Case studies in General:
Case studies are an excellent method of achieving detailed
qualitative research. One of the challenges of online instruction is the lack
of labs and lack of hands on experiences. Without being able to conduct hands
on research, the use of case studies helps enrich the class experience by
utilizing the benefits of hands on research that was conducted by others. In
the UNSY track, there are many classes that require design projects, which are
a very fun way of spurring research, understanding, and creativity, but there
is less of a focus on academic research. For case studies, the focus on peer
reviewed and governmental sources provide a very grounded and precise type of research
that helps build a depth of knowledge in a particular subject.
Case Studies in Real Life 1:
As a military officer that is involved in UAS operations,
the process of case studies has been the standard in terms of how to execute my
mission. A great example is submitting a Certificate of Authorization (COA) for
flight operations of MQ-1Cs at Fort Huachuca. Essentially, I used the
experiences and written procedures of the training unit located at the same
airfield to build and develop my COA. At the time, I was just utilizing the
resources at hand, but in reality, I was doing a case study of that unit and
its experience in obtaining a COA in order to support my unit’s mission.
Case Studies in Real Life 2:
As a military aviator we use case studies on an annual basis
in order to train on crew coordination. Every year when I am within three
months of my birth month I conduct training called Aircrew Coordination
Training Enhanced (ACT-E). This is essentially a series of case studies of
accidents and mishaps that have occurred in the last few years. Each one of
these case studies utilizes crash records and recording devices to recreate the
steps leading up to the crash in order to help aircrew see from the outside how
the accident occurred. It is sometimes depressing to see case studies where
fellow aviators have died, but it’s vital to study these scenarios in order to
ensure we don’t make the same mistakes.
Recommendation:
Case studies are a great method of making students look deep
into a topic, but without proper guidance and experience, the case study process
can be overwhelming and confusing. While I was going through this course I starting
taking RSCH670. This class teaches students how to conduct research and how to
format and build a solid paper. The research paper format provided in this
class is helpful, but armed with the knowledge of RSCH670, I felt I could have
done a better job on my case study. I feel that RSCH670 should be a prerequisite
for any class that requires a case study such as this class.
References:
Katz, L. (2003, May). Enhancing Army Aircrew Coordination Training. Retrieved November 7, 2016, from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a415767.pdf
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