A Creativity and Innovation Course for Engineers

2016 ◽  
pp. 74-93
Author(s):  
Giovanni Emanuele Corazza ◽  
Sergio Agnoli ◽  
Sara Martello
Keyword(s):  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The University ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Creativity And Innovation

In this chapter, the teaching methodologies and pedagogical styles adopted within the “Creativity and Innovation”course, offered at the University of Bologna in Italy are described. The main goal of the course is to give students both a theoretical foundation and a hands-on experience about meta-cognitive strategies for the control of the creative thinking process. The students were engaged in the selection of a focus area within the range promoted by a call for new start-ups, creating the playground for team-oriented sessions in which relevant information was collected, divergent modifiers were applied, ideas were generated, business models were sketched and assessed, and finally concluding the course with a team presentation of the generated ideas. The feedback received from the engineering students was very positive. While the ideational part of the class followed a learning-by-doing approach, this was preceded by a specific theoretical part, striking an effective balance between theory and practice.

Learning by Doing on Computational Fluid Dynamics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Parra-Santos ◽  
José M. Molina Jordá ◽  
Gabriel Luna-Sandoval ◽  
Mariano Cacho-Perez ◽  
J. Rubén Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Multimedia Material ◽  
Technical Report ◽  
Scale Down ◽  
The University

This work involves the methodology used in the University of Valladolid for Mechanical Engineering students to learn Computational Fluid Dynamics playing an active role. Students pretend to be engineers in a consulting or design office carrying out a fluid mechanics scale down projects. Later they act as reviewers evaluating a project from a colleague. There is a deeper understanding of the topic when they need to discuss the strategies to accomplish the project, to write a technical report and finally to justify the evaluation of other works. Furthermore, they develop their critical thought, writing skills and synthesis capacity. Multimedia material from other institutions that review the concepts learned in the course can be a suitable way to improve the understanding of concepts.

scholarly journals Flipped Classroom in Legal Education: Achievements and Challenges of Innovating the Teaching of a Basic Law Course

2020 ◽  
pp. 119-124
Author(s):  
Marcela Castro ◽  
◽  
Sandra Aguirre
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Student Autonomy ◽  
Basic Law ◽  
The University

Unlike the traditional method of teaching, new educational trends focus on transforming learning environments into spaces where the teacher is a guide and not the provider of information. This article presents a proposal for a flipped classroom approach to teaching an entry level undergraduate law course. The implementation of the flipped approach, which was supported by ICT-based virtual learning environment, took place at the University of the Andes (Bogotá, Colombia). The qualitative and quantitative results of this methodology show its positive contribution to promoting student autonomy in the learning process, collaborative work and articulation between theory and practice (learning by doing) while strengthening lawyering skills.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial marketing learning styles used by entrepreneurial teams

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edita Petrylaite ◽  
Michele Rusk
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Nascent Entrepreneurs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ventures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Marketing ◽  
The University ◽  
Young Entrepreneurs

Purpose This paper aims to explore the learning styles of nascent entrepreneurs in developing their entrepreneurial marketing (EM) skills in teams while studying for the entrepreneurial business degree in one UK University. It advances the interlink between EM and entrepreneurial learning (EL) theories and demonstrates how working in teams assists in developing EM skills through EL in the educational context. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative case study adopts a thematic approach to analysing 9 audio-recorded workshops of 13 entrepreneurial students who work in teams to develop entrepreneurial ventures. Audio-recorded sessions were used to monitor the entrepreneurial and marketing behaviour of the young entrepreneurs and reveal the context and skills used in their learning process. Findings The findings show that the observed undergraduate entrepreneurial students develop their EM competence through collective, exploratory and exploitative, as well as supportive and individual learning. These learning styles intersect and prove to be effective in mastering both marketing and venture development skills in teampreneurial educational setting. Originality/value This case study demonstrates how the concepts of EM and EL are linked in both theory and practice. It makes suggestions on how entrepreneurial courses at the university could be further developed to assist the young entrepreneurs in effectively acquiring business knowledge and skills. This knowledge can also be implemented by small and large organisations to foster a co-creative collective learning environment leading to more innovations, experimentations and creative thinking.

Experiential Learning in Graduate Archival Education at the University of Botswana

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olefhile Mosweu
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Archival Theory ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
The Real ◽  
The University

Most curriculum components of archival graduate programmes consist of contextual knowledge, archival knowledge, complementary knowledge, practicum, and scholarly research. The practicum, now commonly known as experiential learning in the global hub, is now widely accepted in library and information studies (LIS) education as necessary and important. It is through experiential learning that, over and above the theoretical aspects of a profession, students are provided with the opportunity to learn by doing in a workplace environment. The University of Botswana’s Master’s in Archives and Records Management (MARM) programme has a six weeks experiential learning programme whose purpose is to expose prospective archivists and/or records managers to the real archival world in terms of practice as informed by archival theory. The main objective of the study was to determine the extent to which the University of Botswana’s experiential learning component exposes students to real-life archival work to put into practice theoretical aspects learnt in the classroom as intended by the university guidelines. This study adopted a qualitative research design and collected data through interviews from participants selected through purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Documentary review supplemented the interviews. The data collected were analysed thematically in line with research objectives. The study determined that experiential learning does indeed expose students to the real world of work. It thus helps to bridge the gap between archival theory and practice for students without archives and records management work experience. For those with prior archival experience, experiential learning does not add value. This study recommends that students with prior archives and records management experience should rather, as an alternative to experiential learning, undertake supervised research, and write a research essay in a chosen thematic area in archives and records management.

