Suitable Videos for Case Studies
A couple of months ago I was enrolled in an online course dealing with the methodology behind “case studies,” a methodology that triggers critical thinking, analysis, and negotiation skills. In order to put this newly acquired knowledge, I decided to give it a try on my Oral Communication 4 class, which is part of the English Teaching major at Ulatina.
I have already devised three case studies based on the “case study” framework to start discussions in class, related to the topics we have to cover in the course syllabus and textbook. However, when confronted with the question about “using videos in class,” I decided to combine the rationale behind case studies with video and in-class discussion.
The unit I had to develop with my students was on nonverbal communication, so I created a case about a business guy who was “sort of unlucky” with women. Students were given the task to find out what the root of the problem was to set an action plan to assist him –somehow- or to help him decode when a woman seems to be interested in him.
I went looking for videos in all of the sites proposed, and I was lucky enough to find what I was looking for on videojug.com. The video I found is “especially relevant” because, to start with, it is by a body language expert that easily explains women’s nonverbal behavior. (If “girls” were interested in the men’s counterpart, they can also see the video on Videojug.)
If you want to see what I did, since part of the work had to be done at home, access the following links that will direct you to a blog I created to host my case studies for oral communication.
Part 1: The background for the case students had to analyze: http://bin-14.blogspot.com/2010/10/case-4-nonverbal-communication.html
Part 2: The video students had to watch to complete the case analysis: http://bin-14.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonverbal-communication-part-2.html
Part 3: Another video on body language to spot when someone is lying: http://bin-14.blogspot.com/2010/10/nonverbal-communication-part-3.html
From a curricular development point of view, sitting down to create this kind of activity is really time-consuming but worth trying. Anyway, this is something that you will keep for a lot of time, and you can use it as many times you teach the same course.
What do you think?
Jonathan
Universidad Latina
Costa Rica
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