Helping others to learn: preparing for career success through effective case study design

and implementation in real job contexts

Dr. Francisco G. Barroso-TanoiraUniversidad Anáhuac Mayab

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Summary

Government Auditors studying the

Master in Auditing prepare original

case studies to be implemented for

teaching their staff.

Undergraduate accounting and

management students cooperate in

the process and learn how to prepare

their own cases to be used at school.

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Introduction

A good way for teaching students is helping them discover, explore and experiment in real work context.

More than just teaching, it is helping them learn how to learn and get engaged with their own learning, giving full meaning to what they are doing in the process

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Introduction

For achieving career success

they must be able to detect

problems and teach their staff

how to solve them

A good way for doing so is

through case studies solving

because higher learning levels

are involved.

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The programThe objective of the case study method is achieving congruent conclusions with the reality of the case, taking in mind that there is uncertainty.

Students must be able to communicate their thinking in an effective way

Attention to socioemotional competencies

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The case study method

It could be in groups, discussion in

class or formal presentations

The participant´s role is advancing

discussion and contributing to

collective understanding of the case

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The case study method

Emphasis in:

Case analysis

Discussion

How to write cases

How to implement cases

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The case study method

1) Ask students the starting questions

before the case is presented. Divide

them in groups of five to six students.

2) Let them discuss in small groups and

then to the big group (the class)

3) Have them read the case in small

groups

4) Give them the questions or assign the

activities to be done

The case study method

5) They work in small group and

then present their results to the

whole class.

6) You give them feedback and

present the epilog. Students

discuss the epilog.

7) You assign homework and further

reading related to the case.

Notes about the cases

1) One case could be used in more than one

course…depending on the topics to be

discussed.

2) There are two basic case types:

a) without and ending: the students have to

deduct the end.

b) with and ending: the students judge if the

solution is correct

The best case is that without solution, but which

enhances discussion and learning.

The experience

1) Students from the Master´s in Auditing

participated in the Case Study Method as

part of their program.

2) As part of the final work, they designed (in

groups) a case study for teaching their new

auditing staff.

3) They involved university students and

taught them to implement the cases.

Those students were already working at

the Government Auditing Department as

part of their professional practices.

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The experience

4) Students helped the auditors do the job

5) Students in teams, grouped by proceeding institution and under a

supervisor´s guide, prepared a case for implementing at their

schools with their classmates.

6) Auditors reported:

a) their staff learning through cases

b) the students’ learning in the experience

c) the students’ performance implementing a case at school

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Results

Benefits for auditorsTheir staff was better prepared and

motivated

They enhanced discussion and

fostered creativity

The learning and assimilation was

even faster than using just the

traditional professor-student format

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Results

Benefits for students at the

Government Audit Department

They were surprised to see that it was

possible to teach and learn at the same time

They were highly motivated to continue

learning

They incorporated skills in leadership,

teamwork, talking in public and teaching

through this exercise

They enjoyed being their classmates’ teachers

when implemented the case at school

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Results

Benefits for their classmates

They learned a topic in an

interesting and dynamic

environment

They felt creative and

participative

They are willing to use this

method when they work

professionally

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Totally agree 4.6 to 5

Agree 3.6 to 4.5

More or less agree 2.6 to 3.5

Disagree 1.6 to 2.5

Totally disagree 1 to 1.5

Scale

Significant difference

(p<0.05)

Results

Preparing for career success

Both, the students in Auditing and at the

University feel that they could be better

prepared using the case study method to

practice and incorporate new learning

which could be useful at work

They learned helping others to learn,

which motivated them a lot.

The students in Auditing discovered an

ability they did not know they could

develop.

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ConclusionsHowever, the real challenge for

students is to be able to design

and implement those cases.

This way they get connected to

real work situations and are

motivated to solve problems.

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ConclusionsThis experience is important because students also learn how to work in teams.

Undergraduate students follow and learn from their Master´s fellows and appropriate that experience for using it at school, in a nice and challenging environment.

This is a good way to get prepared for career success.

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A final note

Two cases were awarded by the

UNAM (National Autonomous

University of Mexico), first and

fourth places, at the International

Case Study Contest 2015.

Both cases were developed

following this methodology (http://anahuacmayab.mx/prensa/obtienen-mencion-

honorifica-en-concurso-internacional )

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Thank you!

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