CASE-BASED STRUCTURED CONFLICT: A MEANS FOR ENHANCING CLASSROOM LEARNING

摘要

The use of case-based structured conflict places the student at the center of the classroom learning experience. Although some undergraduate students see such a situation as attractive, most find the prospect intimidating. Nonetheless, student feedback has been unambiguous and consistently favorable. When compared to other sections using a more teacher-centered learning environment, my classes (i.e., that use case-based structured conflict) are consistently the first to be filled, and lengthy waiting lists are common. Those class selection decisions are made with the full knowledge that many hours of hard work are required to prepare for an effective in-class presentation in my course and, as one student put it, "Everyone knows that making a class presentation is like having your dentist do a root canal." Apparently, the case-based structured conflict teaching method―when properly administered―significantly enhances the willingness of undergraduate students to participate and engage an active learning environment. My experience clearly indicates that multiple exposures to a case-based structured conflict environment can help students to acquire several important skills. First, analytical skills are enriched when students are regularly encouraged to reason clearly and logically and then present and defend those perspectives to their peers. Although some students can be initially overwhelmed by such a challenge, students regularly acknowledge the motivational power of a supportive environment. Second, students develop the ability to formulate reasonable assumptions as a necessary part of the problem-solving and decision-making process. Cases seldom contain all the information pertinent to decisions. Hence, case-based structured conflict compels students to make decisions with available information, thereby helping them to tolerate incompleteness of information and ambiguity. At the beginning of the semester, students clamor for guidance when confronted with case-based learning. With time, most students become comfortable with their ability to formulate and use estimates and assumptions. Some students seem to relish the opportunity to construct their position statement around a tightly crafted set of reasonable assumptions. Third, case-based structured conflict helps students to enhance their self-confidence in various ways. There is little doubt in my mind that repetitive opportunities to identify, analyze, and debate critical issues help to deeply ingrain the lessons learned. It is the cumulative impact of this process that will enrich undergraduate students in their ability to take on future tasks, because they have acquired the ability to effectively tackle complex business problems and make decisions. These skills now become personal assets.