Page 9 - Ice Breaker Case

CONCLUSIONS

The process of case study analysis is simply a means of

making sense of large, complex, unstructured, problems. It

provides insight into the building blocks and the
relationships which bind and influence them and which in

turn, are used by the individual in conjunction with his or

her own intellectual and intuitive abilities to form these

rational solutions. However, for many students fear
manifests when faced for the first time with this unknown

methodology. Consequently, the first introduction to the

case method is extremely important and should therefore

be given due consideration by the lecturer as a means of
settling the student into a deeper and more productive

method of analysis. To this end, doing the ice breaker case

study and drawing out the analysis and showing
relationships and possible interpretations is fundamental.

Moreover, this process attempts by example, to encourage

students to construct their own solutions to future cases by

applying the same questioning and relationship building
steps (or diagnostic adaptations) encountered in the ice

breaker case study. Diagnostic tools should and must be

adapted to circumstances existent in the case study under

examination - one size does not fit all.

The provision of the e-resource Ice Breaker Case Study

provides a further support for the student by presenting

access to the worked ‘solution’, appropriate theory base,

and tests and quizzes delivered to multiple platforms and

accessible when the student wants them.