A case for case studies: The effective use of case studies in the college classroom

Abstract

Instructors often use case studies to bridge the gap between theory and practice while also bringing research into the learning environment. Case studies allow students to participate actively in the learning process by helping them learn how to think, plan and reason by studying the actions, thoughts and decision-making processes of real people and companies. Educators also often choose case studies in their learning environment because they can accommodate different learning styles, including inductive learners, who learn from examples as opposed to logical development (linear learning). Case studies from this journal are well suited for use in the college classroom because they are generally written by practitioners for practitioners. This paper includes a list of practical insights when teaching students about digital and social media using case studies from this journal or others like it.