The future of case teaching: applying strategies for enhancing student knowledge with wisdom

Rapid changes on the world stage have strengthened the argument for society and universities to become wisdom‐oriented. This paper discusses wisdom in the context of higher education, its relationship with case‐based learning and how wisdom was imparted in case teaching. For the latter, the concept of wisdom‐related knowledge was adopted, operationalised as factual knowledge, procedural knowledge, contextualisation, relativism, and uncertainty. The construct was aligned with case‐based learning activities which were synthesised from the 'cognitive' dimensions of Henri (1992). They provided the basis for developing teaching strategies to impart wisdom‐related knowledge to students undertaking a Master unit in Information Technology Value Realisation at an Australian university. The research approach used was that of technical reflection within the reflection‐on‐action paradigm. Each of the strategies is discussed; first, by providing insight into underlying theory and second, to reflect on actions that resulted. The research concludes with a model that integrates cognitive dimensions, teaching strategies and wisdom criteria to guide educationalists during the transfer of wisdom‐related knowledge to their students.