diff --git a/docs/guides/assets/planning-blooms-taxonomy.png b/docs/guides/assets/planning-blooms-taxonomy.png deleted file mode 100644 index c6a0d0df0..000000000 Binary files a/docs/guides/assets/planning-blooms-taxonomy.png and /dev/null differ diff --git a/docs/guides/assets/planning-story-mountain.png b/docs/guides/assets/planning-story-mountain.png deleted file mode 100644 index c1797cfb5..000000000 Binary files a/docs/guides/assets/planning-story-mountain.png and /dev/null differ diff --git a/docs/guides/authoring-getting-started-on-gala.md b/docs/guides/authoring-getting-started.md similarity index 97% rename from docs/guides/authoring-getting-started-on-gala.md rename to docs/guides/authoring-getting-started.md index 2758c2076..625c56971 100644 --- a/docs/guides/authoring-getting-started-on-gala.md +++ b/docs/guides/authoring-getting-started.md @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ --- id: authoring-getting-started -title: Getting Started Authoring on Gala -sidebar_label: Getting Started on Gala +title: Getting Started Authoring a Case +sidebar_label: Getting Started --- With Gala’s tools for authors, anyone can create a media-rich, immersive teaching case to communicate a complex sustainability topic. diff --git a/docs/guides/authoring-planning-your-case.md b/docs/guides/authoring-planning-your-case.md deleted file mode 100644 index 801e2e91d..000000000 --- a/docs/guides/authoring-planning-your-case.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,144 +0,0 @@ ---- -id: authoring-planning-your-case -title: Planning your Case -sidebar_label: Planning a Case ---- - -## What is a case study? - -Case studies have a long history in fields such as business, law, and medicine. They are relative newcomers to sustainability and environmental education, but their use is growing. Because case studies are used in such diverse fields, they come in many different formats and styles. However, all share several important characteristics: - -1. Case studies, at their most basic level, are stories. Each story is an account of a real problem, issue, or decision *(Rotterdam School of Management)* faced by a person or organization. - -2. That problem, issue, or decision requires some form of analysis *(S. Yaffee, pers. comm.).* - -3. Case studies are typically anchored in a specific time and place. - -4. Case studies connect teaching and practice, often bringing the “real world” to students who otherwise may not have access to similar situations and stakeholders. - -Many authors have proposed definitions of a case study, including this simple one: - ->“Case studies are stories with an educational message.” -Clyde Herreid *(Herreid, 2007, p.xiv )* - -And this more detailed one: - ->“In its most distilled form, a ‘case study’ involves investigation of [a] ‘real-life phenomenon through detailed contextual analysis of a limited number of events or conditions, and their relationships.’” -Wil Burns *(Burns, 2016)* - -## What are the qualities of a good case? - -A good case study is also a compelling story. Storytelling is deeply engrained in human culture, and evidence indicates that conveying information in story format aids cognitive processing and retention (ElShafie, 2018). The problem or decision at the heart of the story should be complex and hard to solve. The answer cannot be too obvious; if it is, then case users may not fully engage with the case and leave the thinking to the case author. Often the protagonist at the center of the case must grapple with having incomplete information, making any kind of definitive solution elusive. A case study should also have a sharp focus, with the problem or decision clearly articulated near the beginning of the story. Think of this as a thesis statement. (For an example, check out [Controlled Dam Removal](https://www.learngala.com/cases/maple-river-dam/1). The decision is presented at the bottom of page one.) The body of the case study should lay out the different stakeholder perspectives or complicating factors, with each given equal weight. This is often a difficult task for case authors because they have formed expert opinions on a topic through their research. However, the authors’ opinions should not be apparent to the case user, who must answer the question or dilemma posed by the case for him or herself. - -## What forms do cases take? - -The case method is inherently flexible, and so different disciplines have taken different approaches to structuring and analyzing the cases they use. Business schools often pair a moderate-length narrative with a class discussion. Some business and management schools categorize their cases as [field, library, or armchair cases](https://www.rsm.nl/fileadmin/Images_NEW/CDC/How_to_Write_a_Good_Teaching_Case.pdf). Field cases are based on field research; library cases are based on published sources; and armchair cases are based on general experience and are grounded in reality, but do not relate actual events that have occurred. Anecdotal and observational evidence collected by Michigan Sustainability Cases indicates that students respond most positively to case studies that they know to be factual accounts of real people and real events. - -Other instructors, particularly in the natural sciences, have paired narratives of various lengths with a variety of [active learning techniques](http://www.crlt.umich.edu/active_learning_introduction). Clyde Herreid at the University of Buffalo has developed a [comprehensive classification scheme](http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/method.asp) for the case studies produced by his institution’s case center. - -Michigan Sustainability Cases generally favors longer