School of Kinesiology

Case Study Description (Open Education Resource) – 25%

Purpose:

Once your individual behaviour change program is completed you will be required to submit a formal case study description of your program plan which will be stored as an open-education resource for others to view. Case studies are designed to translate principles into practice and intended to show the range of applications of the various theories/models utilized in intervention design for your Individual Behaviour Change Program Plan. This case study will expand your individual plan considering the sources of behaviour, intervention functions and inform policy guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel & the COM-B model as a framework.

Resources:

Article:

Download: application on your device

Learning objectives:

1. Analyze and implement health behaviour change theories aiming to promote healthy lifestyles among individuals.

2. Facilitate knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners through case studies for interdisciplinary and collaborative practice while reflecting responsible professional conduct.

Your case study should examine and solve the behaviour change problem using evidence from your program plan and existing research to support your ideas. It should include the following:

· Review of existing research related to your target behaviour and an extension considering environmental, social and service provision in the health-field.

· Performance indicators through data and measurement using existing literature and your program plan

· Strategies which could be used by health professionals to enhance clients health and well-being.

The behaviour change case-study should focus on the target behaviour to change and the solution to changing behaviour. The goal is to encourage evaluation of health behaviours and provide the strategies for changing them as a resource for professionals in the field. This resource will be made available as an open education resource and shared on KINE 331 course website and can be included in your personal eportfolio.

Procedures:

1. Prepare the case

To begin preparing your case study, start diving into data, among other pre-writing activities. Research and read through other cases specific to your target behaviour, take notes and highlight important information, facts and values that are important to the narrative you need to create. Draw connections between your program plan and other research in this area.

Begin by creating realistic goals that define your case study. Consider what it is the hope for the case study to accomplish, which will help you identify what steps your narrative should take.

2. Define your angle

The more compelling your narrative is, the better it will be received. An important part of structuring a case study is to hone in on your focus. Do this by identifying your key problems/behaviours first. There are usually between two and five key issues you need your case study to focus on. Then, determine the source of the issues you are hoping to examine. Once you know why these issues exist, think about other issues—like the cause of the issue and how it impacts the overall organizations or field where this case study would be used.

3. Craft a narrative

With the information you've collected, you can begin to craft the narrative. During this phase, you can be a little creative. Think about a experience or journey that is relatable to your wider audience (health professional or clinic). Use the problem behaviour and strategies you've synthesized from research and brainstorming as an issue that a client encounters and detail how they might respond to it.

You should consider following a classic narrative arc where you have an introduction, an inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

4. Uncover solutions

When you uncover solutions, you will begin working with established data and key performance indicators to determine how your strategies help to solve the problem/change behaviour. In this phase, the data should explain how the user would be directly impacted by the solution and what kinds of results they can expect. Ultimately, you should strive to come up with several solutions so you can select the most important one.

5. Select a relatable solution

Finally, select the best solution/strategy. The best solution is one that solves all of the client's needs and is relatable, accessible and important. Consider something that sounds realistic, is supported by evidence and has clear pros and cons.

6. Include these sections:

To organize your case study document, include the following sections:

Introduction: Use this space to state the purpose and identify key issues and the target behaviour.

Background: This is the start of your narrative, where you begin to lay out a scene that makes sense for the reader.

Evaluation of case: In the evaluation of the case section, outline important highlights of the case study, evaluate the highlighted segments based on what works and what doesn't and state what doesn't work and why.

Solutions/Strategies: In this part of the document, highlight your proposed solutions/strategies and why they are effective for solving the problem.

Recommendations/Conclusions: End the document with recommendations for moving forward.

Submission Expectations:

One title page

Use APA 7th edition format, 12 point regular font

One case study including sections suggested

Submit case study on eLearn for grading in PDF format

Consider these tips for writing a case study:

Take notes. As you read and examine case study materials, jot down important details that could help you craft your narrative in a compelling way.

Know your audience. To select the best solution, you must know who you are selecting it for.

Understanding who will be reading the case study is critical to formatting it correctly.

Make relatable content. Write about a scenario and person who is relatable to your average client. This will help you create a winning case study clients can understand and identify with.

Case study example

Case studies present a client problem behaviour and offer a solution for change. They do this using data and metrics, as well as testimonials and visuals to curate a carefully compiled client journey.

Here is an example of a case study:

Step it UP! The Surgeon General’s call to action to promote walking in walkable communities

Being physically active is one of the most important steps that Americans of all ages can take to improve their health. But only half of adults and about a quarter of high school students get the amount of physical activity recommended in national guidelines. Step It Up! The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities (2015) aims to get Americans walking and wheelchair rolling for the physical activity needed to help prevent and reduce their risk of chronic diseases and premature death. And it supports positive mental health and healthy aging as well.

Reference:

*Note this example is considering the issue of inactivity and is considering this issue or problem at a national level focusing on the adult population and high school students.

– look at topic areas most related to your Individual Behaviour Change Program.

*Remember your case study should be related to your individual target behaviour, but should expand to include other intervention functions and policy categories. Use the COM-B model to extend the existing model used in your program plan and adapt it to a different context, as well as synthesize the research and evidence from existing case studies similar to your behaviour change plan.

Evaluation Profile: