Educational cases
Reflecttypical situations which are most common in life. The situation, problem and plot here are not real, but as they arecan be in life, do not reflect life “one to one”
Research cases
They are performingmodels for obtaining new knowledge about the situation and behavior in it. The teaching function is reduced to research procedures.
Types of cases according to the way the material is presented A case is a single information complex.
Typically, a case consists of three parts: supporting information needed to analyze the case; description of a specific situation; assignments for the case.
Printed case (may contain graphs, tables, diagrams, illustrations, which makes it more visual).
Multimedia case (the most popular recently, but depends on the technical equipment of the school).
Video case (may contain film, audio and video materials. Its disadvantage is the limited possibility of repeated viewing ® distortion of information and errors).
Sources of case formation
Local material
Most of the cases can be based on local material. Students feel more confident if they know well the environment and context in which the events described in the cases take place; it is much more difficult for them to discuss, for example, the American environment, the behavior and motives of Americans.
Statistical materials
They can play the role of direct
tool for diagnosing the situation, in
as material for calculation
indicators that are most
essential for understanding the situation.
Materials can be placed either in
in the case text itself or in the appendix.
Scientific articles, monographs.
Scientific publications perform two functions:
1) act as components of the case,
2) are included in the list of literature necessary to understand the case.
Internet resources
Approximate case structure
1. Situation - case, problem, story from real life
2. Context of the situation - chronological, historical, context of place, features of the action or participants in the situation.
3. Commentary on the situation provided by the author
4.Questions or tasks for working with the case
5.Applications
What are the characteristics of a “good case”?
1. A good case tells the story.
2. A good case focuses on a topic of interest.
3. A good case does not extend beyond the last five years.
4. A well-chosen case can evoke a feeling of empathy for the characters in the case.
5.A good case study includes quotes from sources.
6. A good case contains problems that the student can understand.
7. A good case requires an assessment of decisions already made.
Organization of work with the case
1 . Introductory stage – involving students in analyzing the situation, choosing the optimal form of presenting material for familiarization.
2.Analytical stage – discussion of the situation in groups or individual study of the problem by students and preparation of solution options.
3.Final stage – presentation and justification of the case solution option.
What does using case technology provide?
To the teacher
Access to a database of modern educational materials
Organization of a flexible educational process
Reducing time spent preparing for lessons
Continuous professional development
Possibility of implementing some elements of the educational process outside of class hours
To the student
Working with additional materials
Constant access to the consultation database
Opportunity to prepare for certification yourself
Communication with other students in the group
Mastering modern information technologies
Case methods - technologies
Incident method
Method for parsing business correspondence
Game Design
Situational role-playing game
Discussion method
Case stages
Incident method
The focus is on the process of obtaining information.
Purpose of the method - search for information by the student himself, and - as a result - training him to work with the necessary information, its collection, systematization and analysis.
Trainees do not receive the case in full. The message can be written or oral, like: “It happened...” or “It happened...”.
Although this form of work is time-consuming, it can be seen as particularly close to practice, where obtaining information is an essential part of the entire decision-making process.
Method for analyzing business correspondence (“basket method”)
The method is based on working with documents and papers related to a particular organization, situation, problem.
Students receive from the teacher folders with the same set of documents, depending on the topic and subject.
Student goal - take the position of a person responsible for working with “incoming documents” and cope with all the tasks that it implies.
Examples of using the method include cases in economics, law, social studies, and history, where analysis of a large number of primary sources and documents is required.
Game Design
Target - the process of creating or improving projects.
Class participants can be divided into groups, each of which will develop their own project.
Game design can include projects of different types: research, search, creative, analytical, predictive.
The process of constructing a perspective carries within itself all the elements of a creative attitude towards reality, allows us to better understand the phenomena of today, and see the paths of development.
Situational role-playing game
Target - in the form of a dramatization, create in front of the audience a true historical, legal, socio-psychological situation and then provide an opportunity to evaluate the actions and behavior of the participants in the game.
One of the varieties of the staging method is role-playing.
Discussion method
Discussion - exchange of views on any issue in accordance with more or less defined rules of procedure.
