How to Teach Innovativeness Using the Case Study Method in Property Education

Abstract

Conventional real estate education emphasises the application of knowledge from various disciplines. While this approach has its merits, its efficacy is affected by the stage of development of the discipline referenced. A notable case in point is the adoption of financial technologies (or FinTech) in real estate. How we prepare our next generation with creative thinking skills, an innovation mindset, and a risk-taking attitude to embrace the rapid transformation to an innovation-based economy is therefore critical. In this study, we advocate that the case study method is an effective teaching pedagogy that enables students to learn from analysing real cases and applying knowledge from a complex discipline in real estate. The method motivates students to acquire new knowledge to establish new practices and theories in innovative applications, such as FinTech, in real estate. This study provides a teaching reflection on adopting the case study method in an undergraduate Property Technology (PropTech) course. Students are required to use real business cases to analyse how FinTech is solving real estate problems. Discussions with lecturers and peer reviews in the online discussion forum enable students to wrestle with the knowledge they learn and encourage an atmosphere of knowledge co-creation.