Developing an Online Case Study

Building an online, interactive case study to teach soft skills like selling, negotiating, leadership involves working with material that closely approximates the actual situation that the learner will encounter while at work. It also involves a careful development process to ensure the learner moves effectively through the branching process created by the design and development team.

The design and development process starts with the creation of an overview of the case (background, characters, maybe even a backstory) based on an educational goal. Next is the creation of specific learning objectives that are directly relevant to the task the individual will perform while on the job. The development team then needs to decide how the case will branch and design the branching so key concepts are learned even if the learner makes some bad decisions. Each case then needs a debriefing so the learner can reflect upon the information he or she learned during the instructional process.

Each case development process should follow the following steps:

• Develop an overview of the case (who, what, where, when)
• Introduce characters and navigation Inform learners of the purpose/goal of the case
• Provide relevant background information and any time or resource constraints
• Provide access to important data and information
• When case is solved, provide debriefing so learner can reflect

So before you start to program, take the time to map out your case-based learning.

Karl Kapp is the Assistant Director of Bloomsburg University’s Institute for Interactive Technologies and a professor of instructional technology. See his own blog, Kapp Notes for information on the convergence of learning and technology.