case study on requirements

Requirement Analysis: how to use this startup-friendly approach + a case study

by Turgay Çelik

In our previous blog posts, we explained why we decided to develop the Badges App and how we evaluated the feasibility of our idea at OpsGenie :

Since we found that our idea is worth developing, the next step is analyzing the requirements.

Requirement analysis — a very well studied area of software engineering — is the process of determining user expectations for a product, or briefly defining the product scope. There are tons of available resources on requirements analysis methodologies, characteristics of good requirements and tracing requirements. Instead of repeating the literature, we are going to summarize the critical points in a startup thinking way.

We know, startup guys generally don’t like terms like “process”, “proof of concept”, “requirements”, “scope”, “schedule”, “design”, “documentation” or “maintainability”. Generally they are impatient and they just want to code and release. We accept that agility is vital in our world and we have to try, fail and recover fast. But benefiting from the heritage of the software world will help us on the way to success. The key point is keeping it agile.

Following a process is not an objective, it is a tool that helps us achieve our goals. So, let’s see how we can adopt classical approaches to our world in the context of requirements management.

The Project Management Triangle is a model of the constraints of software management. Despite the fact that it is an old concept from the 1950's, I think it is still relevant.

In summary, project management triangle says that the quality of work is constrained by the project’s budget , deadlines and features . There is a trade-off among these three constraints to achieve the necessary project quality. So we can say that software development is a multi-objective optimization problem .

We don’t like to constrain ourselves by classical approaches, so let’s adapt the old Project Management Triangle to the new startup world. Recall the Startup Success Factors that we mentioned at Feasibility Analysis post .

Here is how we map these success factors to the classical project management triangle:

As shown in the table above, all startup success factors relate to various project management triangle constraints. Since these three constraints are in a trade-off, we can say that keeping the scope neat is vital for the success of a startup.

To define a neat scope, we have to perform a good requirement analysis before starting the development. Please note that this does not mean we are going to perform a fully detailed requirement analysis just like defined in waterfall process. We are going to do it in agile way.

Tips for Requirement Analysis

In this section, we will provide important tips that you should keep in mind:

Inspect Alternative/Similar Products In Depth

As always, don’t reinvent the wheel. Check what others do to meet your objectives. Even you may end up realizing that your product does not seem to have business impact that you were thinking before.

This is a good sign to pivot your idea. It may seem like a failure, but remember, we have to fail as fast as possible .

Document your requirements

You don’t have to use a requirements management tool such as IBM Rational DOORS . But a short, bulleted requirements document will help negotiate with the stakeholders.

Keep Your (Potential) Customers In the Loop

I think this is one of the most important things about requirements development. A capability that you think that is killer may not make sense to the customers.

To keep your potential customers in the loop, you have to follow an iterative approach. You can do this by shipping an initial version of your product — Minimum Viable Product (MVP) — and evolving it according to customer feedback.

For example, Amazon Web Services team utilizes this approach frequently. They ship a service with minimum capabilities and evolve it based on customer feedback.

Another approach is to develop mock applications that just provide a dummy user interface (UI) to help potential customer to understand the product features and give feedback. You can use products like InvisionApp to produce these mocks.

Requirements Management is a Continuous Process

You don’t have to spend months for requirements analysis at the beginning of a project, and please don’t — it is not the agile way.

At the beginning, your objective is to define boundaries of the system, negotiate with the team and other stakeholders, and prepare the definition of the Minimum Viable Product. The requirements should be detailed or can even evolve during iterations of development.

Group your requirements

After you create a list all of your requirements, group them (divide and conquer) to form sets of related features. Grouping requirements to feature groups will ease your life during development phase and even it can help you to define bounded contexts , microservice architectures, and so on.

Think About UX

It is not necessary to say that User Experience (UX) is a very important factor in the success of a product anymore; today it is so obvious. But we have to still remind that User Experience is not just about fancy User Interfaces.

As the name implies, it is all about the “experience” and it is hard to improve a system’s UX after it is developed.

Think about UX starting from requirements analysis, it could even be a motivation during the feasibility analysis phase to develop a new product if available alternatives in the market lack good UX.

User Experience affects the business requirements. For example, if you are developing an e-commerce application, designing a fast responding customer support system is about improving the User Experience.

Be Agnostic of Implementation Technologies As Much As Possible

Of course this is not applicable if you are developing an infrastructure or a library for a specific technology :)

Don’t fall into “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” trap. Find new tools and utilities instead of limiting product capabilities to the technologies that you are familiar with or that you enjoy playing with.

In enterprise companies, requirements analysis is generally performed by non-software engineers who are generally known as business analysts or systems engineers. This separation has some disadvantages, especially in terms of transferring requirements to development teams, but I think it also has some advantages.

In my opinion, the biggest advantage of independent analysis teams is that they are agnostic of the technologies that will be used during development.

But in the startup world, most probably as a team member (or even as a founder), you have to wear multiple hats: analyst, developer, hiring manager, or even more interesting roles that you were not imagining when you get in this path. So, if you are wearing the analyst hat at the moment, try to be agnostic of the technologies that you are planning to use during implementation.

We consistently hear expressions like “but Spring Framework does not support …” and “This causes a lot of work on the front-end” during requirement analysis.

Considering these kind of limitations at the start degrades the quality of the end product. Let’s define the ultimate capability and evolve it during development if necessary.

Ultimate capability is the final goal to reach, you can implement a more simple form of it when you start and evolve it in future versions. But knowing the point that we want to reach will help us to define our vision for the growth of the product.

For example, think about “pinch-to-zoom” capability of mobile phones. It seems like a trivial capability but it was a revolution when Steve Jobs first demonstrated it . If the designers of iPhone didn’t think out-of-the-box and stuck to the available technologies and methods, we would not have this great functionality today. We know that it is an exaggerated example, but the main point is, don’t let the technology you would like to use limit you, you can move to other technologies if this will help you to create a niche product.

Requirements Analysis for Badges App

We performed requirements analysis according to the practices that we summarized above:

• We defined an initial set of requirements
• We shared the requirements with our initial customer — The OpsGenie team — and updated the requirements according to the team’s comments.
• At OpsGenie, we use Atlassian’s JIRA for issue tracking. To track the requirements, we created an issue with “New Feature” type for each requirement in JIRA.
• We grouped related requirements with JIRA Epics . Some of our epics are User Operations, Group Operations, Badge Operations, Endorsement and 3rd Party Tool Integration.
• In further steps of development, we created detailed issues for daily tasks, as Agile practices recommend. We linked each task with one or more requirements to keep traceability of development activities with requirements.
• Each epic contains a set of requirements (such as a New Feature), Development Tasks, and Bugs.

Want to follow our Badges app, or better, recommend new features and help us refine it? Join Badges App community!

Further reading:

Badges App: OpsGenie’s Response to Skill Tracking and Management Challenges As we see skill tracking and management as a crucial task for the healthy growth of our company, we invested in a… engineering.opsgenie.com How Did We Decide That Our New Product Idea Is Feasible? So, we have a new product idea, and we think that it’d be “useful,” “great” and further, “It will make the world a… engineering.opsgenie.com

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Home » Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation.

It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Case studies typically involve multiple sources of data, including interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts, which are analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory. The findings of a case study are often used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Types of Case Study

Types and Methods of Case Study are as follows:

Single-Case Study

A single-case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand a specific phenomenon in detail.

For Example , A researcher might conduct a single-case study on a particular individual to understand their experiences with a particular health condition or a specific organization to explore their management practices. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a single-case study are often used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Multiple-Case Study

A multiple-case study involves the analysis of several cases that are similar in nature. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to identify similarities and differences between the cases.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a multiple-case study on several companies to explore the factors that contribute to their success or failure. The researcher collects data from each case, compares and contrasts the findings, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as comparative analysis or pattern-matching. The findings of a multiple-case study can be used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Exploratory Case Study

An exploratory case study is used to explore a new or understudied phenomenon. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to generate hypotheses or theories about the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an exploratory case study on a new technology to understand its potential impact on society. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as grounded theory or content analysis. The findings of an exploratory case study can be used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Descriptive Case Study

A descriptive case study is used to describe a particular phenomenon in detail. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a descriptive case study on a particular community to understand its social and economic characteristics. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a descriptive case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Instrumental Case Study

An instrumental case study is used to understand a particular phenomenon that is instrumental in achieving a particular goal. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand the role of the phenomenon in achieving the goal.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an instrumental case study on a particular policy to understand its impact on achieving a particular goal, such as reducing poverty. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of an instrumental case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Case Study Data Collection Methods

Here are some common data collection methods for case studies:

Interviews involve asking questions to individuals who have knowledge or experience relevant to the case study. Interviews can be structured (where the same questions are asked to all participants) or unstructured (where the interviewer follows up on the responses with further questions). Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing.

Observations

Observations involve watching and recording the behavior and activities of individuals or groups relevant to the case study. Observations can be participant (where the researcher actively participates in the activities) or non-participant (where the researcher observes from a distance). Observations can be recorded using notes, audio or video recordings, or photographs.

Documents can be used as a source of information for case studies. Documents can include reports, memos, emails, letters, and other written materials related to the case study. Documents can be collected from the case study participants or from public sources.

Surveys involve asking a set of questions to a sample of individuals relevant to the case study. Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, through mail or email, or online. Surveys can be used to gather information on attitudes, opinions, or behaviors related to the case study.

Artifacts are physical objects relevant to the case study. Artifacts can include tools, equipment, products, or other objects that provide insights into the case study phenomenon.

How to conduct Case Study Research

Conducting a case study research involves several steps that need to be followed to ensure the quality and rigor of the study. Here are the steps to conduct case study research:

• Define the research questions: The first step in conducting a case study research is to define the research questions. The research questions should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the case study phenomenon under investigation.
• Select the case: The next step is to select the case or cases to be studied. The case should be relevant to the research questions and should provide rich and diverse data that can be used to answer the research questions.
• Collect data: Data can be collected using various methods, such as interviews, observations, documents, surveys, and artifacts. The data collection method should be selected based on the research questions and the nature of the case study phenomenon.
• Analyze the data: The data collected from the case study should be analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or grounded theory. The analysis should be guided by the research questions and should aim to provide insights and conclusions relevant to the research questions.
• Draw conclusions: The conclusions drawn from the case study should be based on the data analysis and should be relevant to the research questions. The conclusions should be supported by evidence and should be clearly stated.
• Validate the findings: The findings of the case study should be validated by reviewing the data and the analysis with participants or other experts in the field. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Write the report: The final step is to write the report of the case study research. The report should provide a clear description of the case study phenomenon, the research questions, the data collection methods, the data analysis, the findings, and the conclusions. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner and should follow the guidelines for academic writing.

Examples of Case Study

Here are some examples of case study research:

• The Hawthorne Studies : Conducted between 1924 and 1932, the Hawthorne Studies were a series of case studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues to examine the impact of work environment on employee productivity. The studies were conducted at the Hawthorne Works plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago and included interviews, observations, and experiments.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, the Stanford Prison Experiment was a case study conducted by Philip Zimbardo to examine the psychological effects of power and authority. The study involved simulating a prison environment and assigning participants to the role of guards or prisoners. The study was controversial due to the ethical issues it raised.
• The Challenger Disaster: The Challenger Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. The study included interviews, observations, and analysis of data to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.
• The Enron Scandal: The Enron Scandal was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Enron Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2001. The study included interviews, analysis of financial data, and review of documents to identify the accounting practices, corporate culture, and ethical issues that led to the company’s downfall.
• The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster : The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The study included interviews, analysis of data, and review of documents to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.

