Yet is this approach the best way to teach people to lead in a world that demands greater agility and adaptability, asks James Heskett. Susan Young Harvard Business School What do you think about this issue that has been discussed at Harvard Business School over the past few years in case law. This question reflects a long-held belief among some Harvard Business School faculty that an important role of the instructor is to pose the questions and for the discussion. There is no assumption that there is always a right answer. Instead the focus is on the quality of the analysis and thought process used in proposing responses. The traditional response from a teacher when students ask the teacher for their opinion early in the discussion is what do you think? This month I have been asking this question in this field for about 10 years.
The case method requires teachers to frequently relinquish control of philippines photo editor the learning process to the class. Creative teachers find problem cases everywhere. There is an old saying in school that someone who teaches well can teach newspapers. In fact the late School of Marketing professor Theodore Levitt was famous for occasionally walking into class with a newspaper and he would teach based on something from the newspaper regardless of what material was assigned that day. Some of the columns we have shared over the years were prepared based on newspaper reports. Last month's column about the decisions facing Disney CEO Bob Chapek is one example. The case method is controversial. The main pedagogical criticism of it is that it is an ineffective way of teaching something.
The argument goes that this is especially true if concepts or quantitative techniques are the subject of the day. Why not hire an expert to lecture on the subject? The counter-argument is that the case method promotes a process of self-discovery that is not common for students sitting in a lecture hall. The case method requires teachers to frequently relinquish control of the learning process to the class. Many critics are unwilling or unable to do so. Almost every day at Harvard Business School there is someone in class who knows more about what is being taught than the teacher. This is why teachers are encouraged to prepare their own case materials. This is also a way to educate yourself. A large number of cases often results in research based on anecdotal information obtained during case preparation.
发表于 2023-12-21 14:57:50
