In Canadian case-method programs, class contribution commonly carries 30 to 50 per cent of the course grade and is assessed on quality rather than frequency. A contribution that advances the discussion — introducing evidence, challenging an assumption, synthesising positions — outscores several restatements of the case facts.
Why Contribution Is Graded
The case method, used at Ivey and adopted across Canadian business programs, treats the classroom as the primary learning site. The instructor does not lecture the answer; the class works it out. Contribution is graded because the method fails if students arrive unprepared.
Most instructors record contributions after each session, so the grade accumulates across the term. A strong final month cannot rescue a silent first one.
Quality beats frequency, and it is not close. Speaking in every session with observations that restate the case scores below speaking in half the sessions with comments that move the discussion. Some instructors explicitly penalise "air time" without substance.
Three-Stage Preparation
- Skim (10 minutes). Read the opening, the closing, the exhibit titles. Identify the decision and who is making it.
- Analyse (60-90 minutes). Work the numbers in the exhibits — they are there because they matter. Apply one framework. Reach a position.
- Prepare to speak (15 minutes). Write down your recommendation in one sentence, your two strongest supporting points, and the strongest objection to your view.
That third stage is what most students skip, and it is the one that converts preparation into a grade.
What Counts as a Contribution
- Quantitative insight. "Exhibit 4 shows contribution margin is 34% in the retail channel against 12% in wholesale, which changes the mix decision."
- Challenging an assumption the class has accepted without examining it.
- Synthesis. "We've heard two positions; they differ on whether the capability is transferable, so that is the question to settle."
- Applying a framework to structure a discussion that has become circular.
- Bringing relevant experience briefly and to the point.
What does not count: restating case facts everyone read, agreeing without adding, and long anecdotes.
Working the Exhibits
Case exhibits are included deliberately, and the ones nobody analyses are usually where the insight sits. Before class, calculate at minimum: margins by segment, growth rates, break-even where relevant, and any ratio the case's decision turns on.
Arriving with a number nobody else has calculated is the most reliable way to make a graded contribution.
Learning Teams
Most Canadian case programs assign learning teams that meet before class. Used well, these are where you test a position and find its weakness. Used badly, they become a division of labour where each member reads one section — which leaves everyone unable to discuss the case as a whole.
If Speaking in Class Is Difficult
- Prepare one specific opening comment and deliver it early, before the discussion narrows.
- Aim for two substantive contributions per session, not continuous participation.
- Tell the instructor in the first week. Most will make space deliberately.
- Use written case memos, where offered, to demonstrate analysis that supports your contribution grade.
Frequently asked questions
How much does class contribution count in a case-method course?
Commonly 30 to 50 per cent of the course grade in Canadian case-method programs, recorded session by session across the term. Because it accumulates, a strong final month cannot compensate for a silent start.
Is it better to speak often or speak well?
To speak well. Contribution is assessed on whether a comment advances the discussion, and some instructors explicitly penalise frequent contributions that restate case facts. Two substantive comments per session outscore continuous participation without substance.
How long should I spend preparing a case?
Around 90 minutes to two hours: a ten-minute skim to identify the decision, an hour or more analysing the exhibits and applying a framework, then fifteen minutes preparing what you will actually say. That final stage is the one most students skip.
What if I find speaking in class difficult?
Prepare one specific opening comment and deliver it early before the discussion narrows, aim for two substantive contributions rather than continuous participation, and tell the instructor in the first week — most will deliberately create space for you.
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