Application of Case Study

Case studies have a wide range of applications across various fields and industries. Here are some examples:

Business and Management

Case studies are widely used in business and management to examine real-life situations and develop problem-solving skills. Case studies can help students and professionals to develop a deep understanding of business concepts, theories, and best practices.

Case studies are used in healthcare to examine patient care, treatment options, and outcomes. Case studies can help healthcare professionals to develop critical thinking skills, diagnose complex medical conditions, and develop effective treatment plans.

Case studies are used in education to examine teaching and learning practices. Case studies can help educators to develop effective teaching strategies, evaluate student progress, and identify areas for improvement.

Social Sciences

Case studies are widely used in social sciences to examine human behavior, social phenomena, and cultural practices. Case studies can help researchers to develop theories, test hypotheses, and gain insights into complex social issues.

Law and Ethics

Case studies are used in law and ethics to examine legal and ethical dilemmas. Case studies can help lawyers, policymakers, and ethical professionals to develop critical thinking skills, analyze complex cases, and make informed decisions.

Purpose of Case Study

The purpose of a case study is to provide a detailed analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. A case study is a qualitative research method that involves the in-depth exploration and analysis of a particular case, which can be an individual, group, organization, event, or community.

The primary purpose of a case study is to generate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case, including its history, context, and dynamics. Case studies can help researchers to identify and examine the underlying factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and detailed understanding of the case, which can inform future research, practice, or policy.

Case studies can also serve other purposes, including:

• Illustrating a theory or concept: Case studies can be used to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and frameworks, providing concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Developing hypotheses: Case studies can help to generate hypotheses about the causal relationships between different factors and outcomes, which can be tested through further research.
• Providing insight into complex issues: Case studies can provide insights into complex and multifaceted issues, which may be difficult to understand through other research methods.
• Informing practice or policy: Case studies can be used to inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.

Advantages of Case Study Research

There are several advantages of case study research, including:

• In-depth exploration: Case study research allows for a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. This can provide a comprehensive understanding of the case and its dynamics, which may not be possible through other research methods.
• Rich data: Case study research can generate rich and detailed data, including qualitative data such as interviews, observations, and documents. This can provide a nuanced understanding of the case and its complexity.
• Holistic perspective: Case study research allows for a holistic perspective of the case, taking into account the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the case.
• Theory development: Case study research can help to develop and refine theories and concepts by providing empirical evidence and concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Practical application: Case study research can inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.
• Contextualization: Case study research takes into account the specific context in which the case is situated, which can help to understand how the case is influenced by the social, cultural, and historical factors of its environment.

Limitations of Case Study Research

There are several limitations of case study research, including:

• Limited generalizability : Case studies are typically focused on a single case or a small number of cases, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The unique characteristics of the case may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, which may limit the external validity of the research.
• Biased sampling: Case studies may rely on purposive or convenience sampling, which can introduce bias into the sample selection process. This may limit the representativeness of the sample and the generalizability of the findings.
• Subjectivity: Case studies rely on the interpretation of the researcher, which can introduce subjectivity into the analysis. The researcher’s own biases, assumptions, and perspectives may influence the findings, which may limit the objectivity of the research.
• Limited control: Case studies are typically conducted in naturalistic settings, which limits the control that the researcher has over the environment and the variables being studied. This may limit the ability to establish causal relationships between variables.
• Time-consuming: Case studies can be time-consuming to conduct, as they typically involve a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific case. This may limit the feasibility of conducting multiple case studies or conducting case studies in a timely manner.
• Resource-intensive: Case studies may require significant resources, including time, funding, and expertise. This may limit the ability of researchers to conduct case studies in resource-constrained settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Software Requirements Analysis with Example

For example, in context to banking application the functional requirement will be when customer selects “View Balance” they must be able to look at their latest account balance.

Software requirement can also be a non-functional, it can be a performance requirement. For example, a non-functional requirement is where every page of the system should be visible to the users within 5 seconds.

So, basically software requirement is a

• Functional or
• Non-functional

need that has to be implemented into the system. Software requirement are usually expressed as a statements.

On Jira Software Website

On Monday Website

On Zoho Assist Website

Types of Requirements

• Business requirements : They are high-level requirements that are taken from the business case from the projects.For example, a mobile banking service system provides banking services to Southeast Asia. The business requirement that is decided for India is account summary and fund transfer while for China account summary and bill payment is decided as a business requirement

• Architectural and Design requirements : These requirements are more detailed than business requirements. It determines the overall design required to implement the business requirement.For our educational organization the architectural and design use cases would be login, course detail, etc. The requirement would be as shown below.

• System and Integration requirements : At the lowest level, we have system and integration requirements. It is detailed description of each and every requirement. It can be in form of user stories which is really describing everyday business language. The requirements are in abundant details so that developers can begin coding.Here in example of Bill Payment module where requirement will be mentioned for adding a Biller

Other Sources of Requirements

• Knowledge transfer from colleagues or employees already working on that project
• Talk about project to business analyst, product manager, project lead and developers
• Analyze previous system version that is already implemented into the system
• Analyze the older requirement document of the project
• Look into the past Bug reports, some of the bug reports are turned into enhancement request which may be implemented into current version
• Look into installation guide if it is available to see what are the installation required
• Analyze the domain or industry knowledge that team is trying to implement

Whatever source of requirement you get make sure to document them in some form, get them reviewed from other experienced and knowledgeable team members.

How to Analyze Requirements

Consider example of an educational software system where a student can register for different courses.

Lets study how to analyze the requirements. The requirements must maintain a standard quality of its requirement, different types of requirement quality includes

• Uniquely identified
• Consistent and unambiguous

Prioritized

Let understand this with an example, there are three columns in the table shown here,

• The first column indicates- “requirement quality”
• The second column indicates- “bad requirement with some problem”
• The third column is same as second column but – “converted into a good requirement”.

So each and every requirement you have should be atomic, which means it should be at very low level of details it should not be possible to separated out into components. Here we will see the two examples for requirements, at Atomic and uniquely identified requirements levels.

So let us continue with example of system build for education domain. Here, the bad requirement is “Students will be able to enroll to undergraduate and post graduate courses” . This is a bad requirement because it is not atomic because it talks about two different entities undergraduates and post-graduates courses. So obviously it is not a good requirement but bad requirement, so correspondence good requirement would be to separate it out into two requirements. So one talks about the enrolment to undergraduate courses while the other talks about the enrolment to the post-graduate courses.

Uniquely Identified

Similarly the next requirement quality is to check for uniquely identified, here we have two separate requirement but they both have same ID#1. So, if we are referring our requirement with reference to ID#, but it is not clear which exact requirement we are referring to document or other part of the system as both have same ID#1. So separating out with unique id’s, so good requirement will be re-return as section 1- course enrolments, and it has two requirements 1.1 id is enrolment to undergraduate courses while 1.2 id is enrolment to postgraduate courses.

Also, each and every requirement should be complete. For example, here the bad requirement says a “professor user will log into the system by providing his username, password and other relevant information”. Here the other relevant information is not clear, so the other relevant information should be spelt out in good requirement to make the requirement complete.

Consistent and Unambiguous

Next each and every requirement should be consistent and unambiguous, so here for instance we have requirements “A student will have either undergraduate courses or post-graduate courses but not both” this is one requirement there is some other requirement that says “Some courses will be open to both under-graduate and post-graduate students”.

The problem in this requirement is that from the first requirement it seems that the courses are divided into two categories under graduate courses and post graduate courses and student can opt either of two but not both. But when you read other requirement it conflicts with the first requirement and it tells that some courses will open to both post-graduate and under-graduate.

So it is obvious to convert this bad requirement into good requirement which is “A student will have either under-graduate courses or post-graduate courses but not both”. Which means that every course will be marked either being as under-graduate course or post-graduate course

Each and every requirement should be traceable because there are already different levels of requirement, we already saw that at the top we had business requirements, and then we have an architectural and design requirements followed by system integration requirements.

Now when we convert business requirement into architectural and design requirements or we convert architectural and design requirements to system integration requirements there has to be traceability. Which means that we should be able to take each and every business requirements and map it to the corresponding one or more software architectural and design requirement. So here is an example of bad requirement that says “Maintain student information – mapped to BRD req ID?” the requirement id is not given over here.

So converting it to a good requirement it says same thing but it is mapped with the requirement id 4.1. So mapping should be there for each and every requirement. Same way we have high level and low level mapping requirement, the mapping is also there between system and integration requirement to the code that implements that requirement and also there is a mapping between the system and integration requirement to the test case which test that particular requirement.

So this traceability is all across entire project

Then each and every requirement must be prioritized, so the team has guideline so which requirement that able to implement first and which can be done later on. Here you can see the bad priority has register student, maintain user information and each and every requirement has given priority-1. Everything cannot be at same priority, so requirement can be prioritized. So the example of good requirement over here is the register student and enroll courses is given the highest priority 1, while maintain user information comes below at priority 2 and then we have view report card at priority-3

Each and every requirement should be testable, here the bad requirement is “each page of the system will load in an acceptable time frame”. Now there are two problems with this requirement first is that each page meaning that there can be many pages, which going to blow up the testing efforts. The other problem is that it say the page is going to load in acceptable time frame, now what is acceptable time frame? Acceptable to whom. So we have to convert the non-testable argument into a testable argument, which specifically tells about which page we are talking about “register student and enroll courses pages” and the acceptable time frame is also given which is 5 seconds.

So this is how we have to look at each and every requirement at appropriate level. For example, if we are going to build a software with regards to system and integration requirements. We have to look in system and integration requirements given in the software requirement specifications or user stories and apply to each and every requirement quality. Then check whether each and every requirement is atomic, uniquely identified, and complete and so on.

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Writing A Case Study

A Complete Case Study Writing Guide With Examples

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Simple Case Study Format for Students to Follow

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Brilliant Case Study Examples and Templates For Your Help

Many writers find themselves grappling with the challenge of crafting persuasive and engaging case studies. 

The process can be overwhelming, leaving them unsure where to begin or how to structure their study effectively. And, without a clear plan, it's tough to show the value and impact in a convincing way.

But don’t worry!

In this blog, we'll guide you through a systematic process, offering step-by-step instructions on crafting a compelling case study. 

Along the way, we'll share valuable tips and illustrative examples to enhance your understanding. So, let’s get started.

• 1. What is a Case Study? 
• 2. Types of Case Studies
• 3. How To Write a Case Study - 9 Steps
• 4. Case Study Methods
• 5. Case Study Format
• 6. Case Study Examples
• 7. Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies

What is a Case Study? 

A case study is a detailed analysis and examination of a particular subject, situation, or phenomenon. It involves comprehensive research to gain a deep understanding of the context and variables involved. 

Typically used in academic, business, and marketing settings, case studies aim to explore real-life scenarios, providing insights into challenges, solutions, and outcomes. They serve as valuable tools for learning, decision-making, and showcasing success stories.

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Types of Case Studies

Case studies come in various forms, each tailored to address specific objectives and areas of interest. Here are some of the main types of case studies :

• Illustrative Case Studies: These focus on describing a particular situation or event, providing a detailed account to enhance understanding.
• Exploratory Case Studies: Aimed at investigating an issue and generating initial insights, these studies are particularly useful when exploring new or complex topics.
• Explanatory Case Studies: These delve into the cause-and-effect relationships within a given scenario, aiming to explain why certain outcomes occurred.
• Intrinsic Case Studies: Concentrating on a specific case that holds intrinsic value, these studies explore the unique qualities of the subject itself.
• Instrumental Case Studies: These are conducted to understand a broader issue and use the specific case as a means to gain insights into the larger context.
• Collective Case Studies: Involving the study of multiple cases, this type allows for comparisons and contrasts, offering a more comprehensive view of a phenomenon or problem.

