Teaching case study writing: Shifting the challenge to students in an international marketing class

In this paper, the author describes an experience of assigning Masters students’ in an international marketing class with the writing of a teaching case study and its pedagogical note. The written case was the major deliverable of the term, valued at 75% of the students’ grade. The author sought student insights into the learning benefits they derived from this assignment through a reflective report. Students’ evaluation of the complementary use of teaching case studies, both as a traditional method of analysis in class and as writing one for an assignment, was also assessed. Results show that having students write teaching cases is of great value to students themselves. Students identified as benefits of this experience many of the learning benefits already underlined in the literature on student-written cases. 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. They finally emphasized how in class discussion of various teaching case studies was complementary to writing their own teaching case study.