Beyond the Case Method in Public Affairs Education: Unexpected Benefits of Student-Written Cases

Abstract

The case method is a proven pedagogical strategy in public affairs education but it requires the use of relevant and realistic cases to which students can relate. Absent this condition, faculty must innovate. This article presents instructor experiences using a pedagogical approach of student-written instructor-facilitated (SWIF) cases at graduate public affairs programs at three Colombian universities. Applying a common evaluation instrument in each instructor’s course, we identify additional strengths of SWIF case pedagogy beyond initial expectations and beyond the usual benefits of the case method. The lessons from these courses suggest benefits to students’ developing their own cases as a means of making sense of the challenges particular to their own contexts. These observations and findings lead to recommendations for public affairs teaching more generally.