How To Write a Case Study - 9 Steps

Crafting an effective case study involves a structured approach to ensure clarity, engagement, and relevance. 

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a compelling case study:

Step 1: Define Your Objective

Before diving into the writing process, clearly define the purpose of your case study. Identify the key questions you want to answer and the specific goals you aim to achieve. 

Whether it's to showcase a successful project, analyze a problem, or demonstrate the effectiveness of a solution, a well-defined objective sets the foundation for a focused and impactful case study.

Step 2: Conduct Thorough Research

Gather all relevant information and data related to your chosen case. This may include interviews, surveys, documentation, and statistical data. 

Ensure that your research is comprehensive, covering all aspects of the case to provide a well-rounded and accurate portrayal. 

The more thorough your research, the stronger your case study's foundation will be.

Step 3: Introduction: Set the Stage

Begin your case study with a compelling introduction that grabs the reader's attention. Clearly state the subject and the primary issue or challenge faced. 

Engage your audience by setting the stage for the narrative, creating intrigue, and highlighting the significance of the case.

Step 4: Present the Background Information

Provide context by presenting the background information of the case. Explore relevant history, industry trends, and any other factors that contribute to a deeper understanding of the situation. 

This section sets the stage for readers, allowing them to comprehend the broader context before delving into the specifics of the case.

Step 5: Outline the Challenges Faced

Identify and articulate the challenges or problems encountered in the case. Clearly define the obstacles that needed to be overcome, emphasizing their significance. 

This section sets the stakes for your audience and prepares them for the subsequent exploration of solutions.

Step 6: Detail the Solutions Implemented

Describe the strategies, actions, or solutions applied to address the challenges outlined. Be specific about the decision-making process, the rationale behind the chosen solutions, and any alternatives considered. 

This part of the case study demonstrates problem-solving skills and showcases the effectiveness of the implemented measures.

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Step 7: Showcase Measurable Results

Present tangible outcomes and results achieved as a direct consequence of the implemented solutions. Use data, metrics, and success stories to quantify the impact. 

Whether it's increased revenue, improved efficiency, or positive customer feedback, measurable results add credibility and validation to your case study.

Step 8: Include Engaging Visuals

Enhance the readability and visual appeal of your case study by incorporating relevant visuals such as charts, graphs, images, and infographics. 

Visual elements not only break up the text but also provide a clearer representation of data and key points, making your case study more engaging and accessible.

Step 9: Provide a Compelling Conclusion

Wrap up your case study with a strong and conclusive summary. Revisit the initial objectives, recap key findings, and emphasize the overall success or significance of the case. 

This section should leave a lasting impression on your readers, reinforcing the value of the presented information.

Case Study Methods

The methods employed in case study writing are diverse and flexible, catering to the unique characteristics of each case. Here are common methods used in case study writing:

Conducting one-on-one or group interviews with individuals involved in the case to gather firsthand information, perspectives, and insights.

• Observation

Directly observing the subject or situation to collect data on behaviors, interactions, and contextual details.

• Document Analysis

Examining existing documents, records, reports, and other written materials relevant to the case to gather information and insights.

• Surveys and Questionnaires

Distributing structured surveys or questionnaires to relevant stakeholders to collect quantitative data on specific aspects of the case.

• Participant Observation

Combining direct observation with active participation in the activities or events related to the case to gain an insider's perspective.

• Triangulation

Using multiple methods (e.g., interviews, observation, and document analysis) to cross-verify and validate the findings, enhancing the study's reliability.

• Ethnography

Immersing the researcher in the subject's environment over an extended period, focusing on understanding the cultural context and social dynamics.

Case Study Format

Effectively presenting your case study is as crucial as the content itself. Follow these formatting guidelines to ensure clarity and engagement:

• Opt for fonts that are easy to read, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Maintain a consistent font size, typically 12 points for the body text.
• Aim for double-line spacing to maintain clarity and prevent overwhelming the reader with too much text.
• Utilize bullet points to present information in a concise and easily scannable format.
• Use numbered lists when presenting a sequence of steps or a chronological order of events.
• Bold or italicize key phrases or important terms to draw attention to critical points.
• Use underline sparingly, as it can sometimes be distracting in digital formats.
• Choose the left alignment style.
• Use hierarchy to distinguish between different levels of headings, making it easy for readers to navigate.

If you're still having trouble organizing your case study, check out this blog on case study format for helpful insights.

Case Study Examples

If you want to understand how to write a case study, examples are a fantastic way to learn. That's why we've gathered a collection of intriguing case study examples for you to review before you begin writing.

Case Study Research Example

Case Study Template

Case Study Introduction Example

Amazon Case Study Example

Business Case Study Example

APA Format Case Study Example

Psychology Case Study Example

Medical Case Study Example

UX Case Study Example

Looking for more examples? Check out our blog on case study examples for your inspiration!

Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies

Case studies are a versatile and in-depth research method, providing a nuanced understanding of complex phenomena. 

However, like any research approach, case studies come with their set of benefits and limitations. Some of them are given below:

Tips for Writing an Effective Case Study

Here are some important tips for writing a good case study:

• Clearly articulate specific, measurable research questions aligned with your objectives.
• Identify whether your case study is exploratory, explanatory, intrinsic, or instrumental.
• Choose a case that aligns with your research questions, whether it involves an individual case or a group of people through multiple case studies.
• Explore the option of conducting multiple case studies to enhance the breadth and depth of your findings.
• Present a structured format with clear sections, ensuring readability and alignment with the type of research.
• Clearly define the significance of the problem or challenge addressed in your case study, tying it back to your research questions.
• Collect and include quantitative and qualitative data to support your analysis and address the identified research questions.
• Provide sufficient detail without overwhelming your audience, ensuring a comprehensive yet concise presentation.
• Emphasize how your findings can be practically applied to real-world situations, linking back to your research objectives.
• Acknowledge and transparently address any limitations in your study, ensuring a comprehensive and unbiased approach.

To sum it up, creating a good case study involves careful thinking to share valuable insights and keep your audience interested. 

Stick to basics like having clear questions and understanding your research type. Choose the right case and keep things organized and balanced.

Remember, your case study should tackle a problem, use relevant data, and show how it can be applied in real life. Be honest about any limitations, and finish with a clear call-to-action to encourage further exploration.

However, if you are having issues understanding how to write a case study, it is best to hire MyPerfectWords.com 's Professional service.  Hiring our custom essay service will ensure that you will get the best grades on your essay without any stress of a deadline. 

So be sure to check out case study writing service online and stay up to the mark with your grades. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a case study.

The objective of a case study is to do intensive research on a specific matter, such as individuals or communities. It's often used for academic purposes where you want the reader to know all factors involved in your subject while also understanding the processes at play.

What are the sources of a case study?

Some common sources of a case study include:

• Archival records
• Direct observations and encounters
• Participant observation
• Facts and statistics
• Physical artifacts

What is the sample size of a case study?

A normally acceptable size of a case study is 30-50. However, the final number depends on the scope of your study and the on-ground demographic realities.

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• J Can Chiropr Assoc
• v.52(4); 2008 Dec

Guidelines to the writing of case studies

Dr. brian budgell.

* Département chiropratique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351, boul des Forges, Trois-Rivières, Qc, Canada G9A 5H7

Dr. Brian Budgell, DC, PhD, JCCA Editorial Board

• Introduction

Case studies are an invaluable record of the clinical practices of a profession. While case studies cannot provide specific guidance for the management of successive patients, they are a record of clinical interactions which help us to frame questions for more rigorously designed clinical studies. Case studies also provide valuable teaching material, demonstrating both classical and unusual presentations which may confront the practitioner. Quite obviously, since the overwhelming majority of clinical interactions occur in the field, not in teaching or research facilities, it falls to the field practitioner to record and pass on their experiences. However, field practitioners generally are not well-practised in writing for publication, and so may hesitate to embark on the task of carrying a case study to publication. These guidelines are intended to assist the relatively novice writer – practitioner or student – in efficiently navigating the relatively easy course to publication of a quality case study. Guidelines are not intended to be proscriptive, and so throughout this document we advise what authors “may” or “should” do, rather than what they “must” do. Authors may decide that the particular circumstances of their case study justify digression from our recommendations.

Additional and useful resources for chiropractic case studies include:

• Waalen JK. Single subject research designs. J Can Chirop Assoc 1991; 35(2):95–97.
• Gleberzon BJ. A peer-reviewer’s plea. J Can Chirop Assoc 2006; 50(2):107.
• Merritt L. Case reports: an important contribution to chiropractic literature. J Can Chiropr Assoc 2007; 51(2):72–74.

Portions of these guidelines were derived from Budgell B. Writing a biomedical research paper. Tokyo: Springer Japan KK, 2008.

General Instructions

This set of guidelines provides both instructions and a template for the writing of case reports for publication. You might want to skip forward and take a quick look at the template now, as we will be using it as the basis for your own case study later on. While the guidelines and template contain much detail, your finished case study should be only 500 to 1,500 words in length. Therefore, you will need to write efficiently and avoid unnecessarily flowery language.

These guidelines for the writing of case studies are designed to be consistent with the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals” referenced elsewhere in the JCCA instructions to authors.

After this brief introduction, the guidelines below will follow the headings of our template. Hence, it is possible to work section by section through the template to quickly produce a first draft of your study. To begin with, however, you must have a clear sense of the value of the study which you wish to describe. Therefore, before beginning to write the study itself, you should gather all of the materials relevant to the case – clinical notes, lab reports, x-rays etc. – and form a clear picture of the story that you wish to share with your profession. At the most superficial level, you may want to ask yourself “What is interesting about this case?” Keep your answer in mind as your write, because sometimes we become lost in our writing and forget the message that we want to convey.

Another important general rule for writing case studies is to stick to the facts. A case study should be a fairly modest description of what actually happened. Speculation about underlying mechanisms of the disease process or treatment should be restrained. Field practitioners and students are seldom well-prepared to discuss physiology or pathology. This is best left to experts in those fields. The thing of greatest value that you can provide to your colleagues is an honest record of clinical events.

Finally, remember that a case study is primarily a chronicle of a patient’s progress, not a story about chiropractic. Editorial or promotional remarks do not belong in a case study, no matter how great our enthusiasm. It is best to simply tell the story and let the outcome speak for itself. With these points in mind, let’s begin the process of writing the case study:

• Title: The title page will contain the full title of the article. Remember that many people may find our article by searching on the internet. They may have to decide, just by looking at the title, whether or not they want to access the full article. A title which is vague or non-specific may not attract their attention. Thus, our title should contain the phrase “case study,” “case report” or “case series” as is appropriate to the contents. The two most common formats of titles are nominal and compound. A nominal title is a single phrase, for example “A case study of hypertension which responded to spinal manipulation.” A compound title consists of two phrases in succession, for example “Response of hypertension to spinal manipulation: a case study.” Keep in mind that titles of articles in leading journals average between 8 and 9 words in length.
• Other contents for the title page should be as in the general JCCA instructions to authors. Remember that for a case study, we would not expect to have more than one or two authors. In order to be listed as an author, a person must have an intellectual stake in the writing – at the very least they must be able to explain and even defend the article. Someone who has only provided technical assistance, as valuable as that may be, may be acknowledged at the end of the article, but would not be listed as an author. Contact information – either home or institutional – should be provided for each author along with the authors’ academic qualifications. If there is more than one author, one author must be identified as the corresponding author – the person whom people should contact if they have questions or comments about the study.
• Key words: Provide key words under which the article will be listed. These are the words which would be used when searching for the article using a search engine such as Medline. When practical, we should choose key words from a standard list of keywords, such as MeSH (Medical subject headings). A copy of MeSH is available in most libraries. If we can’t access a copy and we want to make sure that our keywords are included in the MeSH library, we can visit this address: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/meshbrowser.cgi

A narrative abstract consists of a short version of the whole paper. There are no headings within the narrative abstract. The author simply tries to summarize the paper into a story which flows logically.