Engineering for good: A case of community driven engineering innovation

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinweike Eseonu ◽  
Martin A Cortes
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technology Innovation ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
First Year ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
The World ◽  
The University ◽  
Social Consideration

There is a culture of disengagement from social consideration in engineering disciplines. This means that first year engineering students, who arrive planning to change the world through engineering, lose this passion as they progress through the engineering curriculum. The community driven technology innovation and investment program described in this paper is an attempt to reverse this trend by fusing community engagement with the normal engineering design process. This approach differs from existing project or trip based approaches – outreach – because the focus is on local communities with which the university team forms a long-term partnership through weekly in-person meetings and community driven problem statements – engagement.

scholarly journals Characteristics and Classification of Technology Sector Companies in Digital Health for Diabetes

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4839
Author(s):  
Satoru Kikuchi ◽  
Kota Kadama ◽  
Shintaro Sengoku
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Innovation Ecosystem ◽  
Alliance Networks ◽  
Technology Sector ◽  
Ibm Watson ◽  
Start Ups

In recent years, technological progress in smart devices and artificial intelligence has also led to advancements in digital health. Digital health tools are especially prevalent in diabetes treatment and improving lifestyle. In digital health’s innovation ecosystem, new alliance networks are formed not only by medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies but also by information and communications technology (ICT) companies and start-ups. Therefore, while focusing on digital health for diabetes, this study explored the characteristics of companies with high network centralities. Our analysis of the changes in degree, betweenness, and eigenvector centralities of the sample companies from 2011 to 2020 found drastic changes in the company rankings of those with high network centrality during this period. Accordingly, the following eight companies were identified and investigated as the top-ranking technology sector companies: IBM Watson Health, Glooko, DarioHealth, Welldoc, OneDrop, Fitbit, Voluntis, and Noom. Lastly, we characterized these cases into three business models: (i) intermediary model, (ii) substitute model, and (iii) direct-to-consumer model, and we analyzed their customer value.

scholarly journals Circular Bioeconomy Business Models to Overcome the Valley of Death. A Systematic Statistical Analysis of Studies and Projects in Emerging Bio-Based Technologies and Trends Linked to the SME Instrument Support

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1899
Author(s):  
Fabiana Gatto ◽  
Ilaria Re
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Future Perspective ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Strategic Orientations ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Valley Of Death

Reducing the environmental pressure along the products life cycle, increasing efficiency in the consumption of resources and use of renewable raw materials, and shifting the economic system toward a circular and a climate-neutral model represent the heart of the current macro-trends of the European Union (EU) policy agendas. The circular economy and bioeconomy concepts introduced in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and the Bioeconomy Strategy support innovation in rethinking economic systems focusing on market uptaking of greener solutions based on less-intensive resource consumption. In recent decades, industrial research has devoted enormous investments to demonstrate sustainable circular bio-based business models capable of overcoming the “Valley of Death” through alternative strategic orientations of “technological-push” and “market-pull”. The study highlights industrial research’s evolution on bio-based circular business model validation, trends, and topics with particular attention to the empowering capacity of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to close the loops in renewable biological use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The research methodology involves a bibliographic search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Data Hub investigation to understand SMEs’ key success factors and start-ups of the circular bioeconomy sector. Eco and bio-based materials, nutraceuticals, and microalgae represent the most sustainable industry applications, leading to circular bioeconomy business models’ future perspective.

scholarly journals Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4186
Author(s):  
Abdulhakeem Raji ◽  
Abeer Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

This paper adopted a case study approach to investigate the sustainability practices of a Scottish university in order to understand if sustainability forms part of its central policy agenda. As such, the paper focuses on the levels of awareness and disclosure of their sustainable practices, measuring the impacts and effectiveness of those initiatives. This paper introduces signaling theory to explore the idea that appropriate communication via integrated thinking can close the gap between the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that the provision of this relevant information will lead to better communication between the organization and its stakeholders, supporting a signaling theory interpretation. Therefore, we are suggesting that integrated thinking is an internal process that organizations can follow to increase the level of disclosure as a communication tool with stakeholders. From the literature reviewed, four themes were identified (definition of university sustainability, sustainability awareness, disclosure framework within universities, and level of accountability). The research adopted a pragmatic view and conducted individual interviews with participants belonging to three stakeholder groups (members of the university’s senior management, the governing council, and the student union executive). Although this study focused on just one Scottish university, it should still provide some insight for the better understanding of the underpinning issues surrounding the sustainability accountability practices of Scottish universities in general. The research findings indicated that the university prioritized only two sustainability dimensions—economic and environmental—and that the university still perceived sustainability as a voluntary exercise. Additionally, it is evident that the university had no framework in place for measuring its sustainability delivery—and therefore had no established medium of communicating these activities to its stakeholders. Moreover, research findings showed that the social and educational context of sustainability was lacking at the university. The university has done little or nothing to educate its stakeholders on sustainability.

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