Helping teachers hone their techniques
The two-dozen professors who made their way to Lamont Library last week weren’t in search of the kind of expertise found in books. Instead, they gathered in the Forum Room to see what they could learn from one of their own. There, Ronald Heifetz, a senior lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, outlined some of the difficulties of using the case study method to teach students who come from across the globe, bringing with them various experiences and values. “You can’t assume the same standards apply,” Heifetz said. The solution? Have students generate cases based on their own experiences. “The challenge is that you don’t know what students will throw at you,” he said. “You have to be willing to learn and flounder in public.” Designed by faculty for faculty, the inaugural spring series examined different approaches to case teaching across the University. Faculty members and administration, including Todd Rakoff (from left), Elsbeth Kalenderian, and...