A structured abstract uses subheadings. Structured abstracts are becoming more popular for basic scientific and clinical studies, since they standardize the abstract and ensure that certain information is included. This is very useful for readers who search for articles on the internet. Often the abstract is displayed by a search engine, and on the basis of the abstract the reader will decide whether or not to download the full article (which may require payment of a fee). With a structured abstract, the reader is more likely to be given the information which they need to decide whether to go on to the full article, and so this style is encouraged. The JCCA recommends the use of structured abstracts for case studies.

Since they are summaries, both narrative and structured abstracts are easier to write once we have finished the rest of the article. We include a template for a structured abstract and encourage authors to make use of it. Our sub-headings will be:

• Introduction: This consists of one or two sentences to describe the context of the case and summarize the entire article.
• Case presentation: Several sentences describe the history and results of any examinations performed. The working diagnosis and management of the case are described.
• Management and Outcome: Simply describe the course of the patient’s complaint. Where possible, make reference to any outcome measures which you used to objectively demonstrate how the patient’s condition evolved through the course of management.
• Discussion: Synthesize the foregoing subsections and explain both correlations and apparent inconsistencies. If appropriate to the case, within one or two sentences describe the lessons to be learned.
• Introduction: At the beginning of these guidelines we suggested that we need to have a clear idea of what is particularly interesting about the case we want to describe. The introduction is where we convey this to the reader. It is useful to begin by placing the study in a historical or social context. If similar cases have been reported previously, we describe them briefly. If there is something especially challenging about the diagnosis or management of the condition that we are describing, now is our chance to bring that out. Each time we refer to a previous study, we cite the reference (usually at the end of the sentence). Our introduction doesn’t need to be more than a few paragraphs long, and our objective is to have the reader understand clearly, but in a general sense, why it is useful for them to be reading about this case.

The next step is to describe the results of our clinical examination. Again, we should write in an efficient narrative style, restricting ourselves to the relevant information. It is not necessary to include every detail in our clinical notes.

If we are using a named orthopedic or neurological test, it is best to both name and describe the test (since some people may know the test by a different name). Also, we should describe the actual results, since not all readers will have the same understanding of what constitutes a “positive” or “negative” result.

X-rays or other images are only helpful if they are clear enough to be easily reproduced and if they are accompanied by a legend. Be sure that any information that might identify a patient is removed before the image is submitted.

At this point, or at the beginning of the next section, we will want to present our working diagnosis or clinical impression of the patient.

It is useful for the reader to know how long the patient was under care and how many times they were treated. Additionally, we should be as specific as possible in describing the treatment that we used. It does not help the reader to simply say that the patient received “chiropractic care.” Exactly what treatment did we use? If we used spinal manipulation, it is best to name the technique, if a common name exists, and also to describe the manipulation. Remember that our case study may be read by people who are not familiar with spinal manipulation, and, even within chiropractic circles, nomenclature for technique is not well standardized.

We may want to include the patient’s own reports of improvement or worsening. However, whenever possible we should try to use a well-validated method of measuring their improvement. For case studies, it may be possible to use data from visual analogue scales (VAS) for pain, or a journal of medication usage.

It is useful to include in this section an indication of how and why treatment finished. Did we decide to terminate care, and if so, why? Did the patient withdraw from care or did we refer them to another practitioner?

• Discussion: In this section we may want to identify any questions that the case raises. It is not our duty to provide a complete physiological explanation for everything that we observed. This is usually impossible. Nor should we feel obligated to list or generate all of the possible hypotheses that might explain the course of the patient’s condition. If there is a well established item of physiology or pathology which illuminates the case, we certainly include it, but remember that we are writing what is primarily a clinical chronicle, not a basic scientific paper. Finally, we summarize the lessons learned from this case.
• Acknowledgments: If someone provided assistance with the preparation of the case study, we thank them briefly. It is neither necessary nor conventional to thank the patient (although we appreciate what they have taught us). It would generally be regarded as excessive and inappropriate to thank others, such as teachers or colleagues who did not directly participate in preparation of the paper.

A popular search engine for English-language references is Medline: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

• Legends: If we used any tables, figures or photographs, they should be accompanied by a succinct explanation. A good rule for graphs is that they should contain sufficient information to be generally decipherable without reference to a legend.
• Tables, figures and photographs should be included at the end of the manuscript.
• Permissions: If any tables, figures or photographs, or substantial quotations, have been borrowed from other publications, we must include a letter of permission from the publisher. Also, if we use any photographs which might identify a patient, we will need their written permission.

In addition, patient consent to publish the case report is also required.

Running Header:

• Name, academic degrees and affiliation

Name, address and telephone number of corresponding author

Disclaimers

Statement that patient consent was obtained

Sources of financial support, if any

Key words: (limit of five)

Abstract: (maximum of 150 words)

• Case Presentation
• Management and Outcome

Introduction:

Provide a context for the case and describe any similar cases previously reported.

Case Presentation:

• Introductory sentence: e.g. This 25 year old female office worker presented for the treatment of recurrent headaches.
• Describe the essential nature of the complaint, including location, intensity and associated symptoms: e.g. Her headaches are primarily in the suboccipital region, bilaterally but worse on the right. Sometimes there is radiation towards the right temple. She describes the pain as having an intensity of up to 5 out of ten, accompanied by a feeling of tension in the back of the head. When the pain is particularly bad, she feels that her vision is blurred.
• Further development of history including details of time and circumstances of onset, and the evolution of the complaint: e.g. This problem began to develop three years ago when she commenced work as a data entry clerk. Her headaches have increased in frequency in the past year, now occurring three to four days per week.
• Describe relieving and aggravating factors, including responses to other treatment: e.g. The pain seems to be worse towards the end of the work day and is aggravated by stress. Aspirin provides some relieve. She has not sought any other treatment.
• Include other health history, if relevant: e.g. Otherwise the patient reports that she is in good health.
• Include family history, if relevant: e.g. There is no family history of headaches.
• Summarize the results of examination, which might include general observation and postural analysis, orthopedic exam, neurological exam and chiropractic examination (static and motion palpation): e.g. Examination revealed an otherwise fit-looking young woman with slight anterior carriage of the head. Cervical active ranges of motion were full and painless except for some slight restriction of left lateral bending and rotation of the head to the left. These motions were accompanied by discomfort in the right side of the neck. Cervical compression of the neck in the neutral position did not create discomfort. However, compression of the neck in right rotation and extension produced some right suboccipital pain. Cranial nerve examination was normal. Upper limb motor, sensory and reflex functions were normal. With the patient in the supine position, static palpation revealed tender trigger points bilaterally in the cervical musculature and right trapezius. Motion palpation revealed restrictions of right and left rotation in the upper cervical spine, and restriction of left lateral bending in the mid to lower cervical spine. Blood pressure was 110/70. Houle’s test (holding the neck in extension and rotation for 30 seconds) did not produce nystagmus or dizziness. There were no carotid bruits.
• The patient was diagnosed with cervicogenic headache due to chronic postural strain.

Management and Outcome:

• Describe as specifically as possible the treatment provided, including the nature of the treatment, and the frequency and duration of care: e.g. The patient undertook a course of treatment consisting of cervical and upper thoracic spinal manipulation three times per week for two weeks. Manipulation was accompanied by trigger point therapy to the paraspinal muscles and stretching of the upper trapezius. Additionally, advice was provided concerning maintenance of proper posture at work. The patient was also instructed in the use of a cervical pillow.
• If possible, refer to objective measures of the patient’s progress: e.g. The patient maintained a headache diary indicating that she had two headaches during the first week of care, and one headache the following week. Furthermore the intensity of her headaches declined throughout the course of treatment.
• Describe the resolution of care: e.g. Based on the patient’s reported progress during the first two weeks of care, she received an additional two treatments in each of the subsequent two weeks. During the last week of care she experienced no headaches and reported feeling generally more energetic than before commencing care. Following a total of four weeks of care (10 treatments) she was discharged.

Discussion:

Synthesize foregoing sections: e.g. The distinction between migraine and cervicogenic headache is not always clear. However, this case demonstrates several features …

Summarize the case and any lessons learned: e.g. This case demonstrates a classical presentation of cervicogenic headache which resolved quickly with a course of spinal manipulation, supportive soft-tissue therapy and postural advice.

References: (using Vancouver style) e.g.

1 Terret AGJ. Vertebrogenic hearing deficit, the spine and spinal manipulation therapy: a search to validate the DD Palmer/Harvey Lillard experience. Chiropr J Aust 2002; 32:14–26.

Legends: (tables, figures or images are numbered according to the order in which they appear in the text.) e.g.

Figure 1: Intensity of headaches as recorded on a visual analogue scale (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis) during the four weeks that the patient was under care. Treatment was given on days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 22 and 25. Headache frequency and intensity is seen to fall over time.

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Requirement one, two and three in the Case Study exam

Published: 15 Sep 2021 Update History

Requirement one

Requirement two, requirement three, tips for success.

In this guide we will explain the rationale of each requirement of the Case Study exam. In each section you will see the theme or focus of each requirement, how the marking keys are structured, helping you to better plan your answers during the exam, the meaning of each of the professional skills within each exam requirement and tips for success.

This series of Case Study exam resources will cover everything you need to know to prepare for the Case Study exam. This includes:

• Introduction to the Case Study exam
• How to approach the advance information
• Using the advance information during the Case Study exam
• A guide on Requirements one, two and three
• An overview of the Executive Summary
• How to prepare to retake the Case Study exam

The examiners refer to this as the 'financial statement analysis' section of the exam. In broad terms you are required to provide a financial commentary, eg, explaining to a non-financial audience how the business has performed over the last year, how this compares to past performance and current expectations, and, what this means for the future.

In terms of approaching Requirement one bear this in mind; you are trying to 'make the numbers talk'. Remember your audience are not financial experts, they will not understand for example why a growth in sales does not result in growing profits, or why profits do not translate into cash. It is your job to communicate this analysis in plain terms.

The marking key informs us how each of the four professional skills are rewarded in Requirement one (A marks plan can be found here ):

• Assimilating and using information (AUI) - basic financial analysis, using relevant facts to support your analysis.
• Structuring problems and solutions (SPS) - granular financial analysis eg explaining how the movements in  individual revenue and costs lines resulted in the overall movements seen on the face of the Profit or Loss account. Identifying 'other' issues points of discussion eg why profits do not equal cash.
• Applying judgement (AJ) - explain why the movements in individual revenue and cost lines occurred, and what these movements mean for business as a whole. Evaluating 'other' issues points of discussion eg, what steps the company can take to improve cashflows.
• Conclusions and recommendations (C&R) - concluding on the main Profit or Loss account movements, and recommending the steps the business should take to deal with immediate issues and to improve its financial performance in the future.

Requirement one is the section of the report that is best-answered, due largely to the consistent approach of the examiners, and its closeness to the core competencies of an accountant, eg, you will always be asked to commentate of the profit and loss performance year-on-year. However, you will note that the final SPS and AJ mark boxes are reserved for 'other issues' and while these issues can always be found in the advance information, it is not possible to know which of these issues in the advance information will be tested in the exam.

