Ditch Tradition...And Move to Case-Based Learning

Recent criticisms of higher education include a lack of relevance and alignment with what employers are seeking in new hires. A lecture-based approach to teaching has proved less effective than other active learning strategies and does not adequately mimic the working environment sport professionals face. To better align the classroom and the workplace, a case-based learning approach can be used. This pedagogy blends high impact practices that have been demonstrated to assist students in knowledge acquisition and soft skill development by replacing traditional lecture and chapter readings with real-life scenarios that require student engagement with concepts in application. The technique assists students in seeing the relevance of knowledge in context which better prepares them for the workforce. Using two semesters of an undergraduate research methods course, this study explored student perceptions of the use of case-based learning. Overall findings supported the use of the approach as students felt the technique improved their knowledge of research and helped them to engage with the course materials and their peers.