Gwellwch eich cwricwlwm drwy roi sylw i'r Canllawiau QAA ar sgiliau ar gyfer eich pwnc, ac ymgorffori'r Canllawiau QAA ar Menter ac Entrepreneuriaeth.

Datganiad Meincnod QAA

  • Cyfathrebu effeithiol
  • Gweithio fel tîm
  • Datrys problemau

Ymgorffori Menter

Gall yr offer ETC canlynol eich helpu i gyflwyno'r sgiliau hyn yn y cwricwlwm.

Canllawiau Sut i

Mae'r canllawiau hyn wedi eu dewis i adeiladu sgiliau QAA yn eich addysgu.


Vet Practice Case (QAA 1,2,3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To apply practice and expertise to 'real world' environment
  • To practice techniques and explore for new opportunities and applications in new settings and environments
  • To evaluate new opportunities
  • To make judgements based on the information provided and professional judgement
  • Understand the challenges involved in developing and growing a small veterinary practice
  • Appreciate the need to develop a strategic marketing plan to deal with growing competition
  • Apply marketing theories to propose a strategy for addressing the challenge now facing "Cromlyn Vets" and determine the way forward.

Overview

By providing a case study that details changes in the life of a vet practice, students can explore the running of the practice and, acting as group of consultants, advise the Vet practice on their next steps.

Activity

This activity can be discussed within the group or set as an assignment.
To explore the issues in a lecture theatre, issue the case in advance and then draw comment from the group to collectively respond to the challenge.
Use techniques such as "think-pair-share" to engage learners with the case material and share comment with the wider group.
As tutor you will lead the discussion, using the case notes to assist your thinking but give credit and reward for innovation and creative thinking.

An assignment can be created from this case study.
The idea is to use the findings from the SWOT analysis to help decide on the best growth strategy for the practice. Growth is important, because in the face of such strong (corporate) competition Cromlyn need to attract new clients and maintain their existing ones. The arrival of a corporate competitor, with presumably considerable marketing resources at their disposal, is a significant development in the competitive marketplace. Cromlyn will have to work hard to retain their client base.

The resulting outline business plan that each team develops will probably focus primarily on Cromlyn's marketing efforts (both current and future) - as well as the resources required to implement such efforts – in relation to either the Lisburn site or the referral centre. Plans should show evidence of drawing on Cromlyn's key strengths, one of which will be their experience and reputation in the local marketplace. Strategies that aim to capitalise on their established client base and customer loyalty should be discussed in the plan, alongside strategies to attract new customers. However, your team may have come up with other equally viable growth strategies that build on some of the business' other strengths (i.e. exploiting the team's specialisms,creating new clinics, etc). There is no 'wrong' answer here, but students are required to provide a solid rationale for your ideas.

Skill Development:

Learners are given the opportunity to be creative within a clear problem solving task. Evaluating and exploring the options collectively further develops the interpersonal skills of the students, whilst they bring their professional expertise and creative insight to create a solution. This solution can bepresented or pitched to also enhance communication skills.

Resources:

Case Study - Veterinary Business and Enterprise - Theoretical Foundations and Practical Cases (2013) by Colette Henry FRSA, FISBE, Norbrook Professor of Business and Enterprise at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London, UK.
http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/story.html?partNo=2&story=3

http://www.enterprisingvet.com/

References:

http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/
Henry, C (2013) Veterinary Business and Enterprise - Theoretical Foundations and Practical Cases London Elsevier
Downes, M.J; Clegg, T.A; Collins, D.M; McGrath, G., and More, S.J. (2011). "The spatial distribution of pet dogs and pet cats on the island of Ireland", BMC Vet Res, 7:28. Available from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3141403/?tool=pubmed, last accessed 4th March 2012.

Lantra. (2011). "Veterinary activities factsheet, 2010-2011." Available from: http://www.lantra.co.uk/Downloads/Research/Skills-assessment/Veterinary-activities-v2-(2010-2011).aspx, last accessed 14th November 2012.

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. (2012). "2011 Census outputs information event", available from: http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/census/2011/Outputs/2011_Census_Outputs_Event_Jan12.pdf, last accessed 4th March 2012.

PFMA – Pet Food Manufacturers' Association – http://www.pfma.org.uk/pet-population/, last accessed 19th October 2012.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Professor Colette Henry.

Creative Problem Solving What can I do when...? (QAA 1,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 7Communication and Strategy

Objectives: 

This is a lively exercise which works well with 25 or 36 learners, respectively in groups of 5 or 5 at a carousel table.

