The Eighth International Literacy & Education Research Network Conference on

SPETSES, GREECE
4-8 July 2001

Professor Nic Lessing

Professor, Department of Business Management, RAU, Auckland park, South Africa

Cor Scheepers
Lecturer in Business Management, Rand Afrikaans University

The Case Method Facilitating Using Technology

Abstract

The available literature on case teaching emphasises the importance of interaction among participants. In distance teaching, the necessary interaction is often scaled down to one-way communication of individual students giving written answers to preset case questions, and a written response of the lecturer to the class as a whole. This limited way of communication cannot do justice to the case method and ignores the dynamic nature of interaction and development. Thus, distance teaching can not utilise the case method, or can only use cases in an unsatisfactory way. Furthermore, interaction in the class situation is often restricted to the interaction between the learners (as a group) and the facilitator. In this paper emphasis is laid on three levels of interaction: among the learners themselves; between the learners and the facilitator; and the interaction of the learners and the facilitator with the case author. Utilising the electronic technologies available nowadays, it would be as possible to benefit from electronic interaction as with face-to face interaction.

Bionotes

Professor Nic Lessing (D Com) is experienced in the business world, having served various industries in different capacities. He subsequently joined the Rand Afrikaans University, where he is now Professor in Business Management. His areas of teaching and research interests include business teaching using the case method and computerised simulation models. He is member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Africa Case Research Association.

Cor Scheepers (M Com) is experienced in the business world, having served various industries in different capacities. He joined the Rand Afrikaans University in 1988 as a part-time lecturer in Business Management. His areas of teaching and research interests include business teaching using the case method and Information Management. He is member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Africa Case Research Association.

Presentation Type
30 min. Paper

Presentation Equipment and Other Requests
Overhead projector

Speaking Date/Time Restrictions

Country
South Africa