Case Studies | New year, new semester — Here’s how to find diplomacy case studies for your class
Instructors: look no further than the ISD library, especially if you are back teaching online.
The omicron wave and winter weather may have wreaked havoc with the end of the holiday season, but you can always rely on the old faithful: ISD case studies in diplomacy and international relations.
[Read: How case studies can improve diplomatic training]
If you’re an instructor putting the final touches on your syllabus for this semester’s diplomacy, international relations, or history course, then look no further. Our case studies are the perfect way to bring immerse, experiential learning experiences to your classroom. What’s more, course instructors can sign up for an account with our Faculty Lounge to browse and select cases for your course.
[Instructors can sign up here for a free Faculty Lounge account.]
How to find cases
The library includes over 250 cases covering an exceptionally broad range of topics in international relations. We are always adding new cases, including these pieces drawing on practitioner perspectives to illuminate diplomacy around the world:
Although we’ve raised our prices from $3.50 to $4.50 this January, these resources still cost less than a cup of coffee and much less than the average textbook.
There are several ways to identify case studies to assign to students:
- Search by keyword or topic using the “Search all topics” dialog box at the top of the webpage
- Browse the full list of case study summaries.
- Explore suggested case studies grouped by course type. Each subject group below is linked to a one-page list of relevant case studies:
- African Studies
- Asian Studies
- Comparative Government
- Conflict Resolution
- Diplomacy Simulations and Negotiations
- Eastern European Studies
- European Studies
- Global Economy
- Global Health
- International Development
- International Organizations
- International Relations
- International Trade/Globalization
- Latin American Studies
- Middle Eastern Studies
- US Diplomatic History
- US Foreign Aid
- World History
Teaching resources and online learning
Academic institutions around the world understand the power of the case study method, and many use ISD’s online library. Case studies and simulation exercises can be particularly useful in sparking discussion, new questions, and even productive disagreement among students.
The over 250 case studies in ISD’s online library give opportunities for students to experience the dynamics of foreign policy decision-making firsthand and provide a primer on key episodes in the history of international relations.
[Read: 5 tips for teaching international affairs online]
We update our teaching resources webpage regularly with links to resources and tips for using our case studies in the physical classroom and in the virtual learning environment. If you have found any other resources particularly useful in bringing the power of case studies to your classroom, and would like us to add them to our website, please reach out to us with suggestions at diplomacy@georgetown.edu.
Here are some of our favorites, including on how to manage the shift to online learning.
- Making the Case: Using Case Studies in the Classroom, Passport: The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Review, by ISD’s Kelly M. McFarland and Vanessa Lide, pp.33–34: This article explains the value of teaching with case studies in social sciences and humanities and outlines how instructors can successfully incorporate case studies in their curriculum.
- The ABCs of Case Teaching, Pew Case Studies in International Affairs, by Vicki Golich, Mark Boyer, Patrice Franko, and Steve Lamy: This is an extensive manual on teaching with case studies. It covers everything from describing case studies and case study teaching, to explaining the advantages of the case study method, to guidelines for instructors on how to successfully prepare for, conduct, discuss, and evaluate a case study-based class. It also includes a sample case study syllabus.
- Making the case: Case studies in online classroom: Eric Leonard, professor of political science at Shenandoah University, shared his recommendations on teaching with case studies, for both in-person and online instruction.
Additional resources mentioned in the webinar:
- Establishing an International Criminal Court: The Emergence of a New Global Authority?: Eric’s case that he draws on while walking viewers through the key steps to consider when teaching with case studies.
- Bloom’s Taxonomy
We wish you all the best for the new semester ahead!
Alistair Somerville is the publications editor at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University and editor of The Diplomatic Pouch. He was previously a public school teacher. Follow him on Twitter @apsomerville
Read more from ISD on case studies and teaching:
