The document discusses a study that analyzes the constructive alignment experienced by students in a case course at Malmö University in Sweden. Constructive alignment refers to aligning learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessments. The study used cognitive networks and software to evaluate how well different parts of the course were aligned from the students' perspectives and whether any parts needed adjustment. The course focused on business processes in the graphic arts industry and used intended learning outcomes, learning activities, and exams designed to be constructively aligned. However, being limited to preset learning outcomes could potentially limit students and teachers. The study aimed to evaluate the constructive alignment experienced by students to identify any areas needing improvement.

1. International Journal of Case Method Research & Application (2014) XXVI, 1
© 2014 WACRA®. All rights reserved ISSN 1554-7752
TESTING THE PERCEPTION OF CONSTRUCTIVE ALIGNMENT
EXPERIENCED BY STUDENTS OF A CASE COURSE
Sven Packmohr
Malmö University
MALMÖ, SWEDEN
Abstract
Teachers set up course descriptions presenting intended learning outcomes, activities
and exams as well as content. These course descriptions are carefully planned often with
the aim to meet constructive alignment between different course parts. This study
analyzes the constructive alignment observed by students after joining a course with
elements of case teaching by using cognitive networks and evaluating them with a
software tool called Mannheimer Netzwerk Elaborations Technik (MaNET). The aim is to
check from a student’s point of view which parts of the course are well aligned and which
parts might need an alignment adjustment.
KEY WORDS: case studies, constructive alignment, Dialogue-Hermeneutic Method,
MaNET
INTRODUCTION
The concept of constructive alignment (CA) refers to the alignment between assessment tasks and
what is intended to be learned. [Biggs and Tang, 2011] Constructive alignment should be implemented in
three levels of university educations; graduate outcomes, program outcomes and course outcomes.
[Biggs and Tang, 2011] This paper focuses on the constructive alignment within the course Business
Processes within the Graphic Arts Industry. To meet constructive alignment within a course teachers
should set up intended learning outcomes (ILO) for the course and plan activities and exams that are
constructively aligned with the ILOs. [Biggs and Tang, 2011] The teacher’s task is to set up a learning
environment that encourages, motivates and gives students room to perform learning activities with the
provided content. Intended learning outcomes are used to assess student performances. [Elmgren and
Henriksson, 2010] An important aspect in the planning of learning activities is to focus on what and how
students learn. [Biggs and Tang, 2011]
To design and plan a constructively aligned course, the outcomes should be phrased by using a form
of a verb. The learning activities planned to attain the ILOs should address that verb and the assessment
tasks should contain the same verb. [Biggs and Tang, 2011]
There are advantages and disadvantages with courses steered by ILOs. An advantage is that by using
ILOs a course has defined outcomes. From a student’s point of view, each course could be seen as a
project. A project is novel, complex, interdisciplinary, temporary, has a systematical approach as well as a
defined result. [Ottmann 2011] The defined results for students are the ILOs, the systematical approach
of activities and exams is planned by the teachers, a course has a certain start as well as end date. The
course that is studied in this paper is a mixture between Media Technology, business and academic
writing. The contents of the course will be new to students and even to repeaters, as cases are
exchanged on regularly basis. A disadvantage of this process is that participants and teachers are limited
to the preset ILOs. Problems occur when the ILOs do not have an adequate level or when the exams and