  • Learners will identify individually problems in a given context or scenario.
  • Group prioritisation: groups will next prioritise problems in order of importance, or difficulty.
  • Group editing and refining: groups will formulate the most pressing problem to briefly complete the starter: what can I do when’.
  • Individual learners put ‘on the spot’ will creatively state a tactic to a ‘What can I do when …’ problem from another group.
  • Individual thinking and oral communication: by the end of the round, everyone in the whole group has had a go at suggesting a solution for one or more problems – no passengers!
  • Analysis and reflection: members of the group which thought of the problem will discuss pros and cons of the various solutions they have heard.

Feedback from participants who have engaged in this activity is very positive indeed, and they often comment that ‘the time flew by’, and ‘we wished to do another round of this straightaway’.

Overview:

This creative problem solving exercise starts with learners in groups identifying specific aspects of a problem situation they may encounter, and phrasing the problem in the format of ‘What can I do when…’ questions. Each group supplies one question, which is written up on a slide or flipchart. Then a system is used where one member of each of the other groups in turn suggests a tactical response to the problem being addressed, and after all the tactics have been heard, the problem returns to the group who thought of it, who then discuss the pros and cons of each of the tactics they have heard from the other groups.
The exercise can be used for a wide range of problem scenarios, but is particularly productive when addressing interpersonal or communication contexts, or working with ‘difficult people’.

Activity:

The processes described below typically take around an hour with a group of 25 learners, but can be extended to two hours by using a second round of the whole sequence (by which time the learners will be much better able to engage with the process based on experience, and will often have come up with more-challenging questions, causing deeper thinking).

  1. Divide the total number of learners into groups of (approximately) equal size, e.g. 25 learners into 5 groups of 5 at carousel tables. (It is best to do this group formation randomly, avoiding the disadvantages of ‘friendship’ groups and ‘left-over’ groups!). Name the groups A, B, C, D, E.
  2. Set the context for the problem-generation phase. For example, the problems of working with learners on an ‘enterprise’ module could be addressed by asking everyone to think individually of their worst nightmares in the context of working with such learners, and jotting down individually on one or more post-its their nightmare in the format of ‘what could I do when…’
    (Completions in this particular instance may well to include ‘…a learner repeatedly doesn’t turn up?’, or ‘…a learner won’t join in?’, or ‘…a learner becomes aggressive to other learners?’, or ‘…I run out of ideas to use with the group?’, or ‘…time runs out when I am only half-way through an exercise?’ and so on).
  3. When each learner has jotted one or more problem-questions down, ask the groups to prioritise the problems identified in by their group members, and work out the most important to tackle (or the most difficult to tackle), then the next most important, and so on. 
  4. Ask group A to read out their top completion of the ‘What can I do when…’ starter, and write it up exactly in their words, on a slide or flipchart. Then ask group B for their problem, then group C and so on, writing them up in turn. If a group comes up with a problem too similar to those already written onto the slide or flipchart, ask the group for their second-most-important problem and so on.
  5. Set the ground-rules for the report-back from the groups. Group A’s question goes first to Group B, where one person described what they might do to address the problem. Only one person can speak; it sometimes takes a little time for a volunteer to come forward. Next, one member of Group C is sought to respond, and so on to Groups D and E in turn. It can be useful to brief Group A to make brief notes of the gist of successive responses.
  6. To respond gets harder as it moves from Group B onward. Each successive respondent must think of a different response from those which may already have been given. At this stage, the facilitator may choose to throw in one or two further solutions, if the groups have missed anything important in their responses.
  7. Finally, Group A, who own the question are asked to consider the responses from Groups B-E (plus any offered by the facilitator), picking the best one, and coming up with any further alternatives they have thought of. All members of Group A can join in this discussion.
  8. Next the question from Group B goes in turn to Groups C, D, E and A, again only one member – a different member of the group coming up with a solution. In the event of too long a pause, the person from the group concerned who answered last-time round can nominate someone from their group to respond.
  9. Continue until all five questions have gone round the groups.

This process means that just about everyone has a turn at answering one of the ‘What can I do when…’ questions. If there were six groups of five members, everyone would have a turn, but it is probably best to leave the flexibility of one person in each group not being required to answer, in case any of the learners has a particular problem with ‘being put on the spot’ in this way. However, if a second round of questions is then generated, the response can start in each group with the person who did not speak in the first round.

An alternative way of running this exercise includes asking for ‘what would make this situation worse?’ (i.e. ‘what I should not do when …? responses – ‘negative brainstorming’).

This can be great fun for a second round of the whole exercise.

