How case-based learning gives business-technology students an advantage 

By Ben Forrest | April 26, 2024

One of the hallmarks of the Business Technology Management (BTM) program at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University is its focus on experiential and case-based learning.

The BTM program, located at Laurier’s Brantford Campus, is rooted in the belief that practical, hands-on learning — along with academic rigour — is crucial to students’ success within the program and in their careers after graduation.

This includes the multi-year case@BTM program, a series of challenging, collaborative business case analysis workshops and competitions culminating with a chance to compete in the CaseIT international competition in Vancouver.

By challenging students to grow and expand their skillsets, case@BTM also develops essential capabilities, including critical and analytical thinking, teamwork, leadership, presentation skills, resiliency and the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions.

Here is an in-depth look at how CaseIT and case@BTM unfolded in the winter of 2024.

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On a seasonally cool day in late February, about 60 business students huddled in small groups at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, poring over the details of a complex and nuanced problem they had only 24 hours to solve.

This was the major test of CaseIT, the world’s premier international undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) case competition, and a four-person team from the Business Technology Management (BTM) program at Laurier Brantford swung into action.

“We were so stressed about how we would perform; however, it turned out that all our preparation paid off,” said Pery Au, a fourth-year BTM student.

 “We did great. The BTM program is a tight-knit community, so we all joined this team as a group of friends, and we think this definitely played a pivotal role in our team’s success.”

The 24-hour case challenge at CaseIT was a pressure-cooker-style problem solving exercise that allowed students to apply business theory to real-world scenarios.

It was also the culmination of several years of case-based learning that all Lazaridis BTM students engage in, testing their critical thinking, teamwork and analytical skills to develop practical solutions for real business problems.

This case-based approach is crucial for students’ personal and professional development, and a key differentiator of the BTM program at Laurier.

“We believe strongly in the value of moving theory to practice,” said Josephine McMurray, associate professor at the Lazaridis School .

“Case teaching and competitions are perfectly aligned with the broader educational philosophy of the BTM program — they simulate real-world business challenges that demand innovative solutions.” 

Laurier case-based learning drives student achievement

In case-based learning, students review challenging scenarios that are either similar or identical to real events that business executives have faced.

Students deliberate in groups for several hours to develop a practical solution to the problem and then present their solution to a panel of judges and their fellow competitors. The judges give awards based on the best solutions and individual performance.

BTM students begin developing these skills in compulsory case@BTM competitions in their first two years of study and have opportunities to further develop their abilities in optional competitions and coaching sessions. The top students are selected to participate in CaseIT in their fourth year; think of this select group as the Lazaridis BTM “travel team,” an all-star squad that represents the program at the highest level.

“The training schedule is intense,” said McMurray, who is the faculty lead for the case@BTM program and volunteer coach of Laurier’s CaseIT team.

Training for CaseIT includes months of grueling practice sessions with a time commitment that rivals that of a full-time job. The team met with McMurray on Sunday mornings for a quick lecture, followed by a five-hour problem-solving exercise.

Independent study is also required on top of these training sessions, in addition to students’ regular academic studies. This year’s team was expected to follow the news and read academic articles to stay on top of world events and business trends that could affect any industry that might arise in the business case competition.

If that sound like a grind, don’t be fooled: Lazaridis students approach it with the enthusiasm of varsity athletes who embrace the challenge of elite competition, or marathon runners who love testing the limits of their potential.

“I love case competitions,” said Katelyn Scime, a fourth-year BTM student and CaseIT team member.

“As someone interested in pursuing a career in consulting, being part of the case team has allowed me to thrive in a collaborative, problem-solving environment.”

“My main motivation stemmed from the unwavering support and encouragement I received from those around me — my family, friends, and CaseIT mentors,” added teammate Tiwalade Olobayo, also a fourth-year BTM student.

“It was their belief in me that allowed me to believe in myself and push beyond my comfort zone.”

CaseIT highlights case-based learning

At CaseIT this year, Lazaridis BTM students analyzed a case involving Pacific Coastal Airline from British Columbia and its functional interoperability — essentially, how various computer systems work together and communicate.

Working in isolation, with no input permitted from coaches during their deliberations, the Laurier team developed an enterprise architecture strategy to help reduce system redundancy, while more closely integrating the airline’s computer systems.

After the 24-hour case development exercise, competitors had a day off, then presented their solution on the final day of the week-long CaseIT conference. Earlier in the week, students also competed in a shorter five-hour case, plus engaged in other networking and learning activities.

Laurier’s solution was well-received and the team walked away with a new level of confidence and skill that will benefit them after graduation.

“This experience was an incredible way to network and meet influential people in our field, not only through attending the competition in B.C., but also through working so closely with Dr. McMurray and many alumni who have a wealth of experience and knowledge to share,” said Au.   

“We are all graduating soon, and it is reassuring to have people to go to for career advice and support while we jumpstart our careers.”

In most cases, CaseIT is one of the stand-out memories of Lazaridis BTM students, and it continues to pay dividends long into the future. Past competitors have earned consulting jobs at Konrad and Deloitte or worked as analysts at private equity firms. One graduated team member recently advanced to a vice-president role at Goldman Sachs. 

“They do something really hard and have a sense of accomplishment that can only come from doing really hard things,” said  McMurray. “They get to travel, and they get to form an intense bond with a faculty member and other alumni who are their coaches and help them navigate the experience.”

How case@BTM lays the foundation for Lazaridis undergrads

In their first and second years of study, Lazaridis BTM students are required to participate in caseDebug, a 24-hour case competition that functions similarly to CaseIT.

Teams of students develop a solution to a business scenario, create spirit videos, and make a 15-minute presentation for judges, followed by at 10-minute question period.

This exercise is one of the major features of the larger case@BTM learning portfolio, which also includes a voluntary five-hour caseHack competition for second- and third-year students, and voluntary case workshops that offer two-hour case analysis sessions.

At this year’s caseDebug conference, students were asked to improve the artificial systems of the Vancouver start-up WELL Health Technologies. They collaborated in teams, with first-year students competing against one another; second-year students also competed against one another in separate competition centred on the same scenario.

Teams also created a one-minute “Spirit Video” intended to quickly introduce all their members in a creative way. This fun, informative exercise also helped students encapsulate and convey what it’s like to be a BTM student at Laurier.

“The case competition widened our understanding of how work gets done in the real world, on such tight deadlines with high-quality work expected,” said first-year BTM student Shayaan Hashmi, winner of the Best Presenter Award; his team also won Best First-Year Spirit Video.

“Also, being adaptable is crucial, along with hearing different points of view,” said Hashmi. “I learned that I must always remain flexible and ready for changes in the real world; that was the greatest lesson I learned.”

For more information about case@BTM, visit the program page.