Intensive learning technologies include group and intergroup discussions.
Case – stages
This method is distinguished by a large volume of material, since in addition to the description of the case, the entire amount of information that students can use is provided.
The main emphasis of case work is on problem analysis and synthesis and decision making.
Purpose of the case study method – through the joint efforts of a group of students, analyze the presented situation, develop variants of problems, find their practical solution, and end by evaluating the proposed algorithms and choosing the best one.
10 basic rules for case analysis
Read the case twice: once to get a general idea and a second time to get a good grasp of the facts.In addition, tables and graphs must be carefully analyzed.
Make a list of problems that you will have to deal with.
If numerical data is offered, an attempt should be made to evaluate and explain it.
Recognizing problems to which existing knowledge can be applied.
Drawing up a thorough analysis of the existing situation.
Support proposals for solving a problem through sound argumentation.
Drawing up diagrams, tables, graphs that provide the basis for your own “solution”.
Drawing up a list of priorities for your own proposals, taking into account that in reality there will be rather meager resources
Monitoring your own action plan to check whether all areas of the problem have actually been developed.
Do not propose solutions that are doomed to failure and thus may have disastrous consequences.
And in conclusion, I would like to advise my colleagues not to be afraid to use the case method in elementary school, since it is aimed not so much at mastering specific knowledge or skills, but at developing the general intellectual and communicative potential of students. And this is precisely what the Federal State Educational Standard for Primary Education calls us to do.
Case technologies in elementary school
L.V. Porshneva, primary school teacher,
Cherevkovskaya Secondary School
There are different names for case technology. In foreign publications you can find the namessituation study method, business story methodand finally justcase method. Russian publications most often talk about the method of analyzing specific situations (CAS), business situations, the case method, and situational tasks.
Case technology emerged as a way to analyze specific situations at the beginning of the 20th century. at Harvard Business School (USA). The name comes from the Latin term "casus" - a confusing or unusual case.
The main feature of the method is the study of precedents, i.e. past situations from business practice. At first it was used in teaching students of legal and financial specialties. Gradually, case technology began to be used in school (first at the middle level, and then at the elementary level).
Case technology ismethod of active problem-situational analysis of specific task-situations (cases). It is aimed at developing the ability to develop problems and find solutions, and learn to work with information. At the same time, the emphasis is not on obtaining ready-made knowledge, but on its development, co-creation between teacher and student.
When teaching using case technology, specific answers are not given; you need to find them yourself. This allows students, based on their own experience, to formulate conclusions, apply acquired knowledge in practice, and offer their own (or group) view of the problem.
A case is a single information complex. Typically, it consists of three parts: supporting information needed to analyze the case; description of a specific situation; assignments for the case.
There are different types of cases.
Printed case (may contain graphs, tables, diagrams, illustrations, which makes it more visual).
Multimedia case (the most popular recently, but depends on the technical equipment of the school).
Video case (may contain a film, audio and video materials).
In the case, the problem is presented in an implicit, hidden form, and, as a rule, it does not have a clear answer. In some cases, students need not only to find a solution to the problem, but also to formulate the problem, since it is not presented explicitly.
When creating a case, you need to answer three questions:
For whom and what is the case written?
What should children learn?
What lessons will they learn from this?
After this, the case creation process will look like this:
Structuring educational material
The purpose of training
Selection of organizational forms, methods and means of training
Case technology uses the following methods: incident method, business correspondence analysis method, game design, situational role-playing game, discussion method and case study.
In the centerincident methodthe process of obtaining information is underway.
The purpose of the method is the student’s search for information, and (as a result) training him to work with the necessary information, its collection, systematization and analysis. Trainees do not receive the case in full. The message can be written or oral, like: “It happened...” or “It happened...”.
Although this method of working is time-consuming, it can be seen as particularly close to practice, where obtaining information forms an essential part of the entire decision-making process.
Methodanalysis of business correspondencebased on working with documents and papers related to a particular organization, situation, problem.
Students receive from the teacher folders with the same set of documents (depending on the topic and subject). The student's goal is to take the position of a person responsible for working with incoming documents and cope with all the tasks that it implies.
