The Case Method’s potential in a secondary boarding context
First developed about a century ago at Harvard Business School, the Case Method is an approach to learning and teaching widely used in top business schools around the world. The Method requires students to play the role of a protagonist facing difficult decisions in a real-life situation, and come up with solutions through critical thinking, research and group discussions. Due to its active, student-centred nature, the Case Method has obvious advantages over traditional lecture-based teaching when it comes to the cultivation of leadership and problem-solving and communication skills. However, it has hardly been applied to a school setting.
The features of a boarding environment make it highly suitable for the adoption of Case Method teaching. Boarders leave home and come together to live a communal academic life, whereby the pursuit of knowledge is done through collaboration. The active participation of each student is key, as a sincere exchange of ideas would enable them to learn more from each other. This is especially the case at an international school, where students come from different parts the world, speak different languages, and have different perspectives. Navigating the dynamics of multicultural communication paves the way for later success in a globalised world.