What are the benefits of adopting cases in higher education in Administration?

by Helena Costa & Thiago Zottmann 4 years ago 3 min read

Authors: Thiago Zottmann and Helena Costa

An affair is a way of "learning by simulating reality." In short, it brings the description of a situation, that is, the narrative of a relevant story that can be discussed in the classroom, which may or may not contain a well-defined problem (ELLET, 2007; CURADO, 2011; BANDEIRA-DE-MELLO, 2011).

In the field of Administration, a teaching case is the description or report of a scenario experienced in the field of organizational management, that is, the report of a situation faced by managers and executives in real life.

When observing the transformations arising from globalization and new technologies, it is necessary to reinvent the learning process. Thus, the traditional model of education, in which there is a predominance of expository classes, tends to lose relevance.

For the professionals of the future, according to data from the World Economic Forum's "The Future of Jobs" report, a set of skills is expected, such as:

· analytical thinking and innovation,

· active learning and learning strategies,

· troubleshooting,

· critical thinking,

· creativity, among other skills of both a technical and behavioral nature.

Although these are competencies with current relevance, several of them have been discussed for about 20 years, as can be seen in the studies of Gramigna (2002), who listed 15 competencies, which according to the author are essential for professionals, regardless of their sectors of activity.

But how can we seek to develop this set of skills?

According to Bonner (1999), the best way to improve complex skills is through teaching methodologies that provide the practice of active learning, a practice that is compatible with the resolution and discussion of case studies in the academic environment, as mentioned above.

With the use of cases, students are invited to build their knowledge in a dynamic and unpredictable way, having a more active role, since prior preparation is needed for good participation and discussion in the classroom. In addition, when faced with real problems experienced in organizations, students are invited to use a closer approach to practice, relying on theories as a basis for their choices.

In this way, we understand that they create directory for decision-making within complex environments.

Several authors support us to understand what would be the main benefits of applying this method in higher education. Among them, we have Charles Gragg, one of the pioneers in the use of the method in the teaching of Administration, William Ellet, professor of the MBA program at Harvard Business School, one of the most relevant colleges in the United States, as well as David Jennings, researcher linked to the Nottingham Business School, among other foreign and Brazilian researchers were important for us to build a reference and help us understand the benefits of using such a methodology.

Among the benefits of such practice in the field of Administration, we can point out as main the development of Soft and hard skills , that is, both technical and behavioral skills. Some benefits of applying this method are:

· Provide future managers with a situation in which there is freedom to explore the problems, since they are not problems with real consequences;

· Develop analytical skills, attitude, confidence and own responsibilities;

· Confront the complexities of specific situations;

· Develop interpersonal, communication and listening skills and;

· Relate theory to practice.

About The Authors

Thiago is a Business Administration student at the University of Brasilia, a member of the Casoteca ADM team. Currently, he is conducting a research with the objective of analyzing and understanding the view that students of the Business Administration course at the University of Brasília regarding the contribution of the case method to their training, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Helena Costa. Email: tfzottmann@gmail.com

Helena is an Associate Professor II at the Department of Administration at the University of Brasilia. Coordinator of the ADM Casoteca. Professor of Contemporary Topics in ADM and Introduction to ADM. Email: helenacosta@unb.br

This post was a collaboration between

Helena Costa

Coordinator of the ADM Casoteca. Associate Professor III of the Department of Administration of the University of Brasília (UnB). Passionate about applied and collaborative learning.

Thiago Zottmann

Business Administration student at UnB and member of the Casoteca ADM Team. Conducts his course completion research on the benefits perceived by students from the use of cases.