Examples of using the method include cases in economics, law, social science, history, where it is necessary to analyze a large number of primary sources and documents.
Targetgame design- create or improve a project. (Russian language lesson. We created the “Winter Page” project. The children really enjoyed creating things themselves rather than having to execute what they had planned.)Class participants can be divided into groups, each of which develops its own project. Such work carries elements of a creative attitude towards reality, allows us to better understand the phenomena of today, and see the ways of its development. It is important that projects can be of different types: research, search, creative, analytical, predictive.
Situational role-playing gameallows you to create in front of an audience(in the form of dramatization) a true historical, legal, socio-psychological situation and then give students the opportunity to evaluate the actions and behavior of the participants in the game. One of the varieties of the staging method is role-playing.
Discussion methodconsists of exchanging opinions on any issue in accordance with more or less defined rules.
Purpose of the methodcase study- through the joint efforts of a group of students, analyze the presented situation, develop options for solving problems, evaluate them and choose the best one. This method is characterized by a large volume of material, since in addition to the description of the case, the entire amount of information that students can use is provided. The main emphasis when considering a situation is on analysis and synthesis of the problem and on decision making.
Let us list the features of the case study method:mandatory research stage of the process; collective learning or group work; integration of individual, group and collaborative learning; use of project activities; motivating students to achieve success.
Using case studiesallows you to acquire new knowledge and practical work skills; helps to gain knowledge in those disciplineswhere there is no unambiguous answer to the question posed, but there are several answers that can compete in the degree of truth (for example, in a literary reading lesson when analyzing the story by V.A. Belov “The fry was guilty” or in a lesson on the world around us during a conversation on the topic “ Fire - friend or foe"). This method is fundamentally different from traditional ones: the student has equal rights with other students and the teacher in the process of discussing the problem and searching for the truth. When working with it, the classic learning defect associated with the “dryness”, lack of emotionality in the presentation of the material is overcome: there are so many emotions, creative competition and even struggle in this method that a well-organized discussion of a case can resemble a theatrical performance.
Working with the case proceeds through the following stages.
Stage 1. 3familiarity with the situation and its features.
StageII. Identification of the main problem (problems) and personalities that can really influence the situation.
StageIII. Suggesting concepts or topics for brainstorming.
StageIV. Analysis of the consequences of making a particular decision.
StageV. Case solution is a proposal of one or more options for a sequence of actions, an indication of important problems, mechanisms for their prevention and solutions.
During the implementation of case technology, the teacher creates a case or uses existing ones; distributesstudents in small groups (4-6 people); introduces them to the situation, the system for evaluating solutions to the problem, the deadlines for completing tasks; organizes work in groups, determines speakers; conducts a general discussion; evaluates students' activities.
There are 3 possible strategies for the behavior of the teacher (teacher) during work with the case:
the teacher provides clues in the form of additional questions or information;
under certain conditions, the teacher himself answers the questions posed;
The teacher waits silently while the students work on the problem.
Any teacher who wants to introduce case technology into his practice will be able to do this by studying special literature, undergoing training and having teaching situations on hand. However, the choice to use interactive learning technologies should not become an end in itself: case technology should be implemented taking into account educational goals and objectives, class characteristics, interests and needs of students, the level of teacher competence and many other factors.
References
Voronina Yu.V. Modern lesson of the surrounding world in primary school: a methodological manual. Orenburg, 2011.
Derkach A.M. Case method in teaching // Specialist. 2010. No. 4.
Zagashev I.O. and others. Critical thinking: technology of development.
St. Petersburg, 2003.
4. Prutchenkov A.S. Case study technology in the education of schoolchildren // School technologies. 2009. No. 1.
The use of innovative teaching technologies, which began at the turn of the 2000s in universities, gradually reached secondary schools. The factors pushing teachers to use new, more effective teaching technologies are both the reform of secondary education in Russia, which has been going on for almost 10 years, and the need to optimize the process of presenting knowledge “from the inside.” The experience of using case technologies has shown that they are one of the most effective tools not only for the transfer, but also for the active assimilation of new knowledge, and their use is relevant not only in high school, but also in secondary school.
