Section: Module 2: Lesson 12: Case Study Profile: What One Person Says About All | Writing for Health Sciences | NextGenU.org

  • Student Learning Outcomes:
    Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
    • Define and explain the purpose of case studies.
    • Identify ethical considerations, and apply critical thinking and communication skills in various contexts.
    • Analyze and implement the genre conventions of case studies, participate in collaborative writing processes, and give productive feedback on works in progress.
    • Identify and correct commonly confused words, evaluate the effectiveness and quality of a case study report, and reflect on their composing processes.
    Approximate time required for the readings for this lesson (at 144 words/minute): 6 hours and 24 minutes.

    Click here to start this lesson
    • Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • url icon
      Introduction URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (2 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • url icon
      Tracing a Broad Issue in the Individual URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (6 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • url icon
      Case Study Trailblazer: Vilayanur S. Ramachandran URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (5 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • forum icon
      M2L12-DF1 - Ramachandran’s Case Study on Phantom Limbs Forum
      Students must
      View
      Start discussions: 1

      Instructions:

      • Read the questions carefully. Make sure you understand what the question is asking.

      • Gather your thoughts. What do you know about the topic of the question? What are your thoughts and opinions on the matter?

      • Write a brief outline of your response. This will help you to organize your thoughts and make sure you cover all of the important points.

      • Write your response. Be sure to answer the question directly and provide evidence to support your claims. 

      • Proofread your response. Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

      • Be open to feedback. Ask your classmates for feedback on your responses. This will help you to improve your writing skills and learn from your mistakes.

      Here are some additional tips for answering discussion questions:

      • Be clear and concise. Your response should be easy to understand and follow.

      • Use evidence to support your claims. This could include quotes from the text, statistics, or your own personal experiences.

      • Be respectful of other people's opinions. Even if you disagree with someone, you can still be respectful of their point of view.

      Questions

      1. What advantages and disadvantages would a case study offer a researcher, such as Ramachandran, for finding information?
      2. What do you think Ramachandran’s research question was?
      3. What would have constituted quantitative and qualitative research in Ramachandran’s case study?
      4. What do you think Ramachandran might have told participants regarding the ethics of the study?
    • url icon
      Glance at Genre: Observation, Description, and Analysis URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (4 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • url icon
      Annotated Sample Reading: Case Study on Louis Victor "Tan" Leborgne URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (17 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • forum icon
      M2L12-DF2 - Living by Their Own Words: Patient Admission Forum
      Students must
      View
      Start discussions: 1

      Instructions:

      • Read the questions carefully. Make sure you understand what the question is asking.

      • Gather your thoughts. What do you know about the topic of the question? What are your thoughts and opinions on the matter?

      • Write a brief outline of your response. This will help you to organize your thoughts and make sure you cover all of the important points.

      • Write your response. Be sure to answer the question directly and provide evidence to support your claims. 

      • Proofread your response. Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

      • Be open to feedback. Ask your classmates for feedback on your responses. This will help you to improve your writing skills and learn from your mistakes.

      Here are some additional tips for answering discussion questions:

      • Be clear and concise. Your response should be easy to understand and follow.

      • Use evidence to support your claims. This could include quotes from the text, statistics, or your own personal experiences.

      • Be respectful of other people's opinions. Even if you disagree with someone, you can still be respectful of their point of view.

      Questions

      1. What methods does Broca use in his case study?
      2. What are Broca’s field observations?
      3. What types of evidence does Broca gather for his case study?
      4. How does Broca analyze his data? What conclusion does he reach?
      5. If Leborgne had lived longer, what are some ways Broca could have expanded his study on his patient’s use of language?
    • url icon
      Writing Process: Thinking Critically About How People and Language Interact URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (39 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • forum icon
      M2L12-DF3 - Writing Process: Thinking Critically About How People and Language Interact Forum
      Students must
      View
      Start discussions: 1

      IMPORTANT 

      Make sure to carefully read and follow the instructions while completing the tasks. Once you have finished activities 15.5 and 15.6, proceed to section 15.7 Evaluation: Presentation and Analysis of Case Study. This section provides rubric tools for self-evaluation and evaluating the work of your classmates. After completing the evaluation, move on to section 15.8 Spotlight on … Applied Linguistics, where you will encounter new challenges to showcase your content. Finally, go to section 15.9 Portfolio: Your Own Uses of Language to find useful tools, recommendations, and reflections for creating your portfolio. Afterward, move on to the next Module. 

