Francisco G. Barroso-Tanoira - Helping others to learn: preparing for career success through effective case study design and implementation in real job contexts

1. Helping others to learn: preparing for career
success through effective case study design
and implementation in real job contexts
Dr. Francisco G. Barroso-Tanoira
Universidad Anáhuac Mayab
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2. Summary
Government Auditors studying the
Master in Auditing prepare original
case studies to be implemented for
teaching their staff.
Undergraduate accounting and
management students cooperate in
the process and learn how to prepare
their own cases to be used at school.
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3. Introduction
A good way for teaching
students is helping them
discover, explore and
experiment in real work
context.
More than just teaching, it is
helping them learn how to learn
and get engaged with their own
learning, giving full meaning to
what they are doing in the
process
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4. Introduction
For achieving career success
they must be able to detect
problems and teach their staff
how to solve them
A good way for doing so is
through case studies solving
because higher learning levels
are involved.
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5. The program
The objective of the case study
method is achieving congruent
conclusions with the reality of
the case, taking in mind that
there is uncertainty.
Students must be able to
communicate their thinking in an
effective way
Attention to socioemotional
competencies
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6. The case study method
It could be in groups, discussion in
class or formal presentations
The participant´s role is advancing
discussion and contributing to
collective understanding of the case
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7. The case study method
Emphasis in:
Case analysis
Discussion
How to write cases
How to implement cases
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8. The case study method
1) Ask students the starting questions
before the case is presented. Divide
them in groups of five to six students.
2) Let them discuss in small groups and
then to the big group (the class)
3) Have them read the case in small
groups
4) Give them the questions or assign the
activities to be done

9. The case study method
5) They work in small group and
then present their results to the
whole class.
6) You give them feedback and
present the epilog. Students
discuss the epilog.
7) You assign homework and further
reading related to the case.

10. Notes about the cases
1) One case could be used in more than one
course…depending on the topics to be
discussed.
2) There are two basic case types:
a) without and ending: the students have to
deduct the end.
b) with and ending: the students judge if the
solution is correct
The best case is that without solution, but which
enhances discussion and learning.

11. The experience
1) Students from the Master´s in Auditing
participated in the Case Study Method as
part of their program.
2) As part of the final work, they designed (in
groups) a case study for teaching their new
auditing staff.
3) They involved university students and
taught them to implement the cases.
Those students were already working at
the Government Auditing Department as
part of their professional practices.
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12. The experience
4) Students helped the auditors do the job
5) Students in teams, grouped by proceeding institution and under a
supervisor´s guide, prepared a case for implementing at their
schools with their classmates.
6) Auditors reported:
a) their staff learning through cases
b) the students’ learning in the experience
c) the students’ performance implementing a case at school
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13. Results
Benefits for auditors
Their staff was better prepared and
motivated
They enhanced discussion and
fostered creativity
The learning and assimilation was
even faster than using just the
traditional professor-student format
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14. Results
Benefits for students at the
Government Audit Department
They were surprised to see that it was
possible to teach and learn at the same time
They were highly motivated to continue
learning
They incorporated skills in leadership,
teamwork, talking in public and teaching
through this exercise
They enjoyed being their classmates’ teachers
when implemented the case at school
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15. Results
Benefits for their classmates
They learned a topic in an
interesting and dynamic
environment
They felt creative and
participative
They are willing to use this
method when they work
professionally
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16. Totally agree 4.6to 5
Agree 3.6to 4.5
More or less agree 2.6to 3.5
Disagree 1.6to 2.5
Totally disagree 1to 1.5
Scale
Significant difference
(p<0.05)

17. Results
Preparing for career success
Both, the students in Auditing and at the
University feel that they could be better
prepared using the case study method to
practice and incorporate new learning
which could be useful at work
They learned helping others to learn,
which motivated them a lot.
The students in Auditing discovered an
ability they did not know they could
develop.
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18. Conclusions
However, the real challenge for
students is to be able to design
and implement those cases.
This way they get connected to
real work situations and are
motivated to solve problems.
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19. Conclusions
This experience is important because
students also learn how to work in
teams.
Undergraduate students follow and
learn from their Master´s fellows and
appropriate that experience for using
it at school, in a nice and challenging
environment.
This is a good way to get prepared for
career success.
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20. A final note
Two cases were awarded by the
UNAM (National Autonomous
University of Mexico), first and
fourth places, at the International
Case Study Contest 2015.
Both cases were developed
following this methodology
(http://anahuacmayab.mx/prensa/obtienen-mencion-
honorifica-en-concurso-internacional )
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21. Thank you!
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