Case-Based Learning

Brian Allred's picture

 I have found stories to be a very effective method of teaching.  Stories allow us to look at things form a new angle and think from different perspectives as we put ourselves in the non-threatening shoes of a character rather that our own. This makes them great for encouraging analysis and eventually personal application.  During the past school year I used stories often as a method of teaching.  I taught the New Testament and its many parables.  It is interesting the different meaning that can be found in a parable among students based on their situation.

 
Teachers can help students learn using stories by asking good lead up questions that create a readiness to learn within the student, also good questions during the story that promote reflection, memory recall and analysis of the story.  Finally good follow-up questions will help facilitate application by helping the students make the connection between themselves and those in the story.
 
Even better than good questions posed by teachers are good questions posed by students to themselves.  Structuring learning to allow for expectation failure is an effective way to encourage students to reevaluate and modify what they know as they try to navigate failure looking for answers. 
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Submitted by Brian Allred on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 1:22am
Tom Johnson's picture

Case Based Learning

Submitted by Tom Johnson (not verified) on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 3:05pm.
I like how you illustrated how stories allow you to observe perspectives or content from non-threatening shoes. I agree with you that learning can be better effectuated by using stories to promote reflection and critical thinking. I like how you mentioned follow-up questions, because to me, it is that follow up that I believe really seals the content to the memory. -Tom Johnson

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