The examiners refer to this as the 'financial data analysis' section of the exam. In most cases this will require you to re-model a 'set-piece' calculation in the exam under a new set of assumptions. You will then be asked to evaluate the assumptions you have been asked to make, assessing the impact that these assumptions will have if they are unreliable. Finally, you will need to consider any commercial, and possibly any ethics and business trust issues that abound. 

The marking key informs us how each of the four professional skills are rewarded in Requirement two (A marks plan can be found on the Case Study exam resources webpage ):

• Structuring problems and solutions (SPS) - completing your financial analysis, identifying assumptions behind the calculations, identifying relevant commercial (and possibly EBT) issues.
• Apply judgement (AJ) - evaluate the financial impact on the business, evaluate the impact on the viability if the assumptions are not reliable, evaluate the impact that practical, commercial or EBT issues may have.
• Conclusions and recommendations (C&R) - concluding on the financial impact, assessing the impact that the main assumptions may have, concluding on the main commercial issues, and recommending whether to accept or not. Recommendations on how to proceed must be practical, eg, gather more data on the assumptions that are unreliable.

Requirement two is written to reflect the uncertainty of the real world eg, when confronted with key decisions there is rarely an obvious right or wrong choice at the time the decision is taken. This means that whatever options are in front of you if your financial analysis is accurate there will not be an obvious way forward eg, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' option. Instead you are expected to proceed with caution.

The examiners refer to this as the 'commercial analysis including business trust and ethical awareness' section exam. Here you will typically be provided with new information and then be asked to evaluate the:

• Financial impact
• Strategic and operational issues
• Ethics and business trust issues

This is the least well-answered part of the report, though this may also be due to candidate fatigue and time pressure at this point in the exam, as much as any inherent difficulty.

The marking key informs us how each of the four professional skills are rewarded in Requirement three, and here there is a lot of overlap with Requirement two, though some notable differences (A marks plan can be found on here ):

• Structuring problems and solutions (SPS) - completing your financial analysis, identifying the strategic logic and the practical (operational) issue to overcome, identifying EBT issues.
• Applying judgement (AJ) - evaluate the financial impact on the business, evaluate the strategic impact and operational difficulties and the impact these may have on the proposal, evaluate the impact that EBT issues may have, and how to resolve these.
• Conclusions and recommendations (C&R) - concluding on the financial impact, assessing the strategic and operational impact, and recommending whether to accept or not. Recommendation on how to proceed must be practical eg, negotiate terms and conditions, perform due diligence.

As with Requirement two, Requirement three is written in way that means there is no obvious right or wrong answer. This means that whatever options are in front of you, if your financial analysis is accurate there will not be an obvious 'right' or 'wrong' option. Instead you are expected to proceed with caution.

The greatest challenges for most candidates in passing the Case Study are (i) producing a complete report within the time allowed (4 hours) and (ii) producing an answer to a pass standard by demonstrating the skills needed to pass across the whole script. To overcome these you need to do four things:

• Come up with a plan as to how to manage you time. See the example below.
• Practise with past Case Study exams. Before receiving your advance information, at which point your focus will shift to you real exam, you should attempt at least four recent past Case Study exams. For this you will need to (i) spend at least half a day familiarising yourself with the advance information (ii) complete the exam within the time allowed, using the blank exam software available (iii) having your script reviewed or, self-marking using the marking keys.
• Reflecting on your performance, making notes as to where you time management was good or poor, and noting on your mark key which areas you are scoring well in, and where you are consistently not performing well. Your reflections can be aided by reviewing the examiners' reports and sample scripts for all past Case Study exams. Detailed reflection and reviewing good quality answers should help you identify areas of self-improvement.

Watch webinar

View this short webinar on requirement one, two and three in the Case Study exam.

Overview of the Executive Summary

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PLEASE READ ALL OF THE DETAILED INFORMATION INCLUDED FROM THE VERY TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

All case studies require photographs and videos to be submitted.

A case study is photographic evidence of your work to show your understanding of both the theory and practical taught on your course and the ability to apply this to real models outside of your training. 

Once you have passed all case studies you will be emailed your digital copy of your certificate. Hard copies can be requested at extra cost.

You must send through the correct case study requirements, this is so that we can conform to our accrediting body. Failure to send through the correct requirements means we are unable to mark your content against the criteria set.

• There is no time limit to complete your case studies.
• Students MUST pass their case studies in order to gain their certification. The number of case studies required varies for each course therefore, please read the additional requirements for the course you have taken.
• Case studies are assessed by trainers from the Eyelash Excellence team.
• Each case study must be performed on a real and different model – select “suitable models” that showcase your ability to work on a variety of eyelash types. (We do not permit case studies to be submitted on mannequin heads).
• We will accept a maximum of 2 resubmissions for each case study (any resubmission MUST be performed on a different model).
• If you do not pass after 2 resubmissions, you will then be offered free additional training either in person or if unable to re-attend then online support.
• Case studies will be assessed within 5 working days (due to staff commitments).
• The trainer’s decision on case studies is final.
• Do NOT send all of your case studies at once, wait for our feedback where you may be requested to work on certain areas. If multiple case studies are sent at once, tthen it is likely you will be asked for resubmissions.
• Photographs and videos MUST be clear, taken close up and in good lighting. You MUST send the correct photographs and videos. Failure to provide the correct photographs may lead to a fail. Please do not resize images, send in original format so that image quality isn’t lost.
• Please ensure that where stated in the photographs, pads are left on the client to show the NLs. Without pads, the lower lashes can show through and distort the set.
• Do NOT use any editing apps, filters or skin smoothing on your photos, this will result in a FAIL.

In all case studies please state the following: (Please CUT & PASTE this information into your email to us, answering each question).

• Your full name
• The course you purchased
• The date of the course you attended/purchased
• Your case study number (case study #1,#2,#3,#4 or “Resubmission of case study #2 etc.
• Lash map used i.e. from inner to outer 6/7/8/9/10/11/12/11/10/9/8/7 (this MUST match the photo of your mapping used on your eye-pads)
• Describe in detail the styling choice and reasons for this (Beginners students use Kitten effect only)
• The type of extension used (classic, pre-made fans, hand made fans, YY lashes, clover lashes etc)
• The thickness and curl(s) used
• The percentage of natural lashes covered (min of 80% coverage for Beginners). Advanced lash artists you are expected to cover as near to 100% as possible
• For volume students – the dimension of the fan (3D/4D/5D/6D etc.)
• Describe what you felt went well and what didn’t/could be improved on

For any clarification of the above  please contact us .

CASE STUDIES ARE TO BE EMAILED TO [email protected]

Additional requirements for each course.

You are required to submit x4 cases studies for assessment. NB: If you have taken this course prior to August 2023, then please feel free to submit case studies showcasing classic eyelash extensions only. If you have taken this course after August 2023 then please submit extensions of your choice as covered in the updated content.

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.15mm for your case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• When using volume type extensions such as Pre mades, Clover, YY lashes etc, be sure to follow your volumetric guides strictly so that you do not overload. Favour the use of 0.05mm extensions in no more than 4/5d then you cannot go wrong. Avoid heavy volume at this stage of your career.
• Do NOT use longer than a 12mm max, this will result in a FAIL.
• Do NOT Extend the length of the inner and outer zones, match only or use shorter (6/7/8mm only).
• If working with stronger curls such as the D curl, consider these are harder to attach due to the strength of the curl and minimal contact area.
• Use the Kitten effect only at this stage in your career and show your mapping.
• Demonstrate correct placement/attachment as well as adhesive use. Please show this with your close-up photograph of your isolated natural lash.

Please scroll to the bottom of the page for additional information on the photographs and videos required.

Skill building:.

You are required to submit  x4 case studies  for this Skill Building lash course.

• Do NOT Extend the length of the inner and outer zones, match only or lash shorter.
• Mixing curls
• Mixing thickness
• Capping and Stacking
• You MUST demonstrate at least one technique per case study, if you want to apply more than one technique per case study you are welcome to.
• Each case study MUST include a lash style to suit that client (Cat, Kitten, Dolly, Rounding).
• Demonstrate correct capping or stacking. Please show this with your close-up photograph of your isolated cap or stack.

Russian Volume:

You are required to submit  x4 case studies  for this Russian Volume lash course.

Russian Volume is an advanced technique of lashing therefore students taking this course are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of both eye styling and advanced classic techniques (direction/uniformity/mixing curls etc.) and to produce case studies that evidence this. If you feel that you do not understand this subject, then please look at completing either our classic skill building course or our eye styling course at eyelashexcellence.com

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.07mm for your case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL
• For complete beginners to Russian Volume, start with 3/4D only using 0.07mm – select models with strong natural lashes ONLY.
• If you are taking Volume as a refresher then you are welcome to use 0.06 and 0.05mm – please state this information in your email.
• Do NOT overload the lashes, refer to your guide to ensure you are safe, overloading will result in a FAIL.
• Please ensure that your fans are consistent – all narrow or all wide to suit that client.
• Please style your client correctly using the correct curls and lengths. Volume lashing is an advanced form of lashing, as such at this level you are expected to style your client correctly.
• Demonstrate correct glue dipping and attachment using the wrap technique – please show this with your close-up photograph of your isolated fan.

Fan Perfection:

You are required to submit  x2 case studies  for this Fan Perfection lash course.

Fan Perfection is an advanced technique of lashing therefore students taking this course are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of both eye styling and advanced classic techniques (direction/uniformity/mixing curls etc.) and to produce case studies that evidence this. If you feel that you do not understand this subject, then please look at completing either our classic skill building course or our eye styling course at eyelashexcellence.com. Two case studies are required for this course.

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.07mm for your case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• Please ensure that your fans are consistent – all narrow or all wide to suit that client – no closed fans permitted for Fan perfection (remove from the set).
• Please demonstrate your ability to create both wide and narrow fans, as such submit x1 case study showing wide fans and x1 case study showing narrow fans. Please ensure that the type of fan is suited to that model.

Mega Volume:

You are required to submit  x2 case studies  for this MEGA Volume lash course.

Mega Volume is an advanced technique of lashing therefore students taking this course are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of both eye styling and advanced classic techniques (direction/uniformity/mixing curls etc.) and to produce case studies that evidence this. If you feel that you do not understand this subject, then please look at completing either our classic skill building course or our eye styling course at eyelashexcellence.com

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.05mm for your Mega Volume case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• As this course is Mega Volume you are expected to use 0.03mm and 0.04mm where possible.
• Please describe how you have calculated what thickness and Dimension of the fan your client can safely hold.
• The minimum level of volume for MEGA volume is 9D, the maximum is 16D (with exceptions to the inners and outers where smaller dimensions fans are required to keep the lash weight safe).
• Select models with strong natural lashes ONLY.
• Please ensure that your fans are consistent – all narrow or all wide to suit that client. Fans must still be fluffy, closed fan work will be rejected.
• Please style your client correctly using the correct curls and lengths. Mega Volume lashing is an advanced form of lashing, as such at this level you are expected to style your client correctly.
• Please showcase the MEGA volume mirror link technique taught on your course, although the whole set does not necessarily need to be performed with the mirror link, we would like to see this demonstrated by your photograph of an isolated fan – failure to do this could require a resubmission of that case study.
• Demonstrate correct glue dipping and attachment using either the one Mega fan, or the mirror link technique – please show this with your close-up photograph of your isolated fan.

