The impact of backstory structure type on case study effectiveness

Abstract

Case studies are a commonly used tool in engineering practice and education to communicate lessons learned. Attributes of case studies have an impact on performance. One attribute of interest, that influences the time required to read a case study, is the storytelling element of backstory structure. In this article, a case study is rewritten with three different backstory structure types. A human experiment is conducted to understand which backstory structure type is the most effective in memory retention. Results from the experiment indicate that reading time can be reduced by employing a minimalistic backstory structure type without hindering memory retention. The findings can be applied by engineering practitioners and educators for selecting and developing case studies that may be used in training.