Integrating Case Study Tasks in Business English Courses
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This was a presentation that I co-presented in Chicago, IL at the TESOL international 2018. I partnered with another teacher and and administrator at INTO OSU to help develop the business English curriculum. In particular, we focused on business case studies.
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Integrating Case Study Tasks in Business English Courses
- 1. Integrating Case Study Tasks in Business English Courses Ariana Van Beurden (Ariana.VanBeurden@oregonstate.edu) Christine Scott (Christine.Scott@oregonstate.edu) Randy Rebman (Randy.Rebman@oregonstate.edu) Download Handouts and PPT from our Google Drive Folder: https://goo.gl/Qr8mq9
- 2. Presentation Overview • Context and Background • Case Study Method Practices: • in the Listening & Speaking Classroom • in the Reading & Writing Classroom • Q & A 1
- 3. Definition of Case Study Method • Students use scenarios (real or based on reality) about actual companies to practice their analysis skills and gain experience in the tasks of creating and implementing strategy (Gonzalez, 2016). • The student’s role in case analysis is to diagnose & size up the situation described in the case and then recommend appropriate action steps (Gonzalez, 2016). • Ellet (2007) classifies 3 types of case studies: • solving a problem • making a decision • forming an evaluation 2 Identifying Problems Performing Analysis Action Steps Getting Oriented
- 4. Context 3 ● Most popular programs are Business & Engineering (MBA & MEng degrees) ● Students in MBA Graduate Pathway typically don’t have an undergraduate degree in business.
- 5. Context (continued) 4 Over 600 students have gone through our MBA Pathway Program the past 10 years.
- 6. 5 Change to English for Specific Purposes Curriculum ● All Graduate Pathway students used to be enrolled in the same general English courses their first term ● BA 512 subsequent course after both English classes and is an indicator of how well students are prepared. Term 1 Term 2 Listening & Speaking BA 512-Business Analysis and Communication Reading & Writing BA 515-Managerial Decision Tools
- 7. Making the Change to MBA-focused ESP Curriculum 6
- 8. Needs Analysis • Interviewed recitation instructors and analyzed syllabus & assignments of BA 512. • Interviewed Dean of MBA program. • Feedback gathered from students through faculty-student committee. 7
- 9. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 8 ● As much business terminology as possible ● American business cultural terms ● Business school cultural norms ● Case Study ● AWA ● Be able to read Economist ● Presentations ● Discussions LANGUAGE CONTENT TASKS
- 10. Case Study Method for Communication Skills OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 9 Characteristics of the Case Method ❖ Immersion experience ❖ Simulates real business situations ❖ Requires high level of preparation & sustained participation Benefits ❖ Enhance communicative competence ❖ Build interpersonal & collaboration skills ❖ Encourage active & independent learning ❖ Develop leadership & managerial skills ❖ Sharpen analytical, problem-solving, & decision-making skills ❖ Foster confidence needed for authentic business situations
- 11. Case Method Approach Challenges OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 10 Students ❖ Linguistic gaps ➢ Vocabulary ➢ Fluency ❖ Cultural Expectations ➢ Experience with participatory learning ➢ Culturally-based Communication styles ➢ Low tolerance for ambiguity ❖ Background knowledge ➢ Cultural References ➢ Understanding of Business Context Instructors ❖ Choosing Appropriate Cases ➢ Length ➢ Complexity & Concepts ➢ Contextual Considerations ❖ Preparation Time ➢ Develop effective questions ➢ Provide knowledge as framework for processing case ❖ Evaluation of Participation ➢ Difficult to assess quantity and quality of contributions ❖ Discussion Support ➢ Foster debate ➢ Facilitate without leading
- 12. Listening & Speaking Course Materials OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 11 Video and PodcastsTextbook Case Studies Business Topics Presentation Skills Grammar Skills Teaching Texts
- 13. Communicative Language Teaching Approach Integration OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 12 Problem-based Learning Task-based Language Teaching Case Method Approach
- 14. 13 TBLT + CSM 1 2 3 45 6 Reading and Reflection ⧫ Content Inventory (situation, case type, stakeholders, etc.) Definitions: ⧫ case specific language and vocabulary Analysis ⧫ Brainstorming Meeting #1 (initial questions, problem/decision statement, organize work plan)Discussion: ⧫ Instructor-led case clarifications, background info, & language strategies Learning Team Discussions ⧫ Hypothesis (reach agreement) ⧫ Proof and action (support and plan) ⧫ Assign research/work plan Strategies ⧫ Instructor-led language strategies, business concepts ⧫ Student-led analysis (case vignettes) Mixed Team & Whole Class Discussions ⧫ Critical Issues ⧫ Identify Alternatives Checkpoint ⧫ Student-led (discussion roles) ⧫ Instructor: evaluation and feedback, concept support Learning Team Conclusion ⧫ Reflection and modification ⧫ Plan presentation tasks Presentation skills ⧫ effective visuals ⧫ body language ⧫ leading Q&A Present ⧫ Learning Teams (present recommendations) ⧫ Q&A: Audience questions Evaluation and feedback ⧫ Instructor ⧫ Peer ⧫ Group ⧫ Self Process for Integrating TBLT & the Case Method Approach
