Cognitive and motivational effectiveness of an interdisciplinary case method experiment at the University of Stuttgart

Abstract

An experiment on the value of the case study method was carried out at the University of Stuttgart in the Federal Republic of Germany, to ascertain whether the case study method was superior to the traditional teaching methods, especially with a view to increasing requests that university education should be more practice-related. The main deficiencies of traditional business teaching methods are indicated, as well as the perceived satisfaction and importance of the basic needs as seen by a number of students. In the experiment five business administration and five engineering students were used, while a large business firm and some of its sub-contractors gave feedback from the business world itself. Towards the end of the experiment the students' opinions on the value of the case method compared with traditional teaching methods was obtained by means of anonymous questionnaires. They rated the case study method as substantially superior with regard to increasing knowledge, and to improving both technical and inter-personal competence. The same conclusions were drawn as to the affective area of learning, including increased and better satisfied intrinsic motivation to achieve, and to cooperate in small task groups.