Multimedia cases are a dynamic and interactive way to bring real-world business challenges into the classroom. Taking the case method a step further into ‘learning by doing’.
But what do we mean by multimedia? And how can you get started if this isn’t something you’ve used before?
We hosted a webinar with Giorgi Kopadze and Casimiro Juanes from IE Business School, where they took us through the world of multimedia cases. We’ve summarised the key points here.
Read on for the what, the why, and the how.
What is a multimedia case?
A multimedia case is essentially a case that uses or combines different elements of media. These can include images, video, audio, interactive graphs, interactive timelines, decision trees, and gamification. Cases can also be enhanced by role play and practical exercises.
The aim is to provide students with alternative ways of interacting with cases. As Giorgi highlighted, some students find it difficult to stay engaged when reading lengthy pages of text. Multimedia cases can deliver positive learning experiences in new ways, with interactions that are entertaining, practical, and dynamic.
So, what are the benefits?
Building on the interactive element, Giorgi highlighted how, with some types of media, students can make decisions and immediately see the consequences. For example, with interactive quizzes and gamified cases. In this way, multimedia cases can provide an opportunity for students to practice.
Multimedia also allows students to experience cases through immersing themselves in the world of the dilemma. Whether that’s through video, audio, or even role play.
And multimedia supports accessibility. For those students who struggle to engage with long pieces of text, multimedia provides opportunities to learn through different mediums. Taking into account diversity of learning styles, different attention spans, and the myriad ways we can absorb information. Giorgi also spoke about the importance of creating multimedia cases that are accessible to all students. He emphasised that the team at IE is actively working to improve previously developed multimedia materials where possible and is committed to ensuring that all new and in-development content complies with the European Accessibility Act 2025.
Casimiro also talked about how stories support learning. Humans are wired for stories, they make information more engaging and memorable, which is part of the reason the case method is such a highly effective teaching tool.
Multimedia enhances this by turning cases into immersive and interactive experiences, bringing the stories to life in the classroom.
Creating a multimedia case
IE Business School have an in-house team of designers and developers who create their multimedia cases. But whether creating in-house or collaborating externally, Giorgi emphasised that faculty must be at the centre of the creation process. Ensuring rigour, quality and consistency at every stage.
If creating your own multimedia case, Casimiro advises starting with a story that meets your learning objectives, and thinking about how multimedia might bring that story to life. Use media that adds interactive elements to your business dilemma.
Integrating multimedia into your classroom
If you’re just getting started with multimedia cases and you’re looking to select a case that’s already been created, Casimiro advised finding one with a teaching note as this will guide you through the delivery.
Once you’ve found a case that meets your learning objectives, test it out in the classroom and gain feedback from your students. A good multimedia case needs to meet the teaching objectives of the faculty member, but it also needs to be engaging from the perspective of the students.
Casimiro explained how important it is to utilise multiple connection points during delivery of cases to connect with the students. For example, asking questions during the learning session, asking how the students might apply the learning to a real-life situation. As well as using the media to provide consequences in the classroom to decisions the students are making.
The best multimedia cases include elements of experience, flexibility, and points of engagement.
Another important aspect that makes a multimedia case effective is the way they help facilitate live discussions in the classroom. Bringing the different aspects of the case, its challenges and its context to life.
Ultimately the case needs to enhance the students’ critical thinking, always coming back to the question of how they might apply the learning in a real-life scenario.
Getting started with multimedia cases
The Case Centre has an extensive catalogue of multimedia cases and can support you to find cases that meet your learning objectives and the needs of your classroom.
The Case Centre’s search function allows users to search for multimedia and simulations, with a filter function to narrow down the focus of your search to include specific themes and subject categories. You can also set up alerts to stay up to date with any new multimedia cases meeting your criteria that are added to our collection.
If you have an educator account you can also access the learning objectives for each case, as well as accessing a full preview copy of the multimedia case and its teaching note. Allowing you to think about how it might work in your classroom. Once you’ve found the right case you can set up access for your students in just a few clicks.
For more information about accessing The Case Centre’s collections and finding the right case for your classroom, our Customer Services Team will be happy to chat with you about what you need.
In the meantime, why not browse our resources for anyone interested in learning more about the case method, including creating your own multimedia cases?
This article was published in Connect, May 2025.
