Case-Based Learning/Reasoning...The Life in Which We Live...

     I must say, this model immediately took me back in time to my undergraduate years and graduate school at ECU.  In both Criminal Justice programs, we relied heavily on these methods of learning.  I cannot begin to count the number of cases that were relayed to us from our professors, researched, read and analyzed.  This was merely learning in context.  The learning outcome, which is problem solving, for this model and the previous instructional models researched has been similar.  Jonassen’s article stated, “The rationale and means for analyzing, organizing, and presenting stories to support problem solving are defined by case based reasoning.”  Also, his article points out that stories are used for instructional support and “stories are the oldest and most natural form of sense making.”  I think we can all agree with that.  Whether we can recall stories being told from parents, grandparents, teachers, professors, or any one in general, it provides us with being able to understand a diverse group of people.  I can also recall stories being used in various trainings that I have attended, including my teacher orientation class.  As discussed in our lecture, I can see where I can recall how I used Case Based Learning and Case Based Reasoning synonymously when I worked in the public mental health sector.  We often staffed cases and discussed solutions based on past cases and experience with other patients.  I think we can all benefit from information from others where they have lived and learned through experience.  As Wang’s article further discusses, this ties back into Experiential Learning.  Stories have the capability of providing us with a rich learning environment and as learners, we are able to likely apply the lessons learned from those stories to new problems that we may encounter.  I think we have probably all encountered a situation, particularly at work where we may be confronted with a task and try to recall a situation that was similar in order to come to a resolution. 

     Yes, I would definitely employ this method in education, as I have found that I already have in the form of advice.  Although, I think that primarily it can be more beneficial in higher education and training programs, it also has a place in K-12, perhaps not as pronounced.  Jarz’s article discussed how multi-media case based studies can be beneficial and have a huge impact on learning.  I agree that the use of multi-media can improve the quality of education.  The multi-media options could include video, audio, podcasts, numerous web 2.0 tools, including bookmarking tools, such as diigo, and many other avenues of addressing various learning styles.  It is important that we keep in mind the challenges associated with the instructional design piece.  There will definitely be a huge amount of time needed to develop this, a team oriented approach will be needed, and there is always the possibility of being too biased when trying to recall the most appropriate cases when applying reasoning. 

     I wanted to share this quote:  “Story is far older than the art of science and psychology, and will always be the elder in the equation no matter how much time passes.” —Clarissa Pinkola Estes