Writing CBCR Cases

Abstract

Case-based teaching is considered a superior method of teaching for a variety of professional domains. Its success depends both on the way education is enhanced by adequate facilitation by teacher and on the quality of cases used (Kim et al. 2006). Dolmans et al. and Kim and colleagues have provided guidelines for effective case writing in health professions education (Dolmans et al. 1997; Kim et al. 2006). Working with adequate cases in problem-based learning is considered to stir situational interest in students during education, more than direct instruction (Schmidt et al. 2011). In a broad literature review, Kim and co-workers conclude that written clinical cases are most effective if they show five core attributes (Kim et al. 2006). They should be: (a) Relevant (adjusted to the level of the learner, aligned with goals and objectives, and with an adequate setting of the case narrative) (b) Realistic (showing authenticity, including distractors, providing a gradual disclosure of content) (c) Engaging (providing a rich content with multiple perspectives and with branching of content) (d) Challenging (sufficiently difficult, being new or atypical cases for the level of the learner, with adequate case structure, and including multiple cases) (e) Instructional (building upon prior knowledge, incorporating feedback, and using educational or didactic aids where possible and adequately assessed).