A new method with a long history
The use of case technologies began in the distant 1920s by scientists at Harvard Business School. At that time, this was due to the need of law students and economists to develop and analyze practical material, and one that makes you think and turn on logic. The name of the technology itself comes from the Latin term “casus”, which refers to a non-standard, intractable situation. Back in the 50s of the last century in the West, this method was recognized as one of the most effective methods of business coaching, and the task was set to adapt it to other areas of scientific knowledge.
However, when using cases in school teaching, we immediately encountered the problem of “collective thinking”, when even in solving non-standard problems, schoolchildren followed the “leader”, imitated his line of thought, but were unable to develop their own. A solution was found in increasing the number of cases offered to classmates: now each student was poring over his own task, and “copying” from the “leader” became counterproductive.
Coming to Russia
The technology of case teaching came to the secondary education system of the Russian Federation in the late 1990s. Today it is actively being introduced into secondary education, and even attempts are being made to offer cases to younger schoolchildren (though not always successful).
Awareness of the relevance of turning to cases came with the understanding that mindless repetition after the teacher, mechanical retelling of the text, “linear” answers to the teacher’s questions are not only an educational “dead end”, but also a serious methodological problem, the failure to solve which led to a decrease in the educational level generally.
At the same time, the socio-economic, political and spiritual situation in the country at the turn of the century required the younger generation to actively learn lessons and actualized the need to think outside the box and independently. This actualization became a good breeding ground for the active cultivation of case learning.
Structure of a typical school case
Today, about ¾ of the cases used in school teaching practice in Russia combine the following elements:
- Role-playing game. For example, the following task is possible: “imagine that you are in the “Gallery of Faces” by F.M. Dostoevsky. What kind of face would you like to be in it? What would you answer to the other “exhibits” of the Gallery to the question: “What is the meaning of life?”
- Project method. For example, “make a photo collage with your team on the theme “Gallery of Faces” by F.M. Dostoevsky." Label each “exhibit” in the gallery.
- Situational analysis. For example, “Imagine yourself as Alyosha Karamazov. Rodion Raskolnikov invited you to tea. Where would you start the dialogue?
There are often cases when cases contain only one problem and name three or four approaches to it. The student needs to choose one and defend it with arguments. It is absolutely not necessary that the case describes only one situation-difficulty: unlike traditional educational tasks, they have a multivariate solution and a huge number of equivalent ways to solve the problem.
The central place in the structure of the case is occupied by the analytical interpretation of the described real situation, which not only reveals practical problems, but also actualizes the complex of special knowledge (possessions, skills, abilities, etc.), which must be used to successfully solve a specific problem.
Putting it into practice means increasing interest
One of the most important goals of case learning is to develop in students the ability to freely navigate the realities of the surrounding reality and apply the acquired knowledge in practical activities. To do this, the teacher must first increase cognitive interest in the subject, and this, ideally, will lead to an increase in social activity, and to the ability to listen to oneself and others, and to the need, in the words of an innovative teacher, to “enjoy the world.”
Experience has shown that when using case teaching methods, children from primary school develop a problematic vision of the situation, the ability to defend their point of view and offer alternative solutions to the problem. Accordingly, the teacher needs to be shown how to correctly analyze information, select it to perform a specific task, set goals and achieve them.
Should a teacher develop teamwork skills or act individually? The teacher will find the answer to this question... in the children with whom he will work. If they are quite communicative, know how to present their opinion in a small team of classmates, are inclined to, and finally, are well motivated for results, they should try to work in a team. True, you need to be prepared for the fact that such work will take more time (at least 20-25 minutes from the lesson) than individual assignments.
An important nuance of case assignments is the fact that a set of facts, a chain of events, are open for analysis in connection with a specific situation at a specific point in time. The teacher should help schoolchildren engage in playful interaction in order to “immerse” themselves in the event and, based on the results of such immersion, make some kind of logical and rational decision. It is achieved in most cases in collective interaction on the “testing ground of ideas”, which is work in the classroom.
Basic methods of case technologies
There are six methods of working with cases for secondary school:
· Case incident - an out-of-the-ordinary event has occurred, and a solution needs to be found to mitigate its consequences.
