CASE STUDIES IN ARCHIVAL EDUCATION

CASE STUDIES IN ARCHIVAL EDUCATION

1. Case Studies

   • Problem or situation in a real or imagined organisation.
     • Include
       • Possible solutions or actions arising from the situation.
   • Purpose
     • For studentsto work through the problem and devise reasonable and workable solutions.
     • The case study puts the student in the problem solver’s shoes.
   • It doesn't provide answers.
   • It raises questions
   • Help students
     • Following skils
       • Identifying and recognising problems
       • Understanding and interpreting data
       • Thinking analytically and critically
       • Exercising and making judgments
       • Communicating ideas and opinions
       • Making and defending decisions
   • Case studies should be as realistic as possible
     • actual situations
       • be fictionalised to protect confidentiality

2. Using case studies

   • Teaching method
     • Requires
       • interpretation and discussion among students and between students and teacher
   • Teaching Methods
     • Class discussion
       • Class, may be divided into small groups
     • Role play
       • the students may be given ‘parts’ as people in the case
         • to present their ‘character’s’ concerns and point of view
     • Interviews
       • Students required to ask particular questions needed to provide their analysis and recommendations
     • Assingments
       • student required to write an analysis and recommendations

3. Lifespan

   • quickly become obsolete
     • A case study may only be relevant for two or three years before being revised

4. Topics

   • Interpretive topics are well suited to case study instruction.
   • Organisational framework
     • identifying lines of authority
   • Facility and resource management
     • managing personnel
   • Records management
     • building or adapting a records centre facility
   • Acquisition and collection development
     • identifying gaps in holdings
   • Control of holdings
     • protecting holdings from physical damage
   • Reference services
     • balancing access and confidentiality
   • Use of technologies
     • implementing automated systems in the archives