Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-669899f699-8p65j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-06T10:01:32.243Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 9 - Case Studies in Engineering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2015

By
Claire Davis  and
Aman Yadav
Edited by
Aditya Johri  and
Barbara M. Olds
Claire Davis
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Aman Yadav
Affiliation:
Purdue University
Aditya Johri
Affiliation:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Barbara M. Olds
Affiliation:
Colorado School of Mines
Get access

Summary

What Are Case Studies?

What are “cases” or “case studies”? Cases are narratives that present real-life scenarios/problems and allow students to experience how professionals address problems encountered in the field. Cases have three main elements: (1) they are based on real-life events or realistic situations that allow students to experience problems they are not likely to encounter first-hand; (2) they present both contextual and technical information that is based on careful research and study; (3) they may present no clear-cut solutions to allow students to develop multiple perspectives (Merseth, 1994). Hence, cases mimic real-world scenarios that engage students in solving authentic problems and experiment within the safe confines of a classroom (Demarco, Hayward, & Lynch, 2002).

The use of case studies has a long and effective history in business, law, and medical fields to teach students the complexities and ill-structured nature of those disciplines (Herreid, 2007; Mayo, 2004). Case-based teaching dates back to 1870, when Christopher Langdell, a law professor, argued that using actual legal cases was the best way to study law (Garvin, 2003). Langdell stated that using cases would develop students’ understanding “via induction from a review of those appellate court decisions in which the principles first took tangible form” (Garvin, 2003). Case studies also formed the instructional method at the Harvard Business School in 1908 (Merseth, 1991). However, unlike in law schools, case study implementation was slow in business schools owing to the lack of ready-made cases and faculty expertise in teaching with cases (Merseth, 1991). The use of cases became predominant at Harvard Business School after Wallace B. Donha became the Dean in 1919 and supported faculty to gain experience in teaching with cases. He also created the Bureau of Business Research to put together high-quality teaching materials including cases (Merseth, 1991). Case-based instruction has also been implemented in medical education via problem-based learning where students learn in cooperative groups by studying the records of an actual patient (Williams, 1992). See Chapter 11 by Atman, Borgford-Parnell, McDonnell, Eris, and Cardella in this volume for a discussion of the history of problem-based learning in medical education at McMaster University. Within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, James B. Conant at Harvard University was the first science educator in the late 1940s to teach an entire course using case studies via the lecture format (Conant & Van Deventer, 1951).

