In countries such as the United States and Japan, extracurricular activities such as internships and volunteer work have grown in importance because the job market is becoming increasingly competitive. Employers want more than just good grades; they are also looking for real-world experience and strong communication skills that can be used straight away in the workplace. This demand has influenced how universities design their courses. In particular, active learning, where students lead in the classroom, has become far more common in the 21st century. Although it can include discussions, simulations, field projects, group work, or role-playing, active learning always aims to help students develop skills beyond simple knowledge gathering.
Case method as popular active learning
The case method, which comes from Harvard Business School, is a popular way of learning by doing. It uses real or made-up stories as examples; students must read and research them before class. Once they arrive, they discuss and debate the situation from the viewpoint of the main character, often someone like a company CEO or an employee. Although it started in business schools, the case method now appears in many other fields, such as the Social Sciences and STEM programmes, all over the world.
Challenge of adopting the case method
Although the case method is widely accepted in principle, it is often difficult to implement. One major concern is that it demands a high level of student effort and preparation time, which can be a challenge for undergraduates who may not have the same experience as graduate students. This shortfall in preparation could reduce the quality of class discussions and, by extension, undermine the case method itself. Other barriers include large class sizes, a shortage of suitable teaching cases, and variations in an instructor’s ability to guide case-based learning.
In Japan, where traditional lectures and strong teacher-student hierarchies are still common, some educators even question whether the case method should be introduced at all. There is also little systematic research examining these issues, so most evidence of the case method’s educational effectiveness still comes from Western countries, particularly the United States.
Can the case method work in Japan?
Rosenbaum et al. (2024) conducted a study to find out if the case method can boost knowledge and skill development in undergraduate education. They gathered survey data from the only Japanese university that fully uses the case method at both undergraduate and graduate levels. To explore which factors affect students’ learning, they relied on a statistical approach known as ordered logit models.
They looked at four main groups of student-related factors:
- Experience, such as year of study or previous discussion practice,
- Learning attitudes, including interest in the course subject, stress about active learning, and motivation for academics,
- Course preparation, such as reading cases, doing independent research, and finishing homework, and
- Personality traits, such as enjoying public speaking. In this research, learning attitudes capture a student’s general approach to their studies, while course preparation measures their readiness for a particular class.
Conceptual Framework of the Ordered Logit Model
Credit. Author
This diagram illustrates the ordered logit model used to analyze the effectiveness of the case method in undergraduate learning in Japan. The model examines how student-related factors (independent variables), such as learning attitudes, course preparation, learning experience, and personalities, influence knowledge development and meta-skills (dependent variables), including discernment, judgment, collaboration, and self-confidence.
Meta-skills
In research on active learning, measuring success is not straightforward. Different courses have different aims, and what works well in one setting may fail in another. An approach that helps students in a US engineering course might not suit those in a Nigerian law programme. As a result, there is no universal agreement on how best to evaluate active learning, which makes it hard to tell if it truly works.
Rosenbaum et al. (2024) builds on an idea by Nohria (2021), a former Dean of Harvard Business School, who believes that case-method learning develops what he calls meta-skills. He defines these meta-skills as long-lasting abilities that help people learn more quickly. Below is a brief overview of each skill:
- Preparation: Students learn to prepare thoroughly because they must arrive ready to discuss each case.
- Discernment: Students learn to focus on what matters most, since case studies often contain a lot of information.
- Bias recognition: Students learn to spot their own biases, particularly by listening to classmates who have different perspectives.
- Judgement: Students learn to make decisions under uncertainty because case studies usually have missing details.
- Collaboration: Students learn to work well with others in group discussions and activities.
- Curiosity: Students discover what intrigues them when encountering many cases, industries, or roles.
- Self-confidence: Students learn to trust their own decisions and continue building their skills over time.
The case method does work in Japan
The study found that students’ attitudes toward their studies significantly impacted how much they learned through the case method. Students who felt less stressed about active learning tended to gain both knowledge and the seven meta-skills more effectively. In fact, our calculations showed that students with the lowest stress level were around 30 times more likely to develop these skills than those under the highest stress level. Another important factor was a strong interest in the course topic, which boosted both knowledge and all seven meta-skills. We also saw that students who focused more on their academic work tended to learn more overall and become more curious about the subject.
The study shows that students pick up different skills depending on their unique qualities. For example, those who are interested in the subject, stay motivated and finish their coursework generally learn more. Meanwhile, students who prepare for class and enjoy reading often gain greater confidence and curiosity than those who do not.
Why does this research matter?
This study highlights that a student’s mindset toward learning is often more important than preparation or past experience when it comes to active learning. If students are unwilling to participate in activities requiring their input, they may not gain much from the case method. This finding suggests that universities should first ensure that every student understands how and why to learn so that they can get the most out of these interactive teaching approaches.
These results are also reassuring for students. While certain personality traits may help develop some skills, there is no need to be a naturally confident public speaker or an avid reader. As long as students keep an open mind and a positive attitude toward their studies, the case method can be effective for anyone in higher education.
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Journal reference
Rosenbaum, C. Y., Sasanuma, K., & Yamamoto, M. (2024). Acquisition of Knowledge and Meta-Skills Through the Case Method in Politics and Law Classrooms: New Empirical Insight from Japan. Journal of Political Science Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2024.2432387