- Situational role-playing games, for example, the game “Trial by Jury,” when one half of the class “acquits” Mozart, and the other half “acquits” Salieri. As an explanation for this method, I would like to note that in order for the “defenders” not to sympathize with the one they are protecting, in this case greater efficiency is achieved.
- Situational analysis - in the case of using this method, it would be advisable to offer groups of schoolchildren from the same class the same situation, but at different historical moments (for example, the struggle of the peasantry for freedom in the 1770s, 1861 and 1905).
- Parsing business letters.
- Game design method. Its main goal is to independently simulate situations for case tasks during the gameplay. The greatest effectiveness from using this method can be obtained by offering it to students in grades 10-11.
- Discussion method - used when the class is sufficiently prepared to defend their point of view in a reasoned manner. Experience shows that this method can be put into work approximately 3-4 months after starting to work with cases.
When starting to work with cases for the first time, a teacher is always afraid of the unknown: how will the class perceive this innovation? Will there be a backlash? Will children learn worse? It is quite difficult to answer these questions, but the teacher should try: in most cases, the class response will exceed all expectations!
How much time should you spend working with cases and how often should you use them? Experience shows that from 10 minutes at the beginning of working with this technology, at the stage of the class getting used to it, to 25-30 minutes, when schoolchildren have already gotten used to it and positively perceive this type of work. It is advisable to work with cases every lesson (at least), and in subjects such as history and social studies, every lesson is acceptable.
Separately, it is worth mentioning about assigning cases at home. Since this is still a team work, such homework should be “long-term”, that is, set 2-3 weeks before the report on it. Of course, you shouldn’t be too frequent with cases: one such task per month will be quite enough.
Remember that case technologies are designed, first of all, to form new qualities and skills, and only then to consolidate knowledge; they are associated with interactivity, and therefore, when working with cases, do not try to evaluate factual knowledge too strictly. It is much more difficult to mark interesting logic of reasoning and non-standard thinking, but for the sake of the development of your students it is worth trying.
Particular attention should be paid to developing in students the ability to access texture and theoretical material. To do this, each student must, of course, have a certain “base,” which the teacher should try to form before starting to work with this technique.
Should technology be used in primary school?
This issue has been on the agenda for a long time, since if in secondary schools case technologies have proven their effectiveness, then in primary schools, firstly, the very compilation of tasks causes a number of difficulties for teachers, and secondly, the compiled cases cause difficulties in perception for children.
Thus, reading lessons are the most difficult to implement case technology, because it is in them that the text leads children to one idea or another. If the teacher sees that the class is strong enough, you can try to gradually introduce case teaching technology for schoolchildren in grades 1-4. You need to start with tasks of the first degree of complexity, implying the presence of a practical situation and solution. Children must understand whether a solution is suitable for a particular situation or not.
The second degree of complexity involves the need to find a solution for the existing situation. For example, you can compare the writer’s point of view, expressed in his work, with his real views on life, and try to discover similarities and differences based on the data of his biography.
There is a reason to use the third degree of difficulty no earlier than in grades 3-4. For the proposed situation, schoolchildren must formulate the problem themselves and outline ways to solve it.
Basic rules for solving cases
Before working with cases in the classroom, it is recommended that the teacher explain to schoolchildren that in order to succeed in this work, they first need to read the material on their own and familiarize themselves with additional literature. It should be emphasized that there is simply no single correct answer for this form of work; there can be many solutions to one case, and all of them can and should be put forward, discussed and argued.
You should start solving a case by identifying the problem, the key point of a specific task. If a case is being solved as part of a team of 5-7 people (this is the optimal number of students to work on the technology in question), it is most advisable to allocate 20 minutes of lesson time to solve it, and in the final 5 minutes the answer should be formulated and written down.
The best subjects for introducing case learning technologies are literature and history. Case studies used in these lessons will most often include tasks:
- Definitions of problems and prospects for relationships between persons living in the same historical era or the main characters of a work
- Analyzing or drawing up the route of a hero or the temporal development of a historical event
- Filling out event chronology tables.