Type
Chapter
Information
Cambridge Handbook of Engineering Education Research , pp. 161 - 180
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Antepohl, W., & Herzig, S. (1999). Problem-based learning versus lecture-based learning in a course of basic pharmacology: A controlled, randomized study. Medical Education, 33(2), 106–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, M. F. (2011). Materials selection in mechanical design (4th ed.), Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.Google Scholar
Berliner, D. C. (2002). Educational research: The hardest science of all. Educational Researcher, 31(8), 18–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bilica, K. (2004). Lessons from experts: Improving college science instruction through case teaching. School Science and Mathematics, 104(6), 273–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.Google Scholar
Borges, J., Galvão Dias, T., & Falcão e Cunha, J. (2009). A new group-formation method for student projects. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34(6), 573–585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, and experience & school. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.Google Scholar
Brown, S. (1996). The art of teaching small groups 1. New Academic, 5(3), 3–5.Google Scholar
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, K. L. (2004). Is your case a problem?Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 1/2, 42–44.Google Scholar
Butcher, A. C., Stefani, L. A., & Tario, V. N. (1995). Analysis of peer-, self- and staff-assessment in group project work, Assessment in Higher Education, 2(2), 165–185.Google Scholar
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39(7), 3–7.Google Scholar
Conant, J. B., & Van Deventer, W. C. (1951). The growth of the experimental sciences: An experiment in general education. Science Education, 35(2), 112–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conway, P. (2001). Using cases and activity learning with undergraduate economic classes. The House Journal of the European Case Clearing House, 26, 18–19.Google Scholar
Davis, C. L., & Wilcock, E. (2003). Thematic booklets – Case studies. UK Centre for Materials Education. Retrieved from
Davis, C. L., & Wilcock, E. (2004). Case studies in engineering. In Baillie, C. & Moore, I. (Eds.), Effective learning and teaching in engineering (pp. 51–71). New York, NY: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, C., & Wilcock, E. (2005). Developing, implementing and evaluating case studies in materials science. European Engineering Education Journal, 30(1), 59–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demarco, R., Hayward, L., & Lynch, M. (2002). Nursing students’ experiences with and strategic approaches to case-based instruction: A replication and comparison study between two disciplines. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(4), 165–174.Google ScholarPubMed
Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis. Learning & Instruction, 13(5), 533–568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunlosky, J., & Lipko, A. R. (2007). Metacomprehension: A brief history and how to improve its accuracy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(4), 228–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fuchs, H. O. (1974). On kindling flames with cases. Engineering Education, 64(6), 412–415.Google Scholar
Gallucci, K. (2006). Learning concepts with cases. Journal of College Science Teaching, 36(2), 16–20.Google Scholar
Garg, K., & Varma, V. (2007). A study on the effectiveness of case study approach in software engineering education. Paper presented at the 20th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training, Dublin, Ireland.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garvin, D. A. (2003). Making the case: Professional education for the world of practice. Harvard Magazine, 106(1), 56–65.Google Scholar
Gibbs, G. (1995). Assessing student centred courses. Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff Development.Google Scholar
Glenberg, A. M., Wilkinson, A. C., & Epstein, W. (1982). The illusion of knowing: Failure in the self-assessment of comprehension. Memory & Cognition, 10(6), 597–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goett, J. A., & Foote, K. E. (2000). Cultivating student research and study skills in Web-based learning environments. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 24(1), 92–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GrantaDesign. Retrieved from:
Harris, C. E. (2003). Methodologies for case studies in engineering ethics. In Emerging technologies and ethical issues in engineering: Papers from a workshop (pp. 79–93). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.Google Scholar
Henderson, J. M., Bellman, L. E., & Furman, B. J. (1983, January). A case for teaching engineering with cases. Engineering Education, 288–292.
Herreid, C. F. (2007). Start with a story: The case study teaching method of teaching college science. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association Press.Google Scholar
Horton, G. (2001). The need for professional skills training in engineering programs. In First Baltic Sea workshop on education in mechatronics. Kiel, Germany: Fachhochschule Kiel.Google Scholar
Jonassen, D. H. (2011). Learning to solve problems: A handbook for designing problem-solving learning environments. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Jonnasen, D., Strobel, J., & Lee, C. B. (2006). Everyday problem solving in engineering: Lessons for engineering educators. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(2), 1–14.Google Scholar
Kardos, G., & Smith, C. O. (1979). On writing engineering cases. In Proceedings of ASEE National Conference on Engineering Case Studies.
Kieran, P., & O’Neill, G. (2009). Peer-assisted tutoring in a chemical engineering curriculum: Tutee and tutor experiences. Australasian Journal of Peer Learning, 2(1), 40–67.Google Scholar
