Case System, Supplying Actual Instances, Should Instruct Students of Government--Hanford Hits at Lectures

The following article by A. C. Hanford, Associate Professor of Government and Dean of Harvard College, is reprinted in part from the current number of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin.

The most common method of presenting material in government to undergraduates is by lectures and text-books. This plan has decided advantages. It is the most effective and economical system for presenting basic facts, principles, and descriptive material to large classes. It also makes possible the covering of a large amount of ground in the minimum of time. For many institutions without research bureaus or special libraries containing a wide variety of source-material it is the only practical plan. The lecture text-book method, however, if used exclusively in government has certain advantages, especially for advanced students. It is not the most effective method for stimulating independent thinking, critical analysis of material, or through mental work on the part of the student. His thinking is done largely for him by the lecturer or text-book writer who presents the material in predigested form.

Realizing this fact, most instructors have supplemented the lectures and text-book assignments with written reports, a study of documents or source material such as departmental reports, charters, statutes, overnors' messages, party platforms, and the like, and occasionally a few legal cases. These devices are of great value, but they have their limitations.

It is the opinion of the writer, borne out by several years' experience with undergraduate classes, that some of the advantages of the case system may be obtained in other courses in government and administration, especially in municipal government.

The fact that a sufficiently large number of cases may be obtained and adapted to college courses is shown by our experience at Harvard. Several years ago we began to gather actual problems from Boston and Cambridge, and later from cities in other parts of the country. A few of the cases were secured from printed documents, . . . but the bulk of them were obtained first-hand from public officials, bureaus of municipal research, and civic organizations. Altogether about 150 cases have been collected. Each of these cases attempts to raise for discussion some fundamental principle of municipal government and each involves an issue which permits an argument on both sides. In some of the cases the decision arrived at has been given and the student is asked whether or not he believes it was a sound one and the reason for his opinion. In others the facts are presented and the student is expected to work out a possible solution by applying the principles which have been developed from the lectures, text-books, and other assigned reading in the course. In other event an attempt is made to give the pertinent facts in sufficient detail so that the student may have a clear picture of the actual problem.