Lessons Learned: Implementing the Case Teaching Method in a Mechanical Engineering Course

A majority of engineering classes involve the “teaching by telling” approach (i.e., lecture-based approach), which is still the most dominant teaching method for engineering classes (Elshorbagy and Schönwetter, 2002). However, this traditional lecture method leaves engineering graduates ill-prepared for the engineering profession (Lattuca, et al., 2006). The traditional lecture approach falls short because it is not an effective motivator for students as they are passive recipients of information rather than being actively involved in the learning process (Prince and Felder, 2006). Furthermore, the types of problems students often solve in classrooms using this traditional approach do not necessarily prepare them for the real-world problems they will encounter as engineers. Real-world problems are complex, ill-structured, without a clear solution, have conflicting goals, and can be presented in a number of ways (Jonnasen, Strobel, and Lee, 2006). Use of the traditional lecture method also has led to low levels of student attendance and retention in the engineering disciplines (Seymour and Hewitt, 1997). Seymour and Hewitt found that students reported poor teaching method as one of the main reasons for leaving or switching out of science, mathematics, and engineering majors. There is a 40 percent attrition rate in the engineering disciplines between freshmen and senior years (Seymour and Hewitt, 1997). The student loss is proportionally even greater among women and minorities, leading to increased under-representation of these populations in engineering disciplines (Seymour and Hewitt, 1997). The issues of student retention, preparing students for the nature of engineering, and lack of student motivation raises many questions for engineering educators. How do engineering educators allow students to “comprehend the nature of workplace problem solving” to prepare them for the real world of practice (Jonnasen, Strobel, and Lee, 2006)? How do engineering educators engage undergraduate engineering students? Hence, engineering educators face the challenges of not only preparing students for the workplace, but also engaging students in order to decrease attrition rates, especially among women and minorities. The use of case studies is one pedagogical technique that may offer a solution through its focus on student-centered learning and engagement in authentic problem solving.