Page 8 - The Case Lab Book

INTRODUCTION

The term "case study" has multiple meanings. It can be used to describe a unit of analysis

(e.g. a case study of a particular organisation) or to describe a research method. The
following discussion focuses on the use of the case study as a unit of analysis.

Case studies are designed to bring out the details from the viewpoint of the case
participants by using multiple sources of data (Tellis, 1997). Essentially it is used to

amalgamate disparate sources of information into a structure and analysis that makes
sense of a complex unstructured problem. Reva Brown 1995 put it succinctly when she

observed that “..the case study is many things. It is systematic story-telling; it is a way of

writing (or talking) about seeing; it is a tool for teaching; it is a philosophy for approaching
research; it is a technique for researching; it is a reason (or an excuse) for taking seriously

investigations into vague, blurred or fuzzy topics; it is a rigorous vehicle which sits
comfortably and equally alongside more quantitative research; and I could go on.” This is

augmented by the view that “ rather than using large samples and following a rigid protocol
to examine a limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth,

longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic

way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results.
As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance

happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future
research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses

(Flyvbjerg, 2006).” The case study and the case method hold a tremendous potential for

bringing life, reality, credibility and utility to the pedagogic process. Moreover, when linked
to Managed Learning Environments (MLE) and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)

developing as new technologies are introduced and applied, a new educational paradigm
is emerging which is more efficacious to the achievement of active and deep learning.

Some years ago I adapted a Robert Heller’s, (2003) quote when commenting: “Strategy
[Case studies/Multimedia Applications are] is like sex when all is said and done more is

said than done.” (Gallagher, 8). At the time it seemed that business case study