Case study activities, in groups or as an individual task, have a long standing positive reputation to help college students understand content, improve writing skills, support team work, as well as expand on critical thinking tools and intercultural competencies. A recent Faculty Focus article, ‘Using Case Studies to Develop Questioning Skills’, calls for yet another critical skill that is enhanced through case studies: questioning skills.
Questions are an integral part of case study exploration and include guiding questions by the faculty to set the tone of the case, questions formulated by students during the activity, and debrief questions and discussions. The author explains: “How questions are asked, when questions are introduced into the discussion, and what kinds of questions are posed affect how a case is processed and the terrains of student learning” (para. 3).
The article offers action steps for faculty to guide students through the process of creating effective questions, understanding the necessity of asking questions, and making connections through questions. Three components are explained in detail: Evaluation, categorization, and ideation.