Live Case Studies in Industrial Engineering Education for Experiential Learning and Authentic Assessment

Live case studies are widely used in higher education to support active learning; however, their pedagogical potential is often limited by weak integration with learning theories and assessments. This research-to-practice study examines the systematic design of live case studies by integrating Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (ELC) and authentic assessment (AA) principles. This paper presents a framework that conceptualises live cases as the learning context, ELC as the learning process, and AA as evaluative logic. The framework is illustrated through a case study of an undergraduate Quality Management module in industrial engineering at a Mexican university, involving 31 final-year students. The study is design-oriented and illustrative, aiming to demonstrate framework enactment rather than evaluating causal effectiveness. Using a case study methodology, the instructional design and enactment were documented using the ADDIE model. Data were obtained from educational artefacts, assessment results, and student feedback surveys. The findings suggest that aligning teaching and assessment activities with the ELC stages and the AA principles effectively supports learning trajectories. This support covers experience, reflection, conceptualisation, and application. Live case studies enabled the integration of multiple assessment methods around shared organisational problems and supported personalised learning through students’ case selection. This study contributes a design logic and operational framework for distributing authentic assessment across Kolb’s experiential learning stages within live case pedagogy. Rather than offering statistical generalisation, the framework serves as a foundation for adaptation and research, emphasising transferability across disciplines, educational levels, and delivery modes. Limitations are acknowledged regarding the conceptual scope, methodological design, and empirical context.