Forms of Assessment

Case-Studies

Description

Range from simple vignettes illustrating issues in the practice of a discipline, through to complex sets of documentation which may require analysis and research. Questions may be short answer: "Was Anne within her rights to insist on a refund? What legislation governs this situation?" to complex plans for a marketing strategy, or proposals for a design solution.

Indications

Excellent for asessment of application of principles to real-world situations. Can reach all the way up Bloom's original taxonomy to "synthesis" and "evaluation".

Provides useful information for formative purposes, including diagnosis of problems, because answering the questions or meeting the requirements is often a multi-stage process.

Contra-Indications

Do not use where criteria for assessment of correct or successful answers are contestable or unclear (although it is acceptable for there to be several “correct” answers).

Requires a degree of sophistication on the part of students when used at any level beyond the "single-issue" case.

Special precautions

The level of detail has to be addressed carefully. If too sparse, it may well suggest its own answers: if too complex, students can get lost. Distracting information is legitimate, but should be introduced with care. Do not carried away with the story!

Case-studies are usually presented in textual form, although videos and spreadsheets have their place in appropriate disciplines. Note that the translation of material into text presents its own problems.

Notes

Both the design and the marking of case-study based work is time-consuming, and they really need to be piloted and revised in the light of feedback, which makes them problematic for use for examinations.

Can be used in conjunction with several other methods: they may shade into simulations, can form the basis of project briefs, and lend themselves to collaborative working

Back to Forms of Assessment