narratives and pairs its case studies with a variety of engaged learning activities. However, we are not prescriptive and only require that the case components serve to meet the learning objectives of the case (more on writing learning objectives below). Our case studies mostly fall into the decision/dilemma category, where a protagonist has to choose among two or more options for dealing with a difficult sustainability problem (for examples, see [Wolf Wars](https://www.learngala.com/cases/mi-wolves) and [Distributed Energy Storage](https://www.learngala.com/cases/tesla-powerwall)). However, MSC is expanding its case library to include other types of cases, such as analysis (e.g., “What’s going on here? What can we learn from this situation?”; see [Urbanizing the Eternal City](https://www.learngala.com/cases/urbanizing-the-eternal-city/) for an example) and best practice (see [Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Network](https://www.learngala.com/cases/glcan) for an example). Michigan Sustainability Cases (MSCs) differ from many other case studies in our extensive use of multimedia and focus on sustainability issues and skill development. - -## How do I write a case study? - -The most important step in writing a case study is planning—even before you do any research. Having a clear vision for your case study will help ensure a sharp focus in the final product and will help direct your research efforts. Even if your plans change later in response to information you have gathered (and they should!), you should always have a beacon to guide your work. At MSC, we ask our new case teams to consider and write down answers to the following questions at their kickoff meeting: - -1. In plain English, what should a reader or user take away from your case study? - -2. What are your learning objectives? - -3. What is the central question of your case study? - -4. Who/what is the protagonist or central actor? Why is this person, organization, or object an appropriate choice? - -5. What information do you need to gather? What perspectives/angles/complications need to be addressed in your narrative to meet your learning objectives? - -Question 2 is especially important. Having strong learning objectives for your case study will greatly help with writing your case. By the time you sit down to write, you will likely have a lot of information to sift through and organize, and not all of the information you collected should appear in your final product. Your learning objectives will help you decide which information to present. In other words, if the information doesn’t serve your learning objectives, consider leaving it out. - -When you sit down to write the text of your case study, it may help to recall the most basic organization for a story, which is sometimes presented as Story Mountain. - -![The "Story Mountain" begins with a hook, moving on to a problem, rising action, turning point, resolution, falling action, and conclusion.](./assets/planning-story-mountain.png) - -As a case study, it might look something like this: - -**Introduction**: - -- Set the scene -- Introduce protagonist/decision maker -- Introduce decision or question - -**Background**: - -- Provide information necessary to understand the case (technical, historical, etc.) - -**Body**: - -- Lay out parameters of the problem -- How did we get here (to this problem)? -- Introduce stakeholders, perspectives, complicating factors -- Analyze possible solutions - -**Conclusion**: - -- Return to the problem -- Reflect on information in case study -- Pose decision or question again - -However, there is no one right way to structure a case study. How you organize the information will be dictated by what you want to accomplish and the information that you have. For some additional ideas about how to structure stories, read [“My Kingdom for Some Structure"](https://transom.org/2013/my-kingdom-for-some-structure/) and [“Understanding Story Structure with ‘The Three Little Pigs’.”](https://training.npr.org/2015/03/24/understanding-story-structure-with-the-three-little-pigs/) - -## How do I write learning objectives? - -Learning objectives state what someone should know or be able to do at the end of a course or a lesson. They are generally learner centered, measurable, and specific. By specific, we mean that the objectives use action verbs and articulate components of larger processes. - -Consider the following examples: - -| **Bad Learning Objective** | **Better Learning Objective** | -| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | -| Students will be introduced to the history of sustainable development. *(Not learner centered)* | Students will be able to identify the major historical milestones in the history of sustainable development. | -| Learn about the controversy surrounding the culling of deer. *(Vague)* | Identify stakeholders and their competing perspectives surrounding the culling of deer. | -| Navigate SPSS statistical software. *(Vague, hard to measure)* | Correctly enter data and conduct analyses in SPSS including t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, and regression. | -| Be given opportunities to critically analyze policies. *(Not learner centered, vague)* | Critique a policy by identifying and evaluating the impact of both intentional and unintended consequences, formulate possible solutions, and argue a case for the best solution. | - -It can be helpful to think about learning objectives in terms of the type of thinking you want a learner to practice. Bloom's Taxonomy is one common framework for organizing the difficulty of various cognitive processes. - -![Blooms Taxonomy can be represented as a pyramid, with layers, from