How
to Answer Case Study Questions
I have had the
opportunity to analyze dozens if not hundreds of case studies over the
years. It is always the same. I read the case study twice. The second time through, I analyze what I
have read based on what I know and what I have learned to get a good understanding
of the case. Then, I read the first
question and immediately forget everything I just read. My issue is not limited to case studies, but it
does include them.
The steps I follow when I
am answering case study questions would likely be described as spastic,
disorganized, random, and/or illogical if someone evaluated my process. And, they would be right. It causes me more than a little
frustration. I know there must be better
ways to approach the issue. I have read
numerous ‘how to’ articles and they have helped, but the initial panic that
causes my thinking to abandon me is still alive and well. Fortunately I have found that if I take a
deep breath and re-read the question as an extension of the case, it helps me
get back on track.
I have a tendency to try
to solve the entire case with the answer to one specific question. I eventually sort through everything and provide
reasonable answers to all of the questions, but that is only after many re-writes and some level of
frustration. I know there is a solution;
I just have not found it yet.
Juanita King’s (2017)
article, How to Answer Case Study
Questions, takes a very simple and common sense approach to answering case
study questions. Her purpose is to help
people to succeed during written or oral examinations that verify subject
matter mastery in a given field of study.
It also provided me with ideas that will improve my answers to case
study questions in the future.
King’s (2017) first
suggestion is to practice. “The more acquainted you are with the word arrangement of
this type of test, the more comfortable you will be during either a written or
oral case study assessment” (para. 2). I have never done case studies for fun, but it
is true that case study questions are uniquely worded. If I become more familiar with how the
questions are worded instead of being surprised each time, I might be able to
remember the details of the study and relate the question appropriately. It is a simple concept that makes sense. It is obvious and I know it will work. But even if I am wrong, all I have lost is a
little time reading case studies.
The next thing King
(2017) recommends is to relax on the day of the test and rely on what you know
to answer the questions. I interpret
this to mean ‘reflect’ and I think it is great advice. Reflecting on the things I have learned helps
me apply that learning in different ways, see them from different viewpoints,
and remain objective in my thinking (Nosich, 2012). I wish this was something I did automatically
and constantly, but it is still something I occasionally have to remind myself
to do. When I do, I always gain a better
understanding. It certainly will not
hurt.
Most of King’s (2017)
remaining suggestions have to do with identifying and understanding the problem
and are things I already do. However,
there are two more suggestions that I wish I had been doing all along. First, she suggests that one should “visualize the
scenario or situation posed by the question. See it in your mind's eye as you review it. Consider the question as if it were an actual
problem that will affect the lives of others” (para. 6). For me, this will serve to make the study
real versus purely academic. In real
situations, my actions are based on facts, experience, compassion, empathy, and
knowledge. In academic situations, I generally
look for the right answer based on knowledge only. It is correct, but it is not always right.
Finally, King (2017)
recommends something with which I have always struggled. “Slow down if you start to get confused. You
may be moving too fast, trying to beat the clock” (para. 7). My tendency in this situation is to do the exact
opposite. I panic and try to push myself
harder which only exacerbates the problem.
Trying to go faster only serves to waste more time, slowing me down even
further. Instinctively, I am programmed to
do the wrong thing. Slow down and resolve
the point of confusion before moving forward is the right answer and it makes
perfect sense. Why is it such a hard
suggestion to follow?
~Pete
References
King, J. (2017, July 5).
How to answer case study questions. CareerTrend.com. Accessed 2018, November 30
from https://careertrend.com/how-8342765-answer-case-study-questions.html
Nosich, G. M. (2012).
Learning to think things through: A guide to critical thinking across the
curriculum (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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