Klein, J. T. (1996). Crossing boundaries: Knowledge, disciplinarities, and interdisciplinarities. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.Google Scholar
Klein, J. T. (2004). Prospects for transdisciplinarity. Futures, 36, 515–526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lima Rui, M., Carvalho, D., Flores, M., & Van Hattum-Janssen, N. (2007). A case study on project led education in engineering: Students’ and teachers’ perceptions. European Journal of Engineering Education, 32(3), 337–347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LTSN Generic Centre. (2001). Assessment series. Retrieved from
Booklet 5: A briefing on key skills in higher education by Murphy, Roger.
Booklet 7: A briefing on key concepts by Knight, Peter.
Booklet 9: A briefing on self, peer and group assessment by Race, Phil.
Booklet 12: A briefing on assessment of large groups by Rust, Chris.
Lundeberg, M. A., & Yadav, A. (2006a). Assessment of case study teaching: Where do we go from here? Part 2. Journal of College Science Teaching, 35(6), 8–13.Google Scholar
Lundeberg, M. A., & Yadav, A. (2006b). Assessment of case study teaching: Where do we go from here? Part I. Journal of College Science Teaching, 35(5), 10–13.Google Scholar
Martinez-Mones, A., Gomez-Sanchez, E., Dimitriadis, Y. A., Jorrin-Abellan, I. M., Rubia-Avi, B., & Vega-Gorgojo, G. (2005). Multiple case studies to enhance project-based learning in a computer architecture course. IEEE Transactions on Education, 48(3), 482–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayo, J. A. (2002). Case-based instruction: A technique for increasing conceptual application in introductory psychology. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 15, 65–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayo, J. A. (2004). Using case-based instruction to bridge the gap between theory and practice in psychology of adjustment. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 17, 137–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazur, E. (1998). Moving the mountain: Impediments to change. Paper presented at the Third Annual NISE Forum, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Merseth, K. K. (1991). The early history of case-based instruction: Insights for teacher education today. Journal of Teacher Education, 42(4), 243–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merseth, K. K. (1994). Cases, case methods, and the professional development of educators. ERIC Digest. Retrieved from
Mustoe, L. R., & Croft, A. C. (1999). Motivating engineering students by using modern case studies. European Journal of Engineering Education, 15(6), 469–476.Google Scholar
National Academy of Engineering. (2004). The engineer of 2020: Visions of engineering in the new century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.Google Scholar
Newey, C. (1987). A case study approach to the teaching of materials. European Journal of Engineering Education, 12(1), 59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orsmond, P. (2004). Self- and peer-assessment – Guidance on practice in the biosciences. In Teaching bioscience enhancing learning series 2004. Retrieved from
Raju, P. K., & Sankar, C. S. (1999). Teaching real-world issues through case studies. Journal of Engineering Education, 88(4), 501–508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reeves, T., & Laffey, J. (1999). Design, assessment and evaluation of a problem based learning environment in undergraduate engineering. Higher Education Research and Development, 18(2), 219–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Savin-Baden, M. (2007). Challenging models and perspectives of problem-based learning. In de Graaff, E. & Kolmos, A. (Eds.), Management of change: Implementation of problem-based and project-based learning in engineering (pp. 9–30). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.Google Scholar
Serpil Acar, B. (2004). Analysis of an assessment method for problem-based learning, European Journal of Engineering Education, 29(2), 231–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, C. O. (1992). Student written engineering cases. International Journal of Engineering Education, 8(6), 442–445.Google Scholar
Swanson, D., Case, S., & van der Vleuten, C. P. M. (1991). Strategies for student assessment. In Boud, D. J. & Felletti, G. (Eds.), The challenge of problem-based learning (pp. 260–274). London: Kogan Page.Google Scholar
Vesper, K. H. (1964). On the use of case studies for teaching engineering. Journal of Engineering Education, 55(2), 56–57.Google Scholar
Vesper, K. H., & Adams, J. L. (1969). Evaluating learning from the case method. Engineering Education, 60(2), 104–106.Google Scholar
Wilcock, E., & Davis, C. (2006). Group working and peer tutoring in case studies. British Journal of Engineering Education, 5(1), 3–10.Google Scholar
Wilcock, E., Jenkins, M., & Davis, C. (2002). A study of good practice in group learning in Sports Materials Science using case studies. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual UK & USA Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), TUC Centre, Holborn, London.Google Scholar
Williams, S. M. (1992). Putting case-based instruction into context: Examples from legal and medical education. The Journal of Learning Sciences, 2(4), 367–427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadav, A., & Barry, B. E. (2009). Using case-based instruction to increase ethical understanding in engineering: What do we know? What do we need?International Journal of Engineering Education, 25(1), 138–143.Google Scholar
Yadav, A., Shaver, G. M., & Meckl, P. (2010). Le-ssons learned: Implementing the case teaching method in a mechanical engineering course. Journal of Engineering Education, 99(1), 55–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadav, A., Subedi, D., Lundeberg, M. A., & Bunting, C. F. (2011). Problem-based learning: Influence on students’ learning in an electrical engineering course. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(2), 253–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×