Skill Development:

  1. Identification of problems individually, followed by discussion and prioritisation of problems in groups.
  2. Refining of an identified problem, by turning it into the ‘what can I do when…?’ format.
  3. Oral quick-thinking and communication, as each group member responds to a ‘what can I to when…’ question.
  4. Building on what has been already said earlier in the round, when the next respondent has to in effect think of ‘what else can I do when…?’ as responses can not be repeated as the round continues.
  5. Listening to the various responses by the group ‘owning’ the question, noting down the gist of each for subsequent discussion, then analysing the pros and cons of the various responses.
  6. ‘Negative brainstorming’, if the exercise includes ‘What would make this situation worse?’, which can often yield further ideas for actual solutions to the problem.

Resources:

  • Post-its for individuals to jot down ‘nightmares’ to base their ‘what can I do when …?’ questions upon.
  • More post-its (possibly a different colour) for groups to write their final versions of ‘what can I do when…?’ questions down on, before prioritising which they want to submit to the other group rounds.
  • A few pens to give away if needed.
  • Flipchart or PowerPoint display to show the questions.

 References:

  • Race, P. (2014) ‘Making Learning Happen: 3rd edition’, London: Sage. (Note that one Chapter of this book is entirely composed around ‘what can I do when …? questions, (in the broad context of teaching, learning, feedback and assessment), each followed by the sort of responses which can be given by participants working in the creative-problem-solving mode described in the above activity).
  • Race, P. (2015) ‘The Lecturer’s Toolkit; 4th edition’, Abingdon: Routledge.
  • http://phil-race.co.uk

About the Author
This guide was produced by Professor Phil Race.

Team Building Time Challenge (QAA 4,6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Outside

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To understand team dynamics and how teams come together to achieve a goal
  • Understanding the importance of careful research, discussion and planning
  • Listening to other members of the team
  • Research
  • Idea generation
  • Sales, persuasion techniques (as needed)

Overview

This exercise is a fantastic way to get people working together as they tackle up to 10 tasks in a given time frame. With limited information (on each other and the tasks presented) the group must navigate through the challenges in order to be the most successful group (back within the time frame; most tasks achieved; most accurate delivery of the tasks). Depending on the tasks selected, specific industry or sector knowledge can be tested as widerskills of background knowledge, research and creative thinking are required. Insist upon evidence of the achievements (photos on flip or camera phones) as well as delivery of objectives.

Activity : This activity needs a long session (such as 120 minutes) to complete, reflection and analysis takes place at the end of the session.

The groups of up to 6 people are sent out to complete > 10 tasks (usually 3 cryptic, 3 researched and 4 fun)

Examples of these could include:

  • To find an encryption or statue (or similar engraving) in the University Library
  • Two examples of their subject/discipline in practice (photographs or illustrations of)
  • Interview a relevant professional in the field
  • Find a particular journal article
  • How many people can you fit in a phone box
  • Share a message on social media as widely as possible

These tasks should be developed beforehand to suit the environment where the day is taking place. Ensure there are fun tasks involved and that everyone has a chance to engage by creating a range of challenges that involve the physical, mental, social aspects of your learners.

To manage this challenge effectively, if it important that you:

  • Give strict time frames and penalties for not meeting the time
  • Consider the health and safety aspects of all the challenges and adapt to suit your learners (by keeping everyone on campus; in 1 building; or keeping all the tasks within the 1 room etc as necessary).
  • Consider whether you wish to keep them all together as a team or are happy for individuals to split off to deliver tasks back to the group.

Practically it can also be helpful to give them a puzzle to solve before they can leave and a further one when they return. This means they are leaving at different times and they return to a final challenge, so that you can record time and award points.

Skill Development:

Depending upon the challenges you create, there is a wide range of transferable skills and knowledge base that you can test during this challenge. You can create tasks that draw upon their:

  • Imagination and creativity
  • Communication and Strategy
  • Problem solving
  • Teamwork and organisation
  • Route Planning
  • Research skills
  • Leadership/Persuasion
  • Decision making
  • Logistics/Systems
  • Speed/Precision/Efficiency
  • Reflection/Review/Analysis
  • Feedback

It is important that you review the challenges and how the groups tackled the tasks in order to draw out the subject learning and these wider skills, before reviewing the wider team experience by exploring:

  • How the initial discussions went, did someone take the lead, was it a bit of a shouting match, was it chaos, was there a lack of ideas/too many ideas
  • Whose ideas were listened to the most and why
  • Who planned the route
  • Who was ignored and why
  • Whose ideas were taken on board and why, was a consensus achieved
  • Who allocated roles
  • Who put themselves forward for roles
  • How did the actual production go, smooth, chaotic, who took the lead, who organised, how did it progress, how was the mood of the team?
  • Was everyone involved? Did everyone need to be involved?
  • How did the dynamics between the members of the group change as they went through the different stages
  • Were more people involved, less people involved
  • How did people participants feel at each stage, did confidence grow or recede
  • What skills were employed by the task
  • How are these important to a task/team

Drawing out the team dynamics will allow the students to