Technopreneurial Intentions: The Effect of Innate Innovativeness and Academic Self-Efficacy

Several factors can affect students’ intention to start a new technology-based venture (technopreneurial intentions). Understanding these factors is important when developing technical educational programs. This study investigates the effect of innate innovativeness and academic self-efficacy on technopreneurial self-efficacy and the forming of technopreneurial intentions. It does this by developing a conceptual model that relates technopreneurial intentions, technopreneurial self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and innate innovativeness. The data was collected from 378 undergraduate engineering students enrolled in a Jordanian university with a self-administered questionnaire survey. The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS showed that technopreneurial self-efficacy had a positive and significant impact on technopreneurial intentions. Academic self-efficacy had both a direct and indirect positive effect on technopreneurial intention. The indirect effect occurred through increased technopreneurial self-efficacy. Innate innovativeness had a direct effect on technopreneurial intentions, but it did not have a significant indirect effect through technopreneurship self-efficacy as was initially hypothesized. The findings suggest that those who show interest in starting a new technology-based venture have a strong belief in their abilities to perform the technological and entrepreneurial tasks needed, are confident about their ability to acquire the academic technical skills required, and have the inner motivation to seek what is technologically new and different.

Designing an Experiential Learning with Simulations and Games to Improve Education in an Undergraduate Engineering Major

This paper illustrates an experiential learning exercise that is designed to be played in an engineering undergraduate program. The author uses simulation that creates an active and experiential learning environment in which individual teams make decisions based on imperfect information and conflicting goals. The simulation allows players to control certain aspects of the information flow relevant to the market, to develop relevant business strategies and communication skills, and to establish understanding of ethical values that are relevant to business environment. The simulation was designed to allow engineering students to advance and practice business skills that are essential for engineers to stay successful in an increasingly competitive business environment. The objective is to extract maximum learning from the experience using an experiential learning model. This paper contributes to the literature on designing active learning with the use of games and simulations while utilizing the Kolb experiential learning model.

Literature Review on the Factors Affecting Teaching Effectiveness of Undergraduate Engineering Programmes

A great deal has been written, over the past three decades, on what constitutes effective teaching in higher education. Teaching effectiveness has been a key concern for universities since it pertains to the achievements of skills required for the competitive job market. The current practice of teaching the engineering fundamental non-culminating courses in undergraduate engineering programmes is through traditional teaching methods. This literature review aims to identify the factors that influence teaching effectiveness of undergraduate engineering programmes. The literature reviewed indicates that researchers have identified lecturers’ ability, course characteristics and teaching methods & material as pertinent measurements of Teaching Effectiveness.

Eglish Speaking Anxiety Level And Major Component Of Anxiety Of Undergraduate Engineering Students At Erode Sengunthar Engineering College, Tamil Nadu: A Descriptive Study

Speaking in English causes anxiety in learners’ mind and it acts as a filter. Anxiety impedes speaking in English which is a problem for the learners. This paper is intended to address the problem found in Erode Sengunthar Engineering College students. The study examines the level of anxiety and its major factor that filters the performance while speaking in English inside the classroom. 50 under graduate engineering students attended the study. For data collection a series of questionnaire of FLCAS developed by Horwitz in 1986, based on the Likert 5 point scale was administered. It also focuses on the performance of pupils most of whom feel more anxious about foreign language. The findings of this research reveals that more students are moderately affected . More importantly, the results show that students are extremely concerned about fear of negative evaluation (3.41) and the Exam Anxiety (3.27).