Problem-Solving in a Case-Based Course: Strategies for Facilitating Coached Expertise

This paper proposes the use of specific coaching strategies to facilitate students' use of expert-like problem-solving strategies while analyzing and solving instructional design case studies. Findings from an exploratory study, designed to examine changes in students' problem-solving skills as they analyzed case studies, suggested that students could show expert characteristics at times, under some circumstances, but did not perform like experts on a regular basis. Thirty-seven students at two Midwestern universities analyzed six to ten case studies as part of their course assignments. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected; students' written case analyses (initial conceptualizations and recommended solutions) served as the primary data source. Comparisons were made both within- and across-students, as well as across time, to examine patterns and changes in students' problem-solving approaches. Findings suggested that primary influences on the incidence of expert performance seemed more external than internal and might be more aptly characterized as "coached expertise." The first section of the paper describes the context in which case-based instruction was situated, including the courses and the use of cases. The second section offers a set of guidelines for using cases as an instructional method in the education of instructional designers. Specifically presented are guidelines intended to help students use and develop the kind of problem-solving strategies commonly used by experts. (Contains 23 references.) (AEF)