      Now, let's get started! Using the following template, share your tasks, taking into account the order of the different sections detailed chronologically.

      Summary of Assignment 

      Conduct an informal case study of a classmate, friend, or family member to gain insight into the participant’s use of language, specifically, the ways in which their culture(s) and language(s) interact. Try to find a willing participant who is either bilingual or fluent in, familiar with, or an occasional user of a language other than English. You can focus your case study on the ways in which your participant changes their language according to context, how their use of language is different when they interact with family and friends as opposed to in academic or professional contexts, or how using one language affects the other. Be sure to consult your instructor about the school’s policy on student participation in studies and obtain written permission from the participant before you begin. If you do not know anyone who speaks another language, consider these topics:

      Body language that accompanies linguistic communication

      Language shifts according to medium (text, phone call, email, in-person)

      In-person vs. written communication

      Comparison of language use between two participants from different cultures or age groups

      After you decide on your topic, formulate a research question that asks precisely what you want to learn from your study. Next, you will need to plan your case study by drafting questions for interviews and conducting observations at determined times and places. Then, using the information you collect from your interviews and observations, you will offer an interpretation of the participant’s use of language that might be helpful to your college’s instructors and administrators. Present your findings in a report of around 1,000 to 1,200 words.

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      Create Interview Questions

      Using your research and brainstorming ideas, draft a series of 10 to 15 questions you plan to ask your case study participant. Remember that these questions should be open-ended (no yes-or-no questions) and give the participant an opportunity to speak freely and extemporaneously. There are no right or wrong answers. With these questions, keep your purpose in mind: to gather information that will be helpful to students, teachers, and administrators about how a student at Midlands (or another school) uses language.

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      Analysis of Data

      After collecting data, analyze your findings and write your report. First, look closely at the data you have collected, and decide what the information is telling you about how the participant uses language. You should have data gathered from both qualitative and quantitative research. If you need more of either one, interview or observe the participant again or conduct more background research.

      Introduction: Background, Context, and Methods:

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      Body, Presentation of Data:

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      Conclusion: What It All Means:

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    • url icon
      Editing Focus: Words Often Confused URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (8 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • forum icon
      M2L12-DF4 - Editing Focus: Mixed Sentence Constructions Forum
      Students must
      View
      Start discussions: 1

      Practice

      Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

      1. Can you (hear/here) the phone ring from (hear/here)?

      2. Are you going (to/too/two) the movie theater at (to/too/two) p.m., or is that (to/too/two) early for you?

      3. This show always has a depressing (affect/effect) on me.

      4. (Its/It’s) hard to find small apartments for rent in this neighborhood.

      5. Let’s (meet/meat) at the pizza place so that I can eat something without (meet/meat).

      6. Although it will need work, (its/it’s) basic structure is sound.

      7. Check about (ensuring/insuring) personal items in your apartment.

      8. You can set the groceries on the table over (their/there/they’re).

      9. I’m going to watch the game at (their/there/they’re) house.

      10. How do you think the elections will (affect/effect) the neighborhood?

      11. (Their/There/They’re) listening to music on (their/there/they’re) headphones.

      12. (You’re/Your) going to trip if you don’t tie (you’re/your) shoelaces.

      13. Bring (you’re/your) phone to the store to exchange it for a new one.

      14. (Weather/whether) we travel depends on the (weather/whether).

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    • url icon
      Evaluation: Presentation and Analysis of Case Study URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (7 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • url icon
      Spotlight on … Applied Linguistics URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (6 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021

    • url icon
      Portfolio: Your Own Uses of Language URL
      Students must
      View

      Read the entire page. (3 minutes)

      Rice University - 2021