There is still no unambiguous approach to the question of which cases to use - compiled by yourself or borrowed. If in higher education in the Russian Federation, translated Western cases were initially welcomed and actively used, then in schools, since the early 2000s, independently developed or adapted to the school level of education tasks have been introduced, which are more consistent with the learning goals of Russian schoolchildren.
Size matters!
When involving schoolchildren in working with cases, it is important to orient them to the fact that tasks can be completely different in volume: from situations, the description of which takes 1-2 pages of text to the so-called. “full cases”, the volume of which often reaches 20 pages!
Of course, in order to prepare students for a new type of activity, without “intimidating” them, the teacher should first offer to try their hand at mini-cases of 2-4 thousand characters of text. Such relatively short material can be covered in class as a supplement or illustration to the theoretical material covered in class. Such a case is often supplied with questions, the answer to which must be prepared in 5-10 minutes. An example of such a case is that in a history lesson, students in grades 10-11 may be given a handout with an abbreviated text of Igor Talkov’s song “Stop, I’m thinking to myself!” Students must answer the question of which historical figures are mentioned in the following passages:
“That’s all, the cult of the tyrant leader has been debunked!” (Stalin)
“And then the corn genius grabbed the helm” (Khrushchev)
“...He waved and soon passed the baton
To the five-time Hero..." (Brezhnev)
The main task of the teacher in this case is not to tell students the correct answer directly, but to give them the opportunity to remember forgotten facts, through which it is possible to reach the correct solution!
Gradually, a lesson or two after starting to solve mini-cases, it is worth moving on to compressed cases of up to 6 pages, the whole class, divided into groups of 5-8 people each, works on solving them during the lesson. An example of a medium-sized case that can be successfully used in a literature lesson in grades 10-11 could be this: “Mikhail Bulgakov said that he wanted to be like the two heroes of his main novel. (The following is a short “suggestive” description of the novel) Task 1. Determine what kind of heroes these are? Task 2. Explain your position. Task 3. Why do you think that this novel is the main one for the writer?”
Let me explain that we are talking about one of Bulgakov’s later articles, where he wrote that he always wanted to be in the Master’s place and fall in love with Margarita. That is, there is a solution to this case, and it is unambiguous. However, the teacher must listen to the points of view of representatives of all teams, and even if an incorrect solution to the case is proposed (not the one that Mikhail Afanasyevich “gave”), but a logical explanation is given, reward the team members for the logic of reasoning.
Finally, it is advisable to work with full cases (up to 30 pages of text) only with students in grades 8-9 and older, assigning this work home and spending about a week to complete it. The result of this kind of “correspondence-team” work of schoolchildren should be an informative presentation with a detailed, 15-20-minute presentation on it in class. The case here can be an excerpt of text or an entire article from which problematic issues need to be isolated. So, for a literature lesson in the 10th grade, you can present as a case a letter from Raskolnikov to Sonechka Marmeladova, and as an assignment for the case, you can present a description of the moral character of a person who committed a murder, but has taken the path of spiritual rebirth.
Use a variety of case forms
A teacher who has mastered working with case teaching should not limit himself and his students only to paper handouts. A very successful pedagogical find would be the combination of paper and video cases (fragments of films ("The Matrix", for example), video clips (Michael Jackson, "Earth Song") or cartoons with philosophical overtones (many of these were produced at the Pixar studio) with readable and reproducible ones. .
If the cases also differ from each other in structure: in the first lesson they will be structured (containing clear, specific, ordered data and suggesting an equally clear answer), in the next - unstructured (containing an abundance of data and giving room for creativity), and on the third - pioneering (testing the ability of teenagers to think outside the box, which is useful, for example, when selecting students for a subject Olympiad) - this will simply demonstrate the aerobatics of the teacher. Which, of course, will allow him to achieve two main goals: to keep the class’s attention at the proper level and to creatively master non-standard, atypical, but very necessary lessons in Life.
Instead of a conclusion
Of course, preparing cases requires the teacher to have remarkable creative abilities and free time: at least 10-15 hours a month. However, the benefits of using case learning will more than compensate for these costs: children will become more independent, it will be easier for them to master school material, and, most importantly, adult life will no longer seem so complicated and divorced from what was taught at school!
