Case Studies as Minimalist Information

• Published in: IEEE transactions on professional communication Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 297 - 310
• Main Authors: Carroll, J.M., Rosson, M.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.12.2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Anchors; Business; Case studies; Case-based learning; Communication; Decision making; Descriptions; Design engineering; Design for experiments; Design techniques; Documentation; Education; Error analysis; Exact sciences and technology; Information; Information analysis; Information and communication sciences; Information publishing, dissemination and reproduction; Information science. Documentation; Law; Learning; Medicine; minimalist information design; Problem-solving; Psychology; Sciences and techniques of general use; Scientific and technical writing; Studies; Usability; usability engineering; Design; Case study; minimalist information design; Example; Information representation; Definition; Case-based learning; case studies; usability engineering; Teaching
• ISSN: 0361-1434; 1558-1500
• DOI: 10.1109/TPC.2006.885836

Case studies are evocative narrative descriptions of a specific, real-world activity, event, or problem. Case-based learning is well established in professional education (e.g., law, business, medicine) and rapidly expanding in many other disciplines. We use cases as an instructional resource in our own teaching of usability engineering. In this paper, we analyze the proposition that cases can be a minimalist-information design technique-that is, as a design technique that (1) orients information to facilitate user action, (2) anchors information in activity, (3) prevents, mitigates, and leverages error, and (4) develops user autonomy. We discuss the next steps in a research program on case-based learning and speculate on other applications of cases as minimalist information design