Bringing Practice to the Classroom
The International Planning Case Studies project is a dynamic library of case studies for international planning and development education. The cases – which cover major development topics in diverse cities and regions – were developed with practitioners and researchers working across the planning and development arena. Scenarios are based on real-life situations representative of the kinds of professional decisions or actions common to development planning. The IPCS project is a collaboration between the University of Michigan and Texas A&M University.
Why Case Studies?
Case-based learning theories suggest that practitioners’ experiences can help build students’ problem-solving and interdisciplinary analysis, among other skills. Practice-based case studies are also an effective way to introduce students to new geographies and areas of practice.
Case Study Library
The case studies in our library cover the diverse sectors where international planning practitioners work - from housing to transportation, food systems, and environmental planning - and come from every region of the Global South
Teaching the Cases
Each case study in our library includes learning objectives, suggested readings, instructor notes, and summary slides. We provide best practices and guidelines for integrating cases into the classroom. These resources can be useful for teaching students in all disciplines.
Contributors
Our contributors draw from their diverse experiences in international development, planning, consulting, and action research around the globe to create insightful, relevant cases intended to build the competencies of future professionals.
What’s in a Case?
Our library of cases covers different development topics and geographic regions. Each case study includes:
• An instructor version of the case with teaching notes
• A student version of the case
• Suggested readings
• Slides and visual materials
This project was made possible with funding from the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching Gilbert Whitaker Fund for the Improvement of Teaching and the UM Provost’s Learning and Transforming Learning for Third Century Quick Wins grant program.