Sparse Natural lashes course:

You are required to submit  x2 case studies  for this Sparse Natural Lashes course.

Russian Volume is an advanced technique of lashing therefore students taking this Sparse Natural lash course are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of both eye styling and advanced classic techniques (direction/uniformity/mixing curls etc.) and to produce case studies that evidence this. If you feel that you do not understand this subject, then please look at completing either our classic skill building course or our eye styling course at eyelashexcellence.com

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.05mm for your case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• Please ensure that your fans are consistent, and fans must be fluffy, closed fan work will be rejected.

Eye Styling course:

You are required to submit  x4 case studies for this Lash Mapping & Eye Styling lash course.

• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.15mm (0.07mm for volume) for your case studies. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• Do NOT use longer than a 14mm max, this will result in a FAIL.
• Please use lots of lengths in your sets (5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/11/10/9/8/7) to create shaping.
• Do NOT extend the length of the inner and outer zones, match only or lash shorter (exceptions if doing the Cat or Extreme Eyeliner Effect), however the model MUST have suitable strong outer lashes to support long lengths or the lash diameter is correct to prevent overloading.
• Please demonstrate a variety of techniques taught on the course (the more techniques you can use in each set the better) –  this is a Lash Mapping & Eye styling course as such we expect to see advanced eye styling and a cocktail of effects used in each of your cases studies. Basic styled sets WILL be rejected.
• Mixing thickness (Hybrid set)
• Eyeliner effect
• Lash direction (45/90/180 degrees)
• Mature client
• Etc (be creative with your lash sets)
• Give a detailed description of why you chose to lash your client with the chosen thickness/curl/style relevant to them etc.
• Explain where correction was needed on client (i.e. outer corner droop, hooded eyelid, wide/close set eyes) or if accentuation of a feature was the aim and how you achieved this.
• Classic and Russian Volume sets will be accepted in your case studies however if new to Russian Volume we advise you complete case studies with classic lashing to enable focus on styling.
• Pre-made fans are accepted for this eye styling course.

Strip Lash Look Course:

You are required to submit  x4 case studies  for this Strip Lash Look course.

The strip lash look is an advanced technique of lashing therefore students taking this course are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of both eye styling and advanced classic techniques (direction/uniformity/correct curls etc.) and to produce case studies that evidence this.

• Please state whether you are a classic trained artist only, or whether you are trained in both techniques.
• Do NOT use any thickness greater than 0.07mm for volume spikes or base line effect. Any thickness that exceeds this will result in a FAIL.
• Do not submit hybrid sets at this stage – we would like to see your ability to create volume spikes in addition to your volume “baseline effect”
• Handmade, pre-made, or YY lashes can be used for the baseline effect, please state in your case study the types of fans used.
• Include the dimension of the spikes and fans used (i.e 5D spikes in 0.05mm and 5d fans in 0.05mm etc)
• Do NOT use spikes longer than 16mm max, this will result in a FAIL (if using spikes over a 12mm in length then you MUST use a thickness of 0.05mm or below to ensure you haven’t overloaded).
• Please style your spikes – images MUST show uniformed spikes.
• Do NOT Extend the length of the very inner and very outer corner NLs – the fans in these zones should match the NL length only or lash shorter.
• Write in detail your base line lash map and length of spikes  (for example: Dolly effect base line map – 6/7/8/9/10/11/10/9/8. Spikes over inner corner in the 6/7/8mm zones were 2mm longer, spikes over the middle sections 9/10/11/10mm zones were 3mm longer, spikes over the outer corner in 9/8mm zones were 2mm longer –  this was to prevent spikes touching the brow in the inners and spikes being too long on the outers and causing the eye to droop.)
• Please ensure that your fans are consistent in their rows – all narrow or all wide in that row to suit that client.
• Please style your client correctly using the correct curls and lengths. The strip lash effect is an advanced form of lashing, as such at this level you are expected to style your client correctly.
• Demonstrate correct attachment of your spikes to the top layer with correct adhesive control. Please show this with a close-up photograph of an isolated spike from your set.

You are also required to submit x3 videos:

Video 1: A short video showing your completed full set, with both eyes open and then closed (approx. 15 – 20 seconds long) PLEASE SUBMIT THE VIDEO WITH “BOTH EYES” COMPLETED

Video 2:     A video which shows you working close up and in “real time” on  one eye only .  This allows us to see you working on the model and ensure that safe working practices are being carried out.

• This video should be between  5-7 minutes
• Filmed close up  of one eye only , so that the assessor can clearly see the eye being worked on. The video must be clear and remain in focus. We appreciate this can be difficult, therefore you may need someone to help you with this, or you can use a tripod to assist. Videos can be taken on your phone (if this provides quality filming) or another suitable camera. Please ensure that your head does not obstruct the view and that you check the video once you stop filming to ensure you have captured the required video.
• Please find the best angle to set your camera up, see the example video to assist with the best camera angles.
• We recommend that you allow yourself at least 20 minutes of working the model before you start filming, this will allow you to build the main bones of your set and have settled into your lash rhythm.

Video 3 :    A short video of one eye, with the eye closed and using a mascara wand (NEVER tweezers) to brush through the extensions and pull from side to side so we can clearly see that clean application (no stickies) has been executed.

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Required for admission consideration

We look for students who have been successful in a variety of challenging courses, especially those that are above and beyond what’s required for graduation. And we understand every school is different, so we evaluate your transcript specifically against your high school's curriculum.

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If you're interested in engineering or the sciences, we recommend an additional year of math and laboratory science. Leaning more toward the liberal arts? We’d suggest another year of social studies and foreign language.

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Arts Supplement Required for music majors and those who are pursing a Arts Achievement Scholarship in either music or art studio

Applicants who are required to submit an Arts Supplement will see this required checklist item on their applicant status portal. Students must upload their portfolio materials using the portfolio updater prior to completing the Arts Supplement. You can access the portfolio uploader by logging into your applicant portal using your CWRU Network ID and clicking Edit Portfolio.

The Arts Supplement is optional for all other applicants. (More on that below.)

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We understand there may be more you want to share with us than can fit neatly on the Common App or Coalition with Scoir. Though not required as part of their application, some students choose to share additional information that may possibly strengthen their application and help us get to know them better. We welcome you to share such information with us.

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• ACT Composite: 32-35
• Unweighted GPA: 3.6–4.0
• Test optional: 42%

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• A one-page resume documenting your theater experience (directing, acting, playwriting, design, stage management, etc.).
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• You should be prepared to speak about your interest and passion for directing as well as your previous directing and/or theater experience.

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• Submit a 20-page sample of your work in either playwriting or screenwriting (or both) at least one week before the interview date. This can include either an excerpt from a full-length work or a combination of shorter pieces, such as 10-minute plays or short-film scripts. While dramatic writing is preferred, you may also submit other examples of your creative writing, such as short stories, poetry, essays, etc.

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• Bring your stage management binders, copies of scripts you have worked on (with cues written in), paperwork related to the show, and any other evidence of skills related to stage management such as organization, managing/coordinating large groups of people, multitasking and communication.
• A one-page resume of experience in theater is required. You may also include experience in a related field, such as art, architecture, graphics or photography. Additionally, a statement of intent—even if that statement is exploratory—should be provided. Other materials may include a portfolio demonstrating skills in theater (renderings, sketches, paperwork, scale drawings, production photos, etc.) and related areas (artwork, photography, drawing, drafting, computer graphics, etc.). The portfolio may be in scrapbook format. Art projects or model-making could substitute or be included with the other requirements. The material should be organized into some kind of cohesive presentation, with identifying labels for references. The interviewer will retain a copy of your resume but will not keep your portfolio. Portfolio is for presentation purposes only.
• Submit a video and complete an online questionnaire for pre-screening by dance department faculty. The video submission should be 90 seconds to three minutes in length, and you should be clearly visible. Do not submit ensemble footage. Video may be from technique class or performance.
• Submit a portfolio PowerPoint consisting of 24 pieces of your work. Each image credit line should include the name of the piece, the dimensions, the material, media and the date completed. (For example: Self-Portrait, 18” x 24”, media soft pastel on paper, fall 2021.) If you are showing three-dimensional work, i.e. sculpture or pottery, you may want to show two different views, front and side, etc. You may also want to choose to photograph a specific detail.
• Autobiography : A short (250-word) essay, citing your course of study in the visual arts. Include any special out-of-school activities, i.e., art camp, working as a teaching assistant doing creative activities, or private art lessons. Describe both your junior high and high school art experiences, courses that you took, and subjects that you studied.
• Program of study : A separate, short (250-word) essay of what you hope to gain participating in our program in Art History and Art. You may want to consult the Art History and Art website for courses that are available for you to take.

Tell us more about yourself

Additional materials can be shared through a form on your applicant portal. You can use this opportunity to share videos, web links, PDFs, documents, photos and more.

Some students use this as an opportunity to add additional context to their application with materials like:

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• Though not all may be eligible for college credit at CWRU, these test scores can still enhance your application. You can send scores directly to us or self-report them via your portal.

Anything you have that can help us know you better and understand the contributions you can make to our campus are welcome and appreciated.  

• Open access
• Published: 11 June 2024

Using unfolding case studies to develop critical thinking for Graduate Entry Nursing students: an educational design research study

• Rachel Macdiarmid   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4791-7417 1 ,
• Eamon Merrick   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4269-6360 2 , 3 &
• Rhona Winnington   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6504-2856 1  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  399 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

202 Accesses

Metrics details

Graduate Entry Nursing (GEN) programmes have been introduced as another entry point to nurse registration. In the development of a new GEN programme, a problem-based approach to learning was used to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills of motivated and academically capable students.

To explore and evaluate the design and delivery of course material delivered to GEN students embedded in authentic learning pedagogy from the perspectives of both GEN students and academic staff using an unfolding case study approach.

An educational design research approach was used to explore the learning experiences of GEN students using an unfolding case study approach situated in experiential pedagogy and the teaching experiences of the academics who designed it. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with students once they had finished the course and weekly reflective diary recordings by academic staff throughout implementation. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Student reflections highlighted that this cohort had insight into how they learned and were comfortable voicing their needs to academic staff. While the unfolding case studies were not liked by all participants, for some it offered a unique learning opportunity; particularly when scaffolded with podcasts, simulation labs, tutorials and clinical placements. Staff reflections primarily aligned with student experiences.

The gaps highlighted in the delivery of the course suggest that a blended pedagogical approach to graduate entry nurse education is required. Specifically, GEN students are aware of the learning needs and are happy to express these to academic staff, thus suggesting that engaging with a co-design curriculum approach will benefit future cohorts.

Peer Review reports

Graduate entry nursing students begin their degrees as experienced learners and must develop critical thinking skills within the shortened degree time frame.

What is already known

Graduate entry students are experienced and academically capable learners who begin with a diverse range of life and career experiences.

What this paper adds

Graduate entry students would benefit by being involved in curriculum design to acknowledge the unique skill set that they bring.

Introduction

Graduate Entry Nursing (GEN) degrees, or second degrees leading to eligibility for nursing registration, have recently been introduced to New Zealand. GEN students are known to be academically capable, motivated, and driven, bringing with them a range of life experiences, and have often had significant careers before enrolment [ 1 , 2 ]. Previous research has identified that teaching and learning methods must be carefully planned and innovative [ 1 ].

Pre-registration nursing education programmes prepare nursing students to provide safe nursing care with crucial skills expected of nursing graduates, including critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Clinical reasoning enables students to approach clinical issues with a problem-solving lens that relies on gathering assessment data and intervening and evaluating the patient’s response to the intervention [ 3 ].

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) aligns with the fundamental elements of authentic learning approaches [ 4 ], where learning is situated in real-world contexts [ 5 ]. Problem-based learning is considered to be an experiential teaching and learning approach that helps students develop a critical lens and clinical reasoning skills [ 6 , 7 ]. The use of PBL in nursing education is well established with previous research focused on students’ experiences and satisfaction [ 8 ]; factors that facilitate or hinder students' learning [ 9 ]; and the development of critical thinking skills [ 10 ].

Graduate entry nursing students report enjoyment of the active learning sets that enabled discussion surrounding case studies, scenarios, and practice issues [ 11 ]. Cangelosi’s [ 12 ] phenomenological study found that although time-poor, GEN students welcomed learning opportunities that were not traditional and facilitated their development and growth.

However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of PBL in nursing. For example, McCormick et al. [ 13 ] compared undergraduate student performance using differing teaching approaches, such as unfolding simulation scenarios versus recorded lectures and found these to be of benefit to students. Carter and Welch [ 14 ] compared the results of associate degree nursing students who attended lectures to those whose learning was informed by an unfolding case study. In contrast to McCormick’s et al.’s [ 13 ] earlier positive results, these authors found both groups of students performed worse in the post-test.

As previous research has identified that new graduate nurses do not always have critical thinking skills, using an unfolding case study approach can reflect the reality of clinical practice where not all the relevant information is known at the first encounter with the patient [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].

Nonetheless, while several studies have investigated the use of unfolding case studies in undergraduate preregistration programmes there is little evidence that supports the use of these with more academically capable GEN students. This article reports on a qualitative interpretivist study that used an educational design methodology to explore the experiences of GEN students who participated in the programme of learning and the experiences of the academics who designed it.

Educational Design Research (EDR) is an iterative, pragmatic, and reflective methodology well suited to small projects [ 17 ]. It has arisen from design-based research and can include both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. EDR was selected as it fitted with our desire to develop new ways of teaching alongside gaining feedback from both academic staff and students. In the first phase of this research, we redesigned the teaching and learning strategies for a component of the GEN programme [ 18 ].

EDR has four phases (Table  1 ) [ 17 ]:

Aims and objectives

The study aimed to explore and evaluate the design and delivery of course material delivered to GEN students embedded in authentic learning pedagogy from the perspectives of both GEN students and academic staff using an unfolding case study approach.

Theoretical framework

To enable the development of clinical reasoning skills a scaffolded learning approach was implemented that involved unfolding case studies designed to represent the health needs of the New Zealand population, thus, encouraging critical thinking. Unfolding case studies reflective of situations that students might face in the future were used to encourage students to consider and analyse information, provoke further questioning and identify the information required to narrow their inquiries [ 14 , 15 ]. Supported by this evidence the academic staff built a learning environment where a regular teaching schedule (two days of lectures and one day of clinical labs per week), was complemented with online resources. Initial questions about the case study were provided on the learning management system. Students attended simulations where they responded to the case and answered questions critical to unpacking the ‘patients’ reality. Alongside the unfolding case studies were podcasts where experts were interviewed on topics related to the case. Tutorials enabled students to collaboratively construct answers and share their perspectives; at the end of each week students shared their answers in an online discussion forum.

Methods and setting

This study was conducted at an education facility in New Zealand offering undergraduate and GEN programmes. The participants are academics involved in the design and delivery of the course and one cohort of students of the GEN programme. This article reports on Phase 2 and 3 of the EDR approach, the academic staff’s reflective diary during course delivery, and students' feedback after the course was completed the first time. The methods were reported using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) [ 19 ].

Participants

Purposeful sampling was used as the researchers were keen to explore the experiences of a specific GEN cohort [ 20 ]. Academic staff involved in the weekly reflective diaries are also the research team ( n  = 3). All students in the identified cohort ( n  = 7) were invited to participate, totalling ten possible participants. Student participants were approached via an advertisement on the university’s learning management system. Students were asked to contact the research assistant, who was separate from the academic staff and was not involved in the delivery of the GEN programme; five students agreed to participate. A $20 petrol voucher was offered to those who participated.

Data collection and analysis

In keeping with education design methodology, the authors met weekly to reflect on their experiences of delivering the content and guiding students. The weekly reflective conversations, between 60–90 min in length, followed a simple format of ‘what worked, what didn’t work, and what would we (as academic staff) change?’ Face to face student interviews were conducted by the research assistant at a time and place convenient to the students using semi-structured questions that were developed by the research team (see Additional file 1 ).

The semi-structured interviews ( n  = 5) and reflective meetings ( n  = 9) were recorded and transcribed verbatim by a research assistant who had signed a confidentiality agreement. All identifying information was deleted from the transcripts by the research assistant before the research team reviewed the data; each recording and transcript was allocated a unique identifier, for example ‘participant one’.

Thematic analysis [ 21 , 22 ] was used to analyse the data. First, the research team independently read the transcribed interviews to familiarise themselves with the data and identified initial codes. Second, the researchers met and reviewed all transcripts to identify themes and reached consensus on the themes emerging from the data. Themes were established once more than 50% of the participants stated the same issue/thought/perception. A matrix was developed whereby common themes were identified, with quotes demonstrating the themes collated to establish an audit trail.

Reflexivity

Central to this study given the proximity of staff to this student cohort, a reflexive stance was essential. Reflexivity is an engendered practice and was used in this instance not to influence the direction and outcome of the research but to allow the researchers to engage in the data to produce viable and valuable outcomes for future staff and students. Specifically, this reflexive practice provided a means for the research to be rigorous through the consideration of the vulnerability of the participating student cohort, thus inciting reflection-before-action [ 23 ].

Ethical considerations

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (AUTEC) (19/233). Given the potential power differential in the student/staff relationship present, participants were approached via an online advertisement and followed up by an independent research assistant. This is key to the success of the project, as such research undertakings have the potential for conflict of interest to exist [ 24 ]. The academic staff recordings were also undertaken with the knowledge that these would remain confidential to the participants and transcriber only, with a memorandum of understanding completed to this effect. Participant information sheets were given to students interested in joining the study to ensure they knew what it entailed and how their safety and identity would be managed. Written consent was obtained before the interviews were undertaken, with oral consent obtained at the beginning of each interview.

Three dominant themes emerged, which focused on the experiences of both GEN students and teaching staff. These were:

Reflective learning: Students and staff ability to clarify what worked and what did not work

Evaluation of learning: Students and staff being insightful about their ways of learning and needs

Challenges: Planning and delivering appropriate content for GEN students is challenging for teaching staff.

Within these overarching themes, subthemes were developed and will be presented in the following data results (Table 2 ).

Reflective learning

The exploration of student and staff experiences and responses to the unfolding case studies unearths what worked and what was problematic for both parties.

Unfolding case study as problem-based approach

The student experiences of using an unfolding case study approach were divided. Some students enjoyed the case scenarios but did not necessarily find them beneficial in terms of knowledge advancement as.

“ I personally, like the case studies but personally I didn’t really find that they enhanced my learning in like the clinical setting ” (P1)

or that they were relevant to clinical practice in that.

“… some of it was definitely relatable but I just found it was very different in the clinical setting compared with doing this theoretical case setting ” (P1).

A second student supported this idea that the case studies did not add practical clinical knowledge value as.

“ I mean for me the case studies weren’t challenging…I didn’t think the case studies added anything extra into my practice, they didn’t challenge my clinical reasoning or anything like that ” (P2).

Of note was that those students with previous professional healthcare backgrounds found the use of an unfolding case study approach problematic in that.

“ I found that quite a challenge. I think because with my clinical background I was sort of going straight into, yeah like I wanted more information so you know I probably would have preferred…to have a different case study every week or have all the information…and I’d be like well what about this, what about that? ” (P5).

Participant One, however, noted that while the case studies may not have added knowledge value, they were helpful at times as.

“ …one example is we learnt about arterial blood gases and then I was on placement I came across that literally [on] day one, so was really nice to be able to put something that I’d learnt in class into practice ” (P1).

While some students were less keen on the case study approach and found them hard work, others thought they provided opportunities to encourage discussion, clinical reasoning, and autonomous thinking as.

“ there was no right or wrong answer, you just had to prove your point to say I think it is this because of this, and someone else can say something else and just kind of still prove it because it was a quite grey [area] but I actually found that it really got us thinking ” (P3).

Moreover, the same participant acknowledged that.

“…I think that’s the whole idea of the course [GEN Programme] because at this level they shouldn’t be spoon-feeding you…you should be able to think for yourself and reason things out ” (P3).

Although some discord was present with regard to the case study approach, one participant did acknowledge the value of being able to break down a huge scenario into manageable sections to enhance understanding and clinical decision-making, as.

“ when you break it down it makes it easier to kind of work out what you’re going to do and what steps you’re going to do ” (P4), and that “ because you start looking at the smaller things that you need to do rather than just the big bits ” (P4).

It appears, however, that staff involved in the programme of learning were pleased with the overall notion that problem-based learning approach offered a ‘practical’ means through which to discuss what is the hands-on job of nursing. Specifically,

“ the second session around child abuse and recognising child abuse…took me a bit by surprise as I wasn’t expecting that to go very well and it went extraordinarily well, mostly because it was case based again and story based ” (L1).

Moreover, with regard to encouraging discussion and clinical reasoning at a postgraduate level,

“ I think we’ve really pulled out the difference [of] what we’re expecting of them [GEN students] as opposed to what they may have been used to” (L1).

Use of podcasts

While the use of technology is not necessarily a completely new strategy in tertiary education, here we have linked podcasts recorded with experts in their fields which related to the unfolding case studies, Again, however, there was division in the value of podcast recordings, with some students really enjoying them, saying.

“ I liked the podcasts yeah, I found the podcasts really good especially when there was [sic] different people talking about it, yeah...podcasts are good, like to just chuck on in the car or at the gym ” (P2).

Moreover, some found them easy to listen to because.

“… it’s a different way to learn because like you’ve got YouTube videos and you’ve got books and stuff but podcasts are kind of like easy ” (P2).

Some students found the podcasts particularly engaging saying.

…I just remember listening to it and I think I was in the car and I had stopped because I was on my way home…and I was still listening to it in the garage like when I was home and I was like oh this is a really interesting podcast ” (P2).

Participant three also thought podcasts a positive addition to the resources saying.

“ yeah they were helpful…there was one I listened to…they were talking about dying…I know that [one of the lecturers’] kind of research is kind of talking about death, euthanasia and all this kind of thing, and for some reasons, I don’t know why, maybe that’s why I still remember, I can say it’s the only podcast I really listened to and it was really good because it gave me a good insight as to what is happening… ” (P3)

This positive response was also noted in face-to-face class time as one staff member reported that.

“ they [the students] loved the person who was interviewed, and the feedback was it was really nice to hear a conversation about different perspectives ” (L1).

Yet, not all students were of this opinion, with some advising the podcasts were too long (approximately 60 min each), that they can be distracting, that they preferred videos and images or an in-person discussion, saying.

“ I find podcasts…I tend to switch off a bit, a bit quicker than if I was watching something, I would probably prefer, rather than watching a podcast [sic] I’d rather have an in-class discussion with the person” (P4).

Participant one said that they too struggled with podcasts because.

“ I’m more visual so I like to look at things and see like a slide I guess or what they’re talking about or, so I sort of zone out when it’s just talking and nothing to look at, so that’s what I personally struggle with, they [podcasts] are helpful it’s just I’m more a visual learner ” (P1).

While there were some negative responses to the podcasts, another participant acknowledged their value but offered their own solutions to learning, saying that.

