A case study is a description of a specific real-life or realistic situation, problem, or decision that students have to analyse. It helps them apply theory in practice and learn to solve real problems and make decisions. Before writing one, it is worth deciding which type of case study fits your goal.
How to write a case study? Step by step
A good case study has to be planned. Describing a situation is not enough on its own. You need to decide what the student should know, and what they should do and when.
The diagram below shows six simple steps for building a case study from start to finish.
1. Set the goal
Start with one question: why are you giving the student this case study at all? The answer shapes everything that follows. You might want them to identify the problem, explain what caused it, compare possible solutions, assess the situation or make a decision.
2. Choose the problem
Now you need a situation for the student to work through. Avoid one that is too simple, or where the right answer is visible straight away. The student should have something to think about and analyse, so that the solution cannot simply be found ready-made in the text.
3. Build the context
The student should know who has the problem, where, in what circumstances, and what the consequences are. You do not need the company’s history from the day it was founded. Give enough information for the student to understand what is happening and why the problem matters. The 5W+2H method can help you organise and describe it.
4. Select the evidence
Give the student only the information that helps them understand the problem. Hand them what they genuinely need in order to solve it, rather than burying them in data.
5. Create the decision point
End the description at the moment where the student has to make a concrete decision or choose a course of action. They should face the same dilemma as the person, company or organisation in the case, and decide what to do on the basis of the information available.
6. Write the task
Finally, state exactly what the student should do with the case. The task should follow from the goal you set at the start, and it should say clearly what you expect them to produce, whether that is an analysis of the problem, a comparison of options, an assessment of the situation or a decision. Whichever you choose, ask the student to justify it.
The whole process of writing a case study comes down to a simple chain: Why? > Which problem? > In what situation? > What data do we have? > What has to be decided? > What should the student do?