- 15. Action Plan Presentation (Weeks 7-10) OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 14 Independent Case Analysis ● New learning teams & case study ● Repeat case analysis process ○ Develop work plan ○ Create guiding questions ○ Lead group and mixed-group discussions ● Instructor role: language support, feedback Learning Team Presentations ● Present action plan ○ Class Q&A ● Evaluation/feedback
- 16. 15 TBLT + CSM 1 2 3 45 6 Reading and Reflection ⧫ Content Inventory (situation, case type, stakeholders, etc.) Definitions: ⧫ case specific language and vocabulary Analysis ⧫ Brainstorming Meeting #1 (initial questions, problem/decision statement, organize work plan)Discussion: ⧫ Instructor-led case clarifications, background info, & language strategies Learning Team Discussions ⧫ Hypothesis (reach agreement) ⧫ Proof and action (support and plan) ⧫ Assign research/work plan Strategies ⧫ Instructor-led language strategies, business concepts ⧫ Student-led analysis (case vignettes) Mixed Team & Whole Class Discussions ⧫ Critical Issues ⧫ Identify Alternatives Graded discussion ⧫ Student-led (discussion roles) ⧫ Instructor: evaluation and feedback, concept support Learning Team Conclusion ⧫ Reflection and modification ⧫ Plan presentation tasks Presentation skills ⧫ effective visuals ⧫ body language ⧫ leading Q&A Present ⧫ Learning Teams (present recommendations) ⧫ Q&A: Audience questions Evaluation and feedback ⧫ Instructor ⧫ Peer ⧫ Group ⧫ Self Process for Integrating TBLT & the Case Method Approach
- 17. Reading/Writing Business English Course Texts OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 16 • Intelligent Business course text • Harvard Business Review, NY Times and Bloomberg Articles • Harvard Business Review Case Study & Commentary
- 18. Complexity of Case Study Reading & Writing Process 17 ● Cognitive Complexity ● Language Complexity
- 19. Complexity of Case Study Reading 18 Business Case Studies can’t be treated as “normal” texts
- 20. Complexity of Case Study Reading Process and Scaffolding • Case studies require iterative reading-- multiple readings for many different purposes. • Iterative MW dictionary definition: a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations yields results successively closer to a desired result. 19
- 21. Scaffolding of Case Study Reading: The Geography of Case • Lead students through a content inventory of the text • Identify exhibits, commentary, & dialogue 20
- 22. Scaffolding of Case Study Reading: Hypothesis GO 21 Hypothesis for Your Decision: Strengths of Your Decision Weaknesses of Your Decision Reasons for Your Decision Possible Criteria for Decision Evidence for Decision Key Question Key Question Key Question Key Question Key Question How does your decision recommendation address the case study questions specifically? What are some possible arguments against your decision? What reasons supports your initial conclusions about the case? How are you evaluating the managerial decision making process? What relevant data supports your decision hypothesis?
- 23. Scaffolding of Case Study Reading: Socratic Q & A Gallery Walk 22
- 24. Writing Task: Decision Case Study Report OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 23 Decision Case Report Sections: • Purpose Statement-provides conclusion about case/recommendation for protagonist • Criteria/Evidence/Analysis--proof to support conclusion about case • Action Plan--steps to carry out management action (includes short- and long-term steps)
- 25. Case Report Writing Task Complexity • Unclear role adoption & pronoun use (I/you/she/) • Creating decision criteria to fit aspects of case • Lack of familiarity with disciplinary specific terms for the action plan • Organization of ideas and illogical choice of evidence 24
- 26. Case Report Writing Scaffolding 1. Revised assignment guidelines to describe students role adoption as that of a business consultant. 2. Provided familiar decision scenarios where students use criteria everyday. 3. Used collocation and corpus-driven vocabulary activities 25
- 27. Case Report Writing Scaffolding (cont.) 4. Use graphic organizers and templates to assist students in analysis, synthesis, organization and evaluation prior to writing. 5. Lots of conferencing & Dear Reader Letters/Memos (Shvidko, 2015) on all 3 drafts. 6. Peer Review Activities 26
- 28. Dear Reader Letter 3 Sample Questions • Briefly identify the major revisions that you have made while composing this draft. • What are the major strengths of this final draft? • How has the process of writing this case study report changed the way you think about business decision making? • What other business related topics/concepts (not mentioned above) did this case teach you? 27
- 29. Dear Reader Letter 3: Genre Move Awareness Development Evidence/Criteria Move “My first draft did not have strong evidence to support the criteria that I use to make the decision, so I have changed some part of the evidence and criteria.” -Anna “The criteria are the largest difference between the first draft and the seconds after I noticed the first draft is lack of criteria.” - Jennifer 28
- 30. Dear Reader Letter 3: MBA Disciplinary Knowledge Awareness “I learn more about how to make decisions clearly than before. There are steps to follow and consequences to think about in order to make good decisions.” -Gena “After the initial reading of the case, the mode of thought is relatively fixed, and it will be extended on the basis of Sena’s plan. However, for case analysis, we need to analyze the problem from a deeper angle and breadth, propose feasible implementation plan...”--Lena 29
