Designing your Teaching Case Study

[Teaching Case Study Diagram, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

A teaching case study framework supports teaching innovation by outlining connected and relational processes that enfold teaching practice, scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning. The framework supports the development of teaching practice across four connected phases:

  1. Line of Enquiry
  2. Dissemination
  3. Exploration and Experimentation
  4. Recognition

In the first phase, scholarship and expertise inform a line of enquiry that guides the investigation of a learning and teaching idea. In the second phase, these ideas are explored and experimented with in an educational environment with associated modes of reflection and evaluation. The third phase considers how the knowledge produced through experimentation is translated to others and recognised at various scales. For example, teaching innovations may be adopted within a subject, discipline or by others in the university or beyond. The fourth phase explores how this knowledge may be further disseminated through publication or other peer-reviewed outputs, including creative works.

Feedback loops connect each phase to the line of enquiry, allowing reflection to inform and refine teaching practice, evaluation, recognition and dissemination. These connections scaffold processes over time and across subjects and interests.

Line of Enquiry

[Teaching Case Study - Line of Enquiry, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

The 'line of enquiry' frames the focus of the case study. This is an important step in any project, as it will determine the nature of each of the following phases. What idea are you interested in exploring? How does it relate to your current teaching practice and how might that practice be improved?

The line of enquiry should draw on existing scholarship: what have others written or shared about the topic? Have similar issues been explored in other disciplines or contexts?

Faculty and University strategies can also help situate teaching case study ideas within broader institutional priorities. Examples include the ABP Designing Futures Strategy and the University of Melbourne’s Advancing Students and Education (ASE) strategy.

Important note: In this phase, consider whether you intend to disseminate the case study through Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). If students or peers will be involved as partners or participants, clarify the university ethics approval that will be required before commencing the work. The Ethical Coursework Tool can assist in considering the ethical implications.

Exploration & Experimentation

[Teaching Case Study - Exploration and Experimentation, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

The exploration and experimentation phase is where the design and implementation of an initiative occurs as well as reflection and evaluation. The University of Melbourne Framework for Academic Excellence also provides some guidance to target improvements and frame your exploration. As part of this process, describe and capture the methods employed to undertake the initiative and document any changes over time.

In scoping the case study consider what is achievable within your sphere of influence. This will vary depending on your role, relationship to the subject and capacity. These factors will also inform the timing of the case study. Consider the timing of the case study, what will enable clear testing and evaluation?  A semester, a year or longer year period?

Reflecting on and evaluating the outcomes

In designing a case study, set up processes to collect, document and reflect your case study as it transpires. This might include design notes, student work, subject materials, student and peer feedback. Further examples of modes of reflection and evaluation include:

 

Example

Things to Consider

Yourself 

Self-reflection on teaching is a critical, systematic process for evaluating the effectiveness of your instructional methods for promoting student engagement or other observable behaviour. It typically involves reflective journaling as a way of exploring what went well, what did not and potential reasons why. The reflective process also encourages staff to critically examine their own experiences, values and assumptions as educators.

Staff considering how to embed self-reflection in their teaching practice are encouraged to discuss their plans with a mentor, supervisor and/or BEL+T staff. Combining self-reflection with other approaches can strengthen your overall suite of evidence.

[link to revised & truncated version of PSRE - reflective approach, Stacie Ng?]

 

You might consider using video-recording for self-reflection. Recording yourself in a live teaching session, including the use of automated recording functions, can provide additional opportunities for self-reflection.

Staff seeking to record themselves for reflection purposes should discuss this with a BEL+T member and ultimately disclose this to students in the session.

Students 

The End of Subject Survey (or ESS) is the University of Melbourne’s standardised approach to collecting student feedback at the individual subject level. Interpretation of ESS scores and comments can help guide subject development. ESS outcomes are most applicable for measuring teaching effectiveness at the subject coordination role. To assist with interpreting ESS outcomes, staff are encouraged to review BEL+T’s ESS guidance and/or speak with a BEL+T staff member.

Note that not all teaching staff in ABP are directly provided with ESS reports. Likewise, the ESS is designed to collect feedback on the subject as a whole; at the moment, it does not explicitly ask students to evaluate individual tutorials or studios, nor is data disaggregated by tutorial/studio.

