Developing a teaching case study: the difficulties faced by students, as viewed by faculty

In this paper, the author describes an experience of asking Masters’ students in marketing (both MSc and MBA students in different modules) to write a teaching case study and its pedagogical note as major assessment for the module. The written case was the major deliverable of the term. In a previous paper, the learning benefits students gained from such an assignment as viewed by themselves were described (Author, 2015). Students identified as benefits of this experience many of the learning benefits already underlined in the literature (Ashamalla & Crocitto, 2001; Forman, 2006; Vega, 2010) on student-written cases, such as deepening of the learning experience, longer learning, development of skills such as critical thinking, research, problem-solving, communication, synthesis, analysis, tolerance for ambiguity, as well as enhanced motivation and responsibility. Non-previously identified benefits of writing a teaching case study came also from analysis. Students highlighted how writing a teaching note eased and strengthened their understanding of international marketing concepts, challenged them, provided originality and novelty as well as gave them confidence. Case study writing can be considered a more active experience that requires students to assume a variety of different roles— researcher, interviewer, writer — some of which can be quite new to students (Ross et al., 2008). In this article, the author reports, as faculty, her own perception of difficulties faced by Masters’ business students in writing a teaching case study. Data were collected using the ethnographic method of participant observation, "the process of learning through exposure to or involvement in the day-to-day or routine activities of participants in the researcher setting" (Schensul et al, 1999, p. 91). E-mails exchanged with students, questions asked by students as well as discussions during class, and personal notes made by the author during the process have been analysed to provide insight into the main difficulties students faced in the assigned task. By learning through this experience, the main aim of the paper is to guide business faculty in enhancing the development of student-written cases, by helping them anticipate main obstacles faced by students in such an exercise of content co-creation. Key implications for business educators are provided.