University entrepreneurship education: a design thinking approach to learning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ways in which traditional views of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship have inadvertently limited entrepreneurship education. The authors propose a broader view of what it means to be an entrepreneur and describe a disruptive approach to entrepreneurship education, one that centers around building students’ entrepreneurial mindset. By tapping into students’ “inner entrepreneur” and nurturing their abilities to think and act creatively, embrace failure, effect change and be resilient, the authors are preparing them for the challenges of the twenty-first century labor market. Design/methodology/approach This is a perspective paper about how the traditional views of entrepreneurship education may be limiting its potential to create entrepreneurial college graduates set to take on twenty-first century careers. Findings Teaching the entrepreneurial mindset and process will allow us, as educators, to best prepare our students for the complexities of the current and future workforce. Originality/value By embracing the original meanings of the word “entrepreneur” – an act of reaching out and capturing and undertaking – the authors demystify what it means to be an entrepreneur. When we adopt a broader and more accurate conceptualization of “the entrepreneur,” we can teach our students to be the entrepreneurs of their lives.

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What do students think of self-determined learning in entrepreneurship education?

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-02-2017-0028 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 60 (7/8) ◽

pp. 841-856 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Isla Kapasi ◽

Galina Grekova

Keyword(s):

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Practical Experience ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Content Type ◽

Approach To Learning ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Perceived Employability ◽

The Uk ◽

Uk Higher Education ◽

The Eu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions and perspectives of students with regards to self-determined learning in an entrepreneurship education (EE) context and its potential contribution to employability. Design/methodology/approach This research used a mixed-methods approach with a sample of 25 students currently attending a UK higher education institute. The students had access to participation in EE modules but self-determined learning-informed modules or programmes were not currently offered. Students were invited to attend focus groups and as a result of emergent themes, a business school-wide survey was developed. Findings This research makes two tentative contributions to the EE field. First, the findings of this student cohort are similar to those found throughout the UK and the EU with regard to the perception of the value of a degree by students; its contribution to the hidden curriculum; and the importance of practical experience. The research also adds to the field by considering the value of a self-determined learning approach to developing the capabilities and competencies of graduates. This approach to learning in a context of EE was in general well received by potential students, particularly the applied aspect of the programme. However, there is a perception of risk about this approach to learning and students are concerned about the value of a programme like this to employers in general. Originality/value The study contributes to discussions on the value of EE on perceived employability and in particular self-determined learning through entrepreneurship activity.

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Designing With Purpose: Advocating Innovation, Impact, Sustainability, and Scale in Social Entrepreneurship Education

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy ◽

10.1177/2515127418772177 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 205-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jill Kickul ◽

Lisa Gundry ◽

Paulami Mitra ◽

Lívia Berçot

Keyword(s):

Social Entrepreneurship ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Venture Creation ◽

For Profit ◽

The Social ◽

Innovative Solutions ◽

Social Venture ◽

Social Ventures ◽

Innovation Impact

Social entrepreneurship is an emerging and rapidly changing field that examines the practice of identifying, starting, and growing successful mission-driven for-profit and nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions. For educators teaching in this field, we advocate for a design thinking approach that can be integrated into social entrepreneurship education. Specifically, we believe that many of the design thinking principles are especially suitable and useful for educators to facilitate student learning as they create and incubate social ventures. We also advance a broader conceptual framework, which we describe as the four main mega-themes in social entrepreneurship education, namely innovation, impact, sustainability, and scale. We offer ways in which the design thinking steps can be integrated and applied to each of these themes and accelerate the social venture creation process. We conclude by discussing and presenting how design thinking can complement an overall systems thinking perspective.

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Policy Implications on Direction and Improvement of University Entrepreneurship Education

10.14257/astl.2015.103.28 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Sin-Jeong Lee ◽

Young-Min Lee

Keyword(s):

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Policy Implications ◽

University Entrepreneurship

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Chasing innovation: a pilot case study of a rhizomatic design thinking education program

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-01-2016-0007 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 957-977 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alfredo Biffi ◽

Rita Bissola ◽

Barbara Imperatori

Keyword(s):

Education Program ◽

Design Thinking ◽

Entrepreneurship Education ◽

Collective Knowledge ◽

Educational Approach ◽

Content Type ◽

Local Actors ◽

Learning Competencies ◽

Essential Prerequisite

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and discuss the main features and key challenges of an original post-graduate education program designed according to an innovative theoretical framework promoting design thinking in a rhizomatic approach. By involving different stakeholders, the aim of this entrepreneurship education program is to disseminate rhizomatic, design-based learning competencies and thereby contribute to revitalizing a region’s socio-economic fabric. Design/methodology/approach Through the use of a pilot case, the paper exemplifies the application of the design thinking approach combined with the rhizomatic logic. Design thinking enables dealing with the complexity, uncertainty, and ill-defined problems that often characterize a business reality while the rhizomatic process combines the production of collective knowledge through a non-linear, complex and emergent path that nurtures innovation. Findings This entrepreneurship education program exemplifies a viable strategy to deal with a regional economic crisis by engaging different local actors including enterprises, local institutions, municipalities, and universities. It demonstrates the potential value of a new educational approach as a powerful lever to activate the energy of people, their competencies, relationships, shared projects, and new entrepreneurial ventures. The first edition of the program offers ideas, practices, and challenges to all stakeholders of potentially similar education projects. Originality/value The depicted pilot case allows us to exemplify how a design thinking framework reinterpreted on the basis of a Deleuzian rhizomatic perspective can enable developing innovation as a way of overcoming difficulties and succeeding, an essential prerequisite for many entrepreneurial organizations today.

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