I have found the case studies to be very interesting. There are things that I didn't know before reading them. I really liked the one about Medivet. I thought that it was a cool concept to be able to go to a clinic that is easily accessible where ever your day may take you. This would also be helpful if there were an emergency and they didn't have the equipment necessary or if you weren't near your usual vet.
Recently, I was reading Ahead of the Curve and it takes place at Harvard. It is kind of like the diary of someone who went through their MBA program. All of the things in the book were true. They use case studies to teach their graduate students about real life situations. It was interesting to read because they get to give their own perspectives on a matter. I enjoyed the similarities between how case studies are being used here and at Harvard.
I know that we aren't at the same caliber as Harvard but it just goes to show you that the same type of teaching is used in each location. I believe that it would be beneficial to use these case studies in more depth. Perhaps in an accounting course it would be useful to see what happened with Enron, worldcom, or Tyco.
Harvard's curriculum revolves entirely around the concept of case studies. This is because HBS believes that after enough cases the student will develop a specific way of thinking tailored to solving business problems. I like to see this integrated with our curriculum at EMU, and I think it's important to strike a healthy balance between the boring basics and the fun cases. Ahead of the Curve gave me an entirely different perspective on the nature of business and what it's all about. Probably one of THE best books on business. It should be a must-read for all COB 200 students, but unfortunately, it isn't.
ReplyDeleteI agree, case studies were a good and very interesting way to finish off the class.
ReplyDeleteAww Eastern is a good school, too! But I see what you're saying. Case studies are really useful. I think real life applications are helpful to everyone.
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