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SWOT Analysis using a Zig Zag Activity

Although I posted this link several months ago, I think now with the revised curriculum and the emphasis on collaborative learning activities I would bring it back.  SWOT Analysis is one of the basic strategic planning tools used by businesses.  There are a lot of great, short, videos on Youtube which describe what a SWOT analysis is and how to conduct the analysis.  My favorite can be found at this LINK.  The short video below incorporates the SWOT analysis into a classroom activity that promotes student involvement. It is not professionally created but I think you will get the message.  I created the video using a free ipad app: bcontext 

It can seem to be a little chaotic but this activity enhances student engagement and provides a wealth of opportunities for the Instructor to discuss the process as well as the subject of the SWOT analysis.  I think if you try it you will find you will enjoy it.  Save this activity for the latter part of your class period and allow an hour to 90 minutes depending on the size of the class.  You will also need some large poster paper which you can get from the Dean at your campus and four markers.  If you are doing this online, set up four collaborative pages in Canvas, one for each letter (SWOT) and have groups move through in rotation on four consecutive days.  You can set up a separate discussion forum to debrief the experience or compile into a fifth collaborative page.

Swot Analysis Using Zigzag Exercise

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Posted on 2 Comments on Using Case Studies to Enhance Learning in the Classroom

Using Case Studies to Enhance Learning in the Classroom

Case Studies have been a tried and true teaching methodology from the beginning of instruction.  Every great teacher has used case studies to bring their students into contact with real life applications of the subject being discussed.  Jesus used mini, or condensed, case studies for the same purpose. Dr. Paul Fritz from Trinity College has a great article on “How to Use Case Studies as Jesus Did” that I encourage you to read.  The Bible itself is full of case studies on a variety of subjects, in fact The Good Book on Leadership is a book entirely devoted to case studies drawn from the Bible.

The graduate curriculum re-design has left space intentionally for collaborative activities to be used in the classroom.  On the list of recommended activities is the use of Case Studies.  However, finding a case study for use may not be easy.  To that end, I’ve asked the wonderful people at our library to provide some easy to find FREE case studies which can be searched on a variety of topics for use in the classroom. They have provided me with this short tutorial which will guide you to resources available through the Belhaven University Library.  I had to stop the tutorial at several points to make sure I could follow, as it auto-progresses through a presentation, but there is gold there if you follow the steps presented.  Of course there are many other paid sources of case studies, such as the book I listed above.  A search on Amazon or similar will turn up many options.

I’ve also gone ahead and prepared a Case Study Analysis model for your use in the classroom.  This is merely to provide a resource to you in case you don’t already have a model for students to use in analyzing case studies.  It is a simple model but should enable your students to get started in the right direction and open up opportunities for learning to take place.  You can find it on the Faculty Resources tab of this Blog, under the White Papers:  Case Study Analysis.

Using this collaborative time may feel a little chaotic at first, but if you have thought through your Collaborative Learning Strategy, I’m confident you will find that both you and the students will be stronger for the experiences. Check out other collaborative ideas at this site by clicking on the category Collaborative Teaching Ideas in the right navigation bar.