How can design approaches be integrated into entrepreneurship education?

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Questions we care about:
When educating students through entrepreneurship we are interested in how can design approaches and processes be integrated into Entrepreneurship Education and what effect does this have on entrepreneurial learning?

Approach:
This is a conceptual paper which draws on data from a classic entrepreneurship course (mix of for- and through-approach) as well as a classic design course. Furthermore data from the iterative development of an entrepreneurship course with substantial design elements is a key data source. Overall, products and processes in the course have been analysed by scholars within both the design and entrepreneurship field to understand the potential of more fully integrating the design vocabulary and processes in entrepreneurship education.

Results:
Overall we see a lot of potential in integrating design elements into EE, if it is done with careful reflection about the intention and how the elements fit with the entrepreneurship field. The proposed process model presented (Fig 3) primarily has potential to strengthen the awareness of the need to alternate between divergence and convergence many times through an entrepreneurial process. Apart from contributing to an overall potential process model the
integration of design elements in the Profile course contributed with primarily two things: The students reflected on their values and general approach towards stakeholders through the 1st design workshop (focusing on design perspectives). This created a good foundation for an adequate and beneficial contact with stakeholders. Also the students got out and tested their prototypes with stakeholders and iterated on them – because of the 2nd design workshop focusing on prototype test.

Implication:
The intention is that the proposed process model integrates divergent and convergent sub processes from the design sphere into the general effectual and causal processes of entrepreneurship education. The hope is to lessen – not eliminate -the frustration level among the students in the uncertain effectuation process by providing the students with more insight into and control over the process, without narrowing the potential outcomes of the entrepreneurial learning process. Apart from the model the paper presents some good practices from the entrepreneurship course with substantial design elements as well as some potential good practices for future testing.

Value/Originality:
This paper contributes to the field of entrepreneurship education with the model that demonstrates how design thinking can be meaningfully integrated into entrepreneurship education when pedagogical approaches are questioned and reflected upon.
Translated title of the contributionHvordan kan designtilgange integreres i entreprenørskabsundervisning
Original languageEnglish
Publication date12 May 2017
Number of pages19
Publication statusPublished - 12 May 2017
Event3E: ECSB Entrepreneurship Education Conference - Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
Duration: 10 May 201712 May 2017
Conference number: 5
http://www.ECSB.org

Conference

Conference3E
Number5
LocationCork Institute of Technology
Country/TerritoryIreland
CityCork
Period10/05/201712/05/2017
Internet address

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