Welcome to Class: Exploring Health Communication and Case Study Pedagogy

Abstract

Merging health communication with case study pedagogy affords scholars an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to real-life scenarios. The purpose of this case study is to introduce readers to health communication and case study pedagogy. Specifically, we begin the chapter with the first day of a new semester in which the instructor helps students understand what health communication is and where it came from. Then, we move to the second day of class where students learn about case study pedagogy, particularly a brief history of this approach as well as characteristics of effective case studies. We conclude the week with instruction on how to use case study pedagogy.

Health communication has developed into a vibrant and necessary area of study within the communication studies discipline. Even with its fairly young history—about half a century—health communication has evolved from communication, social science, and medical disciplines into a growing field of study that continues to impact individuals, organizations, and society. Even younger is the use of case study pedagogy within health communication, although case study pedagogy has flourished as an effective teaching tool in other disciplines for more than a century. To better understand the history of health communication and case study pedagogy, and how health communication students can benefit from the use of case studies, we present the following case of the first week of a health communication class in which most of the students are exposed to their first communication class that uses this pedagogical approach. What ensues are discussions of health communication definitions led by the instructor, Dr. Sheets, followed by a brief historical overview of health communication and a more detailed exploration of case study pedagogy and its benefits.