base to capstone:remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create ](./assets/planning-blooms-taxonomy.png) - -Cognitive tasks get progressively harder moving up the pyramid. The figure above also lists verbs that are often associated with learning objectives at a particular level. - -## How do I design an engaged learning exercise? - -Your learning objectives will also determine an appropriate engaged learning exercise for your case. The idea of a teachable unit *(Handelsman et al., 2007)* connects learning objectives to assignments (engaged learning exercises) and assessments. - -| **Learning Objective** | **Assignment** | **Assessment** | -| ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | -| What should students know or be able to do? | How will students practice what they have learned? | How will the instructor know that the students have learned it? | - -The University of Michigan [defines engaged learning](http://www.crlt.umich.edu/category/tags/no-parent/engaged-learning) as “providing students with opportunities for practice in unscripted, authentic settings, where stakeholders (including the students themselves) are invested in the outcome.” Engaged learning exercises should give students meaningful practice that will allow them to meet the learning objectives. Building an engaged learning exercise from an [active learning strategy](http://crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/instructor_resources/how_can_you_incorporate_active_learning.pdf) is a good way to include practice in a case study. - -Once you have decided on the engaged learning exercise, you can design an assessment to gauge whether learners have met your learning objectives. Note that the engaged learning exercise and the assessment can be the same thing. If you assign learners to write an essay about a topic, and then grade that essay, the essay serves as both practice and an indication of learning. Similarly, a case study can allow learners to practice a skill, and the instructor can use the activities associated with a case study to assess whether the learning objectives have been met. - -## What do I need to know about including multimedia? - -MSC uses multimedia in the form of podcasts and Edgenotes, with the latter providing jumping-off points for further exploration or links to primary sources. When placing multimedia in your case, consider your purpose for including it. What information or enrichment does the multimedia add? Why is the place you have chosen in the text the right place for this multimedia product? - -Sometimes you will have the tools, time, and expertise to create your own multimedia. Creating your own multimedia ensures that you will get exactly what you want for the experience you want to create. Often, though, you will lack one or more of these elements, and so you will need to include curated multimedia. The web is a treasure trove of high-quality information and multimedia—and also a giant trap of inaccurate, biased, and otherwise unreliable sources. There is no magic formula for determining the quality of web-based content, but one way to evaluate a source is to apply the [CRAAP test](https://researchguides.ben.edu/source-evaluation). *(Hint: This test works equally well for multimedia and conventional print sources that you may consult when writing the narrative.)* - -If you do use curated media, you will need to be mindful of copyright concerns. U.S. copyright law is complex, and this document is not intended as a source of legal information. The University of Michigan Library has a somewhat lengthy [copyright guide](https://guides.lib.umich.edu/copyrightbasics) that provides a helpful introduction to copyright. At MSC, we have discovered that the following strategies can help case authors find and use multimedia without running afoul of copyright: - -- Look for materials in the [public domain](https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/public-domain/welcome/) or with a [Creative Commons](https://search.creativecommons.org/) license -- Linking to sources (such as a website or YouTube video, as opposed to reproducing within your case study) is OK -- Look for materials with a [Creative Commons license](https://creativecommons.org/) - -- Within a Google image search, use the Tools menu to select Usage Rights “labeled for noncommercial reuse” (though be aware that this tool is not foolproof) - -## What general advice do you have for writing a case study? - -*Do:* - -- Use past tense, third-person point of view. Case studies age quickly, and although writing a case study in present tense might make it feel more immediate and relevant, it can also make the case study feel dated. Past tense helps ensure the longevity of cases. Writing in third person point of view is easiest for most people, although sometimes first person can work. Second person point of view tends to sound like a *Choose Your Own Adventure* book from children’s literature. We don’t recommend it. -- Use [active voice](https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/style/ccs_activevoice/). -- Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. -- Write only as much as you need to. -- Seek out resources. On the University of Michigan campus, you have access to [knowledgeable librarians](https://www.lib.umich.edu/), [professional writing assistance](https://lsa.umich.edu/sweetland), and the Michigan Sustainability Cases staff. - -*Don’t:* - -- Plagiarize. Ever. Make sure you cite your sources properly. -- Overuse dialogue. [Good dialogue](https://nybookeditors.com/2017/05/your-guide-to-writing-better-dialogue/) is much harder to write than most writers assume. \ No newline at end of file