What is Case Study Question / Paragraph Based Question?
A case study is a scenario in a particular academic / professional context which students are expected to analyse and respond to, guided by specific questions posed concerning the situation. In many cases, the scenario or case study involves a number of issues or problems that must be dealt with in a academic / professional workplace.
Why Case Study Questions are included in academics?
Case study assignments usually require students to identify problems and issues in a scenario, to demonstrate their developing knowledge of theories and academic / professional policies and to make decisions and recommendations based on these to either prevent or solve some of the issues in that scenario.
How to solve Case Study Questions?
There are several steps to writing an answer to a case study assignment:
STEP 1: Read the case study and questions carefully.
- Read the case and associated questions carefully.
- Highlight the main points of the case and any issues that you can identify.
- Read the questions closely and analyse what they are requiring you to do.
- Read the case again, linking the information that is relevant to each question you have been asked.
STEP 2: Identify the issues in the case study.
Case studies describe a situation which may arise in a particular profession or social context. They often involve a number of people in a complex situation. They will often describe a situation which is problematic, possibly in how it is dealt with, or in its complexity. An important part of your answer is to analyse the situation and to identify the issues/actions described in the case which may be problematic. The following questions may help you to do this:
- What actions were taken in the case?
- Were these actions the most appropriate and why?
- Were there any consequences of the actions taken?
- Was anything omitted or not considered?
- Were actions/procedures in line with existing codes of practice, policy or theories?
STEP 3: Link theory to practice.
Use your knowledge of existing codes of practice, theories and/or other academic / professional documents and behaviours to decide what was done appropriately and what was not.
STEP 4: Plan your answer.
It can be useful to use the questions you have been set as headings and to answer each part in turn, reducing the chance of omitting set questions. You can always take out the headings before you submit if you wish. Lecturers usually set questions in a logical order, so answer in the order they are written in your question.
STEP 5: Start writing your case study answer (for theory only)
Like any assignment, you will need an introduction, body sections in which you answer the questions put to you regarding the case study, and a conclusion.
STEP 6: Edit and proofread.
Read through your paper yourself to detect and correct other errors and omissions.
Check you have answered all questions and backed up your answer with relevant passage.
Types of Case Study Questions / Paragraph Based Questions
Case Study Questions / Paragraph Based Questions can be broadly classified into two types:
- MCQs type: In this type, student has to tick the correct option from various options.
- Theory type: In this type, student has to write proper solution / answer in cotext to the case study.
Case Study/ Passage Based Questions Chapter 1 Resources and Development
Type 1: MCQ type
Case Study Question 01
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land and we use it in different ways. Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost importance. It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, and transport and communication systems. However, land is an asset of a finite magnitude, therefore, it is important to use the available land for various purposes with careful planning. India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands. About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry. Mountains account for 30 per cent of the total surface area of the country and ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects. About 27 per cent of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.
Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option:
Question.1. The land should be used in a optimum way, because land is a _________ resource. Choose the correct option:
(a) Finite
(b) Infinite
(c) Abiotic Resource
(d) None of these
Question.2. Land Resource planning means careful use of available land. Identify which landform the following commercial activities belong to:
(a) a-2, b-1, c-3
(b) a-3, b-2, c-1
(c) a-1, b-3, c-2
(d) a-3, b-1, c-2
Question.3. Which one of the following options does not suit with land utilisation?
(a) Constructing roads and infrastructure on hills to promote tourism.
(b) Developing canal systems in the plains to boost agriculture.
(c) Providing government support to establish mineral based industry near the mining areas.
(d) Boosting the industries on fertile land near the densely populated areas.
Question.4. In order to make the best use of Himalayan region. India should not:
(a) Allow large scale deforestation to construct industries.
(b) Help local artisans and handicrafts to boost tourism.
(c) Preserve natural flora and fauna.
(d) Conserve the flow of rivers.
Ans.1. (a) Finite.
Ans.2. (b) a-3, b-2, c-1
Ans.3. (d) Boosting the industries on fertile land near the densely populated areas.
Ans.4. (a) Allow large scale deforestation to construct industries.
Type 2: Theory Type
Case Study Question 02
Read the source given below and answer the question that follows:
Source A-Alluvial soils
Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops. Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.
Source B- Black Soil
Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil. It is believed that climatic condition along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil. This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows. They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and extend in the south east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
Source A-Alluvial soils
Question.1. How alkaline soil can be made productive?
Source B-Black Soil
Question.2. How does the black soil formed?
Ans.1. The alkaline soil can be made productive after proper treatment and irrigation.
Ans.2. The Black soil is made up of lava flows.
Case Study Question 03
Read the extract and answer the questions that follows:
The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion. The processes of soil formation and erosion, go on simultaneously and generally there is a balance between the two. Sometimes, this balance is disturbed due to human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc., while natural forces like wind, glacier and water lead to soil erosion. The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land. In the Chambal basin such lands are called ravines. Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In such cases the top soil is washed away. This is known as sheet erosion. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion. Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming. Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up and down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion. Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing. Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming. Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as strip cropping. Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows of such trees are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.
Question.1. Which land is known as bad land? In what basin such lands is known as ravines?
Question.2. What do you understand by sheet erosion?
Question.3. How does ploughing leads to the erosion? For what reasons balance between soil erosion and soil formation is disturbed?
Ans.1. The land that becomes unfit for cultivation is known as bad land. In Chambal basin such lands is known as ravines.
Ans.2. When top soil is washed away by the flows of water then this type of erosion is called sheet erosion.
Ans.3. Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up and down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion. Activities of humans like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc. cause disturbance between soil formation and erosion.