 

Because ESS questions are not designed to solicit feedback on specific pedagogical or curricular initiatives within the subject (e.g., scholarship of teaching and learning projects), staff seeking more targeted feedback might consider the use of student surveys, interviews, focus groups or in-class observation.

If you are interested in potentially publishing student feedback as data, ethics approval is required. BEL+T staff are available to discuss the implications and approaches to ethical collection of data on teaching. Those in tutor roles should also speak with the relevant subject coordinator.

 

Examples of student work and LMS-based learning analytics can be included to demonstrate progress and/or engagement with the learning experiences and/or resources you designed.

Consider ways to highlight how these examples reflect the achievement of course objectives and the development of critical skills or knowledge, thereby serving as evidence of teaching innovation or quality.

Peers 

Invite a colleague to provide feedback on your teaching. Peer-to-peer feedback can include commentary on your teaching-in-action (i.e., through observation) and/or on teaching artefacts that you produced.

Staff considering this approach are encouraged to contact BEL+T, who can provide guidance around providing formative peer-to-peer feedback.

 

Particularly if you are considering publication of any data, peer evidence may also be obtained through interviews or focus groups with members of your teaching team or industry guests. This is typically in relation to specific teaching initiatives (e.g., scholarship of teaching and learning) with which the staff participants engaged.

If you are interested in potentially publishing any feedback from staff or guests as research data, ethics approval is required. BEL+T staff are available to discuss the implications of this and approaches to the ethical collection of data on teaching.

 

Testimonials from colleagues, or other evidence indicating they have applied your approaches or resources to their teaching context.

Uptake by peers might be within ABP, elsewhere at the University or at another institution entirely.

(Table 1: Modes of Reflective Practice. Credit: James Thompson).

Recognition

[Teaching Case Study - Recognition, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

The recognition stage considers how the knowledge developed through exploration and experimentation is shared, adopted and recognised by others. This may involve informing teaching practice within a subject or discipline, across the university or beyond, as well as gaining recognition through awards, grants or peer review. Some examples as a starting point include:

Independent Experts

Apply for a teaching award or grant as a way to recognise your teaching contributions and/or obtain funding for a teaching initiative.

Awards/grants exist at the Faculty level, University level and beyond. Some ABP-related industry bodies administer external awards and/or grants.

 

Apply for a review of teaching program like an Advance HE Fellowship or the Melbourne Peer Review of Teaching (MPRT) Program. Both are administered through the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), which also offers professional development courses like the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching (GCUT) and the Certificate of Small-Group Teaching.

Advance HE and the MPRT Program are excellent ways to validate your teaching practice, as the process follows a formal appraisal leading to a summative report. This essentially certifies that your contributions achieve certain sector-wide standards of teaching excellence.

Table 2. Modes of Recognition. Credit: James Thompson.

Disemination

[Teaching Case Study - Dissemination, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

The dissemination stage considers how knowledge developed through the case study can contribute to broader scholarship on teaching and learning. This involves sharing teaching approaches, findings and reflections through publication or other peer-reviewed outputs, including creative works and non-traditional research outputs.

Contribute to scholarship on teaching & learning

Investigate further dissemination through Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). SoTL includes research-based projects on teaching (Boyer, 1999 that critically reflect on and aim to improve teaching practice in a specific discipline (Coleman, 2023). This discipline focus (Huber, 2023) differentiates SoTL from education research. SoTL “invites educators to approach teaching not as a set of routines or obligations, but as a reflective, evidence-informed, and intentional practice.” (Rahman et al, 2026)

The University offers a range of support for SoTL through the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education (Melbourne CSHE) and a dedicated library guide.

NTROs

Dissemination can also include non-traditional research outputs (NTROs), such as creative works, exhibitions and performances that communicate research insights.

Further guidance on developing NTROs from teaching case studies is coming soon.

Teaching Case Studies and SoTL

[Teaching Case Study and SoTL, Bridget Keane, DOI: https://doi.org/10.26188/33432556]

References

Boyer, E. L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered : priorities of the professoriate. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Coleman, K., Uzhegova, D., Blaher, B., & Arkoudis, S. (Eds.). (2023). The Educational Turn: Rethinking the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Springer Nature.

Huber, M. T., & Morreale, S. P. (2023). Disciplinary Styles in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Exploring Common Ground (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003444268