PEDAGOGICAL ENCOUNTERS OF THE CASE-BASED KIND

Abstract: Child and youth care (CYC) practice is diverse, complex, and contextualized. Pedagogical approaches to preparing CYC professionals in pre-service education programs require learning activities that recognize the “inter-subjective, contingent, and context dependent character of everyday CYC work ” (White, 2007, p. 241). Case-based learning activities are advantageous in preparing future professionals for the complexities of everyday CYC work. These activities provide students with an opportunity to explore CYC practice in an authentic way while being supported by instructors who model, coach, and engage students throughout the process. This paper describes the organic evolution of the case of “Allan ” at the beginning of a year-long CYC course facilitated by a team of instructors. The case of Allan continued to develop throughout the course in an authentic fashion mirroring the realities of CYC work with individuals and families over time. Allan provided a way of situating course content as well as supporting students’ application of new knowledge and skills to practice situations