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Asking Better Questions:

How to Help Your Students Get the Most Out of a Case


Greg Merkley Manager of Case Writing Kellogg School of Management

In a good case discussion


The instructor does not dominate

In a good case discussion


The instructor does not dominate Many students participate

In a good case discussion


The instructor does not dominate Many students participate Students talk and listen to each other

In a good case discussion


The instructor does not dominate Many students participate Students talk and listen to each other The class energy level is high

In a good case discussion


The instructor does not dominate Many students participate Students talk and listen to each other The class energy level is high Students understand learning points

Learning
Aha! Actively struggle, create alternatives, surprise Generate alternatives and select Best

Discovery

Better Better

Organization Analyze using frameworks and concepts

Effort

Rehearse and repeat

Good

Source: Dorothy Leonard and Brian DeLacey (2002)

Learning
Aha! Actively struggle, create alternatives, surprise Generate alternatives and select Best

Discovery

Better Better

Organization Analyze using frameworks and concepts

Effort

Rehearse and repeat

Good

Source: Dorothy Leonard and Brian DeLacey (2002)

Learning
Aha! Actively struggle, create alternatives, surprise Generate alternatives and select Best

Discovery

Better Better

Organization Analyze using frameworks and concepts

Effort

Rehearse and repeat

Good

Source: Dorothy Leonard and Brian DeLacey (2002)

Learning
Aha! Actively struggle, create alternatives, surprise Generate alternatives and select Best

Discovery

Better Better

Organization Analyze using frameworks and concepts

Effort

Rehearse and repeat

Good

Source: Dorothy Leonard and Brian DeLacey (2002)

Aha! learning
The house was small when the sun came out

Aha! learning
The house was small when the sun came out

Questions are a case instructors tools

More is always better

Specific questions increase student involvement


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Diagnostic questions identify causes


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Informational questions assess the class and clarify facts or non-obvious points
Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Action questions focus analysis


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Priority questions force students to make tradeoffs


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Prediction questions help students think about implications


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

Hypothetical questions help students consider other possibilities


Question Type Examples What is your analysis of the problem? What conclusions did you draw from this data? What was the market size in 2010? Which product line is most profitable? What needs to be done to implement the strategy? How should the company do this? What do you recommend be done first? Which objective is most important? What might be the reaction of competitors? What do you think the company will do? What might have been the result if the acquisition had been completed?

Diagnostic Informational
Action Priority/Sequence Prediction Hypothetical

General questions broaden perspective


Question Type Open-ended Examples

What are your reactions to the case? Where shall we begin? What is happening here?
How does this situation relate to others we have studied?

Relationship

Generalization

Based on this case, what are the major forces that encourage technological innovation?
Will you summarize the situation for us? What are the take-aways from this case?

Summarizing

Open-ended questions invite discussion


Question Type Open-ended Examples

What are your reactions to the case? Where shall we begin? What is happening here?
How does this situation relate to others we have studied?

Relationship

Generalization

Based on this case, what are the major forces that encourage technological innovation?
Will you summarize the situation for us? What are the take-aways from this case?

Summarizing

Relationship questions help students make connections


Question Type Open-ended Examples

What are your reactions to the case? Where shall we begin? What is happening here?
How does this situation relate to others we have studied?

Relationship

Generalization

Based on this case, what are the major forces that encourage technological innovation?
Will you summarize the situation for us? What are the take-aways from this case?

Summarizing

Generalization questions prompt discovery


Question Type Open-ended Examples

What are your reactions to the case? Where shall we begin? What is happening here?
How does this situation relate to others we have studied?

Relationship

Generalization

Based on this case, what are the major forces that encourage technological innovation?
Will you summarize the situation for us? What are the take-aways from this case?

Summarizing

Summarizing questions help students identify whats important


Question Type Open-ended Examples

What are your reactions to the case? Where shall we begin? What is happening here?
How does this situation relate to others we have studied?

Relationship

Generalization

Based on this case, what are the major forces that encourage technological innovation?
Will you summarize the situation for us? What are the lessons you can take from this case?

Summarizing

Follow-up questions improve thinking and encourage broad participation

Extension questions improve thinking


Question Type Examples What does that answer imply for other companies following a similar strategy? What arguments counter that view? What are the weaknesses in your argument? Can you say more? What data supports your conclusion? What else would need to be true in order for that to be true?

Extension

Perspective

Probing

Challenge

Perspective questions help students consider other points of view


Question Type Examples What does that answer imply for other companies following a similar strategy? What arguments counter that view? What are the weaknesses in your argument? Can you say more? What data supports your conclusion? What else would need to be true in order for that to be true?

Extension

Perspective

Probing

Challenge

Probing questions improve student thinking and speaking


Question Type Examples What does that answer imply for other companies following a similar strategy? What arguments counter that view? What are the weaknesses in your argument? Can you say more? What data supports your conclusion? What else would need to be true in order for that to be true?

Extension

Perspective

Probing

Challenge

Challenge questions probe rationale


Question Type Examples What does that answer imply for other companies following a similar strategy? What arguments counter that view? What are the weaknesses in your argument? Can you say more? What data supports your conclusion? What else would need to be true in order for that to be true?

Extension

Perspective

Probing

Challenge

Questions can help students

Engage

Questions can help students

Engage

Test

Questions can help students

Engage

Apply

Test

Questions can help students

Engage

Apply

Test

Teach

Questions can help students

Engage

Apply

Simulate

Test

Teach

Questions can help students

Engage

Apply

Simulate

Test

Teach

Discover

Contact
Greg Merkley g-merkley@kellogg.northwestern.edu +1 847.491.5466

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