Case teaching and learning
The case method is one of the cornerstones of LUSEM’s present and future teaching and learning approaches. For our students, faculty and partner organisations, the case method provides an opportunity to meet the interdisciplinary demands of real business and organisational situations. Given its ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice, LUSEM's case teaching method plays a crucial role in our external engagement efforts.
Nordic Case Challenge
Nordic Case Challenge 2025 will be held at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway. Following the format of the previous years, there will be a qualifying case, which will be solved locally at the invited business school. The most adept teams from this round will earn the privilege of representing their schools at the grand finale in Kristiansand, March 2025.
Nordic Case Challenge preparations at LUSEM
- 17 January: Digital case launch of the first case
- 31 January: Deadline for the teams to hand in the solution of the first case
- 7 February: Deadline for the participating schools to send the name of the team members
25 February: Deadline for the teams to submit the final PPT version of their solution of the first case.
SignUp - no later than 12 January
LUSEM Case Competition 2024
On 21 November, nine teams gathered to showcase their skills in an intense day of preparation and case solving!
Congratulations to the winners of this years competiton:
- 1st place: Nexus Consulting - Erik Hollmann, Annika Horstmann, August Jörding, Fiona Kusche
- 2nd place: Trailblazers - Arnold Ackerlauer, Sofia Chavez, Mawj Mahmood, Zoia Shtompel
- 3rd place: PivotTable - Hannes Östlund, Viggo Kanljung, Ludvig Granath, Fred Rosenkvist
Purpose
The purpose of a case study is to place the students in an active learning mode by challenging them to accept responsibility for their education by giving them first-hand appreciation and experience of the application of knowledge in practice. In essence, a case study is an acceptance that “the learning is in the classroom”, based on preparation, analysis and the discussion of the case together with others.
The case teaching and learning method helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In essence, case teaching and learning provides opportunities for problem solving, the application of analytical tools, decision-making and coping with ambiguity.
A teaching case is a story, describing or based on actual events and circumstances, that is told with a definite teaching purpose in mind and that rewards careful study and analysis.
Laurence E. Lynn, Jr., Professor of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
How to use cases
Cases come in many formats, ranging from a simple “what would you do in this situation?” question to a detailed description of a situation with accompanying data to analyse. Whether the case is a simple scenario or complex and detailed depends on the learning objectives. Case teaching and learning is a multifunctional method to be used in different ways and for different purposes. The three main types of cases are:
- Written cases to be prepared individually or in study groups followed by class discussion
- Live cases presented to the class, followed by questions to discuss
- Ad hoc cases based on a current event, for example, as reported in the media
Cases – for whom?
In principle, the case teaching and learning method can be used in any discipline when instructors want students to explore how what they have learned applies to real-world situations. In comparision to many international higher education settings, the method is already introduced at bachelor’s courses at LUSEM. A majority of our business courses at bachelor level are using cases and the use has also spread to other subjects such as economics, statistics, business law, informatics and economic history.
