Tools and Resources

In-depth discussion of planning and writing a case study. Key steps discussed include identifying the reason for using a case study; drafting the case; and piloting and revising it.

One-page handout to evaluate the quality or effectiveness of case studies.

Brief discussion of characteristics that case-writers should aim for in order to promote students' learning. Traits discussed include realism, alignment with students' needs, complexity, adequate background information, and clear writing.

This is a case study written to help faculty members think about and discuss issues related to students making inappropriate comments in class.

Case study about a TA who alienates his supervising faculty member. Includes reflection questions about ways to avoid this kind of situation.

This document is a case study that can be used to spark workshop discussion among instructors about issues related to race and ethnicity in the classroom. This case study would be most useful for faculty developers.

This document provides suggestions for holding diversity workshops for faculty. These workshops are designed to include diversity case studies. This document is most useful for faculty developers.

Case study: A teaching assistant discovers that many of the class activities she planned will be physically impossible for one of her students.

Case study: An instructor who has assigned a small-group project finds that one group is functioning poorly. One of the members complains that his religious beliefs make it difficult for him to work with another member of the group, who is gay.

This is a case study appropriate for use with any faculty or graduate instructor audience. It touches on themes including religious differences, inclusivity, difficult dialogues, and class discussions.

This case study would be appropriate for use with faculty or graduate student instructors. It deals, in particular, with issues of inclusivity and students' inability to pay for required texts.

This case study is about how an instructor is presented a unique request from a transgender student. Several discussion questions are included.

This document describes how to use case studies as strategies to provide active learning experiences for students.

This diversity case study was designed to help faculty think about and discuss how best to address a classroom that includes students from diverse backgrounds. This document is most useful for faculty developers.

Case study for classroom management

Examples of rubrics for 1) Class participation; 2) lab reports; 3)oral participation; and 4) a teaching portfolio. Document also includes rubrics of different grain sizes: holistic rubric compared with grading checklist. There is also a case study about a request to have an assignment regraded.

This case study involves a female professor and her response to a female student who has been teased by males (who are the majority of the class). This document is most useful for faculty developers.

This case involves an elderly returning adult student who behaves in a way that makes the faculty member uncomfortable. This document is most useful for faculty developers.

Case study about a disability rights issue in a classroom.

Fern K. Willits and Mark A. Brennan 2016 Changing Perceptions of the University as a Community of Learning: The Case of Penn State. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28(1), 66-74.
Supported by a grant from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

The purpose of this article is to provide a process for centers for teaching and learning to demonstrate their success and their value to constituents. Faculty developers have long requested an approach that would guide relevant and meaningful data collection. Nearly every CTL must develop a strategic plan, but too often they sit on a shelf gathering dust. The purpose of a strategic plan is to guide decision-making about how the unit spends its resources in service of its purpose (mission).
Linse, A. R. & Hood, L. N. (in press). Building a strategic plan that guides assessment: A case study from a teaching and learning center. Journal on Centers for Teaching and Learning.