Title: The future of case teaching: applying strategies for enhancing student knowledge with wisdom

Authors: Dieter Fink

Addresses: School of Management, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA 6027, Australia

Abstract: Rapid changes on the world stage have strengthened the argument for society and universities to become wisdom-oriented. This paper discusses wisdom in the context of higher education, its relationship with case-based learning and how wisdom was imparted in case teaching. For the latter, the concept of wisdom-related knowledge was adopted, operationalised as factual knowledge, procedural knowledge, contextualisation, relativism, and uncertainty. The construct was aligned with case-based learning activities which were synthesised from the 'cognitive' dimensions of Henri (1992). They provided the basis for developing teaching strategies to impart wisdom-related knowledge to students undertaking a Master unit in Information Technology Value Realisation at an Australian university. The research approach used was that of technical reflection within the reflection-on-action paradigm. Each of the strategies is discussed; first, by providing insight into underlying theory and second, to reflect on actions that resulted. The research concludes with a model that integrates cognitive dimensions, teaching strategies and wisdom criteria to guide educationalists during the transfer of wisdom-related knowledge to their students.

Keywords: wisdom-related knowledge; case-based learning; case teaching; teaching strategies; ICT; information technology; communications technology; reflection-on-action; student knowledge; knowledge enhancement; universities; higher education; factual knowledge; procedural knowledge; contextualisation; relativism; uncertainty; learning activities; cognitive dimensions; France Henri; value realisation; Australia; master's degrees; technical reflection; Edith Cowan University; underlying theory; educationalists; knowledge management; KM; organisational learning; strategic learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKMS.2012.051903

International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 2012 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.154 - 170

Received: 16 Oct 2010
Accepted: 06 Jun 2011
Published online: 04 Sep 2014 *

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