“ I listened to a few podcasts that were put up, because they’re just easy to listen to ” (P2).

but felt that overall there were insufficient resources made available to students and therefore.

“ just went to YouTube and just, any concepts that I was unfamiliar with or stuff in class that we went over and when I went home I was like [I have] no idea what they talked about, I just found my own videos on YouTube… ” (P2).

Evaluation of learning

Learning experiences are unique to each GEN student, as are those experienced by the teaching staff. The data collected highlighted this clearly from both perspectives, offering a particularly strong insight into how this cohort of students’ function.

Approaches to learning

It was evident that these GEN students were aware of their approach to learning and that perhaps the structure of the teaching module did not align with their needs as.

“ I’m not really the best at utilising online things I’m a really hands on learner and things like a lecture…but you know if it’s yeah, more like class time, it’s sort of more my, my learning style [I] guess ” (P5).

A number of students were able to identify that they were visual learners as.

“ I use videos more because I guess I’m more of a visual learner as well and I learn better by seeing things instead of reading a huge article, I think that [videos] it helps me a bit more” (P4).

Another student, however, preferred a discussion based approach as opposed to either videos or podcasts saying that.

“ if it’s interesting, if it’s a topic that you can like relate to [through a podcast] or something it’s fine, but for me I just switch off not really taking a lot of the information [in] whereas in a discussion setting you can ask questions and you can interact with the person, yeah I find that would be a bit more helpful ” (P4).

This approach to learning through discussion was also noted when the teaching staff reflected on their experiences in that in one teaching session the GEN students.

“ were engaged, they were round a table with the second speaker talking and what I think enabled the discussion was that she [the speaker] was using her data as stories and so she was reading them, actually she got them [the students] to read them out” (L3).

The notion of learning styles, however, was not as linear as being visual or auditory or practical, as one student noted that a combination of styles was preferable to enhance learning, saying that.

“ if we weren’t able to have lectures like a recorded lecture so that there was a PowerPoint and just someone actually talking you through it, like I know there’s the YouTube videos…some of them were a little bit helpful, but like I just felt that sometimes we missed the teaching aspect of it. There’s a lot of self-directed stuff but definitely like a recorded lecture every week to go along with the readings and extra videos to watch ” (P5).

Students as insightful and engaged

While GEN students are known for their tenacity and ability to cope with the pressure and fast paced delivery, some students discovered that this did not necessarily equate with their preferred approach to learning. This cohort of GEN students were insightful in terms of their strengths and weaknesses in relation to knowledge acquisition. The use of the unfolding case studies, however, caused some frustrations as.

“ for me it was challenging in the fact that I felt I actually got frustrated because I’m thinking well I want to know this, I want to know that and yeah not getting all the information that I wanted at the time ” (P5).

This participant went further, saying that.

“ I definitely found that difficult [lack of information] I felt like [I] wasn’t getting as much information as I wanted to be able to make my clinical decisions ” (P5),

however this may have been due to the student’s background as their.

“my background is in paramedicine ” where “ we get a lot of information in a very short amount of time ” (P5).

Some fundamental issues were raised by the participants in terms of how much study is required for them to acquire the new knowledge. As one student highlighted,

“ I have a really terrible memory, so I kind of need to listen to things a few times or write it down and then watch a video and do some more reading and then like it’s good having another element to get into your brain you know ” (P2).

For one student, a solution to this was to ensure they did their preparation before attending class as.

“ you’re supposed to have read these things before coming to class, some people don’t but my kind of person, I’d read before coming to class and I tended to answer those questions so the critical, analytical part of me would be trying to find out and come up with a reasonable answer…” (P3).

For another participant, they took an alternative pathway to learning as they.

“ I just watch it and I don’t take [it in], it just sits in the back of my head because sometimes it’s building on top of previous knowledge so just, I just watch it to see if I can gain anything from that, I don’t necessarily take down notes or anything, but I just watch it so that it’s there you know ” (P4).

The pace of content delivery appeared problematic for some students, especially in relation to the practical sessions, with one student highlighting that.

“ personally I didn’t’ really like it and most of the time they were rushing, I was always like can I write this down to go back home to like really make sense of it and then sometimes obviously, sometimes I would have to say can I stay back and practice this thing again [as] I didn’t grab it as quickly as others did and the essence of the labs is that it’s grab all of these things ” (P3).

Challenges: Teaching staff experiences of GEN student learning

While on the whole the teaching staff were able to gauge the learning needs of this GEN cohort, the expectations of both parties did not always align, with one staff member reporting that.

“ the two biggest challenges was [sic] getting them [the students] to unpack already learned behaviour and [to] acknowledge their own limitations or bias ” (L1),

however by the end of the semester the same staff member reported that.

“ I think we made a lot of progress in getting them to acknowledge how they learn ” (L1).

Moreover, the challenges anticipated in teaching GEN students were not those that transpired in that.

“ I actually thought going into the first paper I was pretty excited as to how it was going to roll out, the problems I encountered were not the problems I anticipated ” (L3).

The vocality of this cohort was tangible, however, when content did not meet their needs, interest or expectations with the students saying,

“ that they didn’t do the materials because it wasn’t of interest to them and requested other teaching very much related to the assignment as opposed to anything else …” (L1).

It was expected that the GEN students would be participatory both in class and online irrespective of their ways of learning, but there was a difference in both responses and comfort with this form of engagement. One student that talked about the unfolding case study and the online component of assessment as being problematic said that.

“.. we had to put up about 250 words of something related to the case study every week and then we spoke to someone else, [I] didn’t really like the responses…I didn’t really like having to respond to someone else ” (P3).

Yet in contrast to this statement, the teaching staff were delighted that.

“…actually I got some fantastic questions from one of the students…emailed to me on Monday night about the case that was online for them, questions that I didn’t talk about in [the] lecture, I didn’t introduce the concept…they’re talking about concepts that are currently undergoing international clinical trials” (L1).

This study explored the experiences of both GEN students and academics using unfolding case studies situated in experiential learning pedagogy. The use of unfolding case studies supported with podcasts embraced our idea of developing content situated in real-life contexts. Learning was scaffolded using different teaching approaches such as podcasts, and experiential simulated learning, to offer learners multiple ways of engaging with content. Scaffolding is recognised as learning material being broken into smaller chunks of learning and in this way aligns with case-based learning [ 25 ]. In this way, we hoped that not only would students engage in problem-solving, and develop clinical decision-making skills [ 26 , 27 ], but that they would also achieve deep and lifelong learning and ultimately have an ‘aha’ moment when it all made sense.

Reflections on using an unfolding case study approach

Findings were divided, with some students enjoying the unfolding case studies and others describing them as not sufficiently challenging. The scaffolded learning approach that we developed incorporated a range of teaching approaches that enabled them to engage with the content in a way that fitted in with their lifestyle, even if the teaching method did not align with their individual learning preferences. Students reported differing views about the case studies; some enjoyed the unfolding nature while others wanted more context and direction to feel that they could make an informed clinical decision. Nonetheless, even though they did not like information being presented in smaller chunks one student recognised it meant they analysed the information they received more deeply.

Other learning tools such as podcasts were not always valued by participants and yet, the fact that students were able to provide feedback on their use does indicate that they at least attempted to engage with them.

Student reflections indicate that perhaps the use of unfolding case studies as a learning approach is not the solution to engagement, and that often more traditional teaching methods were preferred Indeed, Hobbs and Robinson’s [ 28 ] study of undergraduate nursing students in the US supported Carter and Welch’s [ 14 ] findings that the use of unfolding case studies were of no direct benefit, whilst Ellis et al.’s., [ 29 ] study confirmed that for final year nurse practitioner students unfolding case studies were beneficial in developing critical thinking and stimulating clinical reasoning. Considering these two conflicting findings, further consideration is needed of how to engage highly motivated GEN students.

As such, our results suggest it can be difficult to predict the needs of the GEN students given the diversity of their previous academic qualifications, career, and often significant life experience they bring to the programme [ 30 , 31 ]. Interestingly students in this study simultaneously demonstrated insight into their needs supporting their previous academic study experience and felt sufficiently secure to voice them, which supports evidence found in D’Antonio et al.’s [ 32 ] study. This suggests that GEN students’ capabilities need to be embraced and incorporated when planning curriculum and scaffolding learning. Anecdotally, we have found that students embrace experiential learning such as that offered in simulation labs whether this involves the use of simulated manikins or not, it seems the hands-on learning offers not only the opportunity to experience simulated reality but also fosters collaboration and problem solving with peers that enables them to dwell in learning of what it is to be a nurse.

Graduate entry students recognised as experienced learners

Our students were not overwhelmingly supportive of the pedagogical approach of unfolding case studies we adopted. As previously recognised GEN students are experienced learners and whilst having differing educational backgrounds bring individual experience and knowledge of their own approach to their learning. Nonetheless, the value of their previous learning experience appears problematic in that those learned behaviours and attitudes need to be refocused to engage with learning how to become a nurse, as demonstrated in the academic staff reflections. Despite this background experience and perceived confidence, some students reflected that online engagement that involved exploring the case studies in discussion forums with colleagues was uncomfortable. This was surprising to the academic staff and contrasted sharply with their reflections on the activity but has been previously noted by Boling et al., [ 33 ].

Implications

Given the disparity that exists between student and academic staff experiences, as demonstrated in our study, co-designing content delivery may offer a progressive solution. By engaging ‘students as partners’ it offers them a much deeper level of involvement in future teaching delivery through collaboration and reciprocation of ideas, thus culminating in appropriate curriculum design [ 34 ]. Collaborating with students in course design might facilitate students learning as they become cognisant of the active engagement of academic staff [ 9 , 10 , 35 ]. In the future, we aim to involve students in any curriculum review and course development to ensure their perspectives influence curriculum design and content delivery.

Even so, our initial intention of scaffolding learning by offering different ways for students to engage with content is supported by recent research by Dong et al. [ 36 ] who found that students performed better academically in a flipped classroom. This point, in association with our findings, suggests that the best approach to content delivery for graduate entry nursing students is to ensure students are involved in curriculum and course design alongside the delivery of learning experiences that are well facilitated and supported by faculty so that students are aware of the expectations, required of them, and importantly how they will be assessed.

Limitations

We acknowledge that the sample size in this study is small in terms of generalisability. However, our findings offer interesting, detailed and in-depth insights into the experiences and needs of both GEN students and the academic staff involved in the development and delivery of educational material. Further work needs to be undertaken to evaluate the experiences of GEN students from a range of educational providers. A longitudinal study has been undertaken to explore the motivations and experiences of GEN students in Australasia [ 37 ], which will also support these findings regarding the learning needs of GEN students.

This study has provided a platform through which academics and GEN students can share their insights of teaching and learning experiences. The results offer a clear insight into what these students expect and need to expedite their learning and how teaching staff must respond. While participants' views were somewhat mixed in relation to the use of unfolding case studies and scaffolded learning these results demonstrate how GEN students are aware of their personal ways of learning and how this translates in terms of education needs. The sharing of these experiences provides an insightful lens through which to re-evaluate pedagogical approaches for GEN students. As such, we suggest that to meet the needs of GEN student’s not only is a blended pedagogical approach appropriate but expanding education design boundaries further through a co-design focused approach to GEN programme design.

Availability for data and materials

The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due privacy and ethical restrictions of the participants, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Macdiarmid, R., Merrick, E. & Winnington, R. Using unfolding case studies to develop critical thinking for Graduate Entry Nursing students: an educational design research study. BMC Nurs 23 , 399 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02076-8

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