- 31. 30 Student Feedback: How well did ALS 173/174 prepare you for BA 512? 1=very well prepared 10=not well prepared
- 32. Q & A Download Handouts and Presentation from our Google Drive Folder: https://goo.gl/Qr8mq9 31
- 33. References Ellet, William. (2007). The Case Study Handbook: How to read, discuss, and write persuasively about cases. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press Shvidko, Elena. (2015). “Beyond ‘Giver-Receiver’ Relationships: Facilitating an Interactive Revision Process.” Journal of Response to Writing, 1(2): 55–74 32
Editor's Notes
- Intro: Who is familiar with the case study method? Raise your hand if you have learned from the case study method. Raise your hand if you have taught the case study method.
- Intro: Who is familiar with the case study method? Raise your hand if you have learned from the case study method. Raise your hand if you have taught the case study method.
- There is not a “right answer”, students need to defend and explain why they chose their answer instead.
- Case study--with or without commentary--advantage of each
- Economist readings provide the complexity of business texts,where students have to identify applied business concepts, build decision skills, analysis skills and introduce business vocabulary words HBR, NY Times Articles & Bloomberg articles are used to build background knowledge and related reading: Ann Johns idea of text chains (need citation if I want to refer to her for this idea) HBR Case Study: Change Management Decision-based Case Study Essay Not content specific, so it does not require in-depth business knowledge on the part of students to understand--more general Change Management is more approachable than other areas of business Change ties in with readings in Intelligent Business Course Text
- Case studies are meant to mirror the reality of the business world and therefore lack coherent and cohesive narratives; they often contain conflicting evidence This makes them complex cognitively and complex linguistically
- One of the big leaps for students is going from academic texts that are usually used to represent definitive and more complete perspectives, whereas the case study is incomplete, ambiguous and messy Students can waste a lot of time rereading the case study looking for the right answer that will help them approach the case study; this creates frustration this is especially true of students who have spent most of their time preparing for major exams that involve reading and memorizing the right “answers” for standardized tests, such as China’s Gaokao
- They require time to evaluate, analyze and apply business concepts knowledge to the case. It is important to point out that iterative reading is not often taught or performed by students in many English language classrooms Most teachers are not accustomed to having students repeatedly approach the same text for different purposes in a recursive manner; nor are students used to such an approach It is a mistake to see a case study as just another case that can be covered in a similar amount of time as other academic texts; this needs to be taken into account when planning a course
- Content Inventory: point out features, such as exhibits, comments, dialogue ask what other texts it reminds them of? How is it different? Identify questions and dilemmas: What are main questions that need to be answered? What dilemmas face the protagonist? the key here is for teachers to help students develop a map of the text because it is so different than traditional academic informational texts there should be a discussion about what they expect in reading a text and how the expectations need to change remind students that case studies are meant to mirror the messy reality of a the business world--they are not meant to be definitive!
- Hypothesis GO testable conclusion about the case tentative & subject to change features internal/external characteristics
- Socratic Gallery Walk Refer to handout This activity also gets students to see that there are different types of evidence that need to be gathered and evaluated in a case Teachers need to create the conditions for looking at the case from multiple angles. Socratic questions are used to integrate critical thinking into the reading process. This requires that students gather evidence from the case study to address socratic questions.
- The top two are cognitively complex, while the bottom two are linguistically complex Cognitive Complexity: Unclear adoption of a role--Students expressed confusion about the role they were being asked to assume in their response to the case. The notion of creating decision criteria to fit aspects of case was perplexing for all students in the course. Linguistic Complexity Lack of familiarity with disciplinary specific terms for the action plan, especially specific verbs that are specific to business action plans resulted in circumlocution and wordiness Organization of ideas and ability to define criteria
- The real title for this slide should be course revisions while in progress :) Mention how we looked at the buying clothing and how fit might be one of the criteria used to decide whether you are going to purchase it or not. How do you evaluate if a piece of clothing fits? What other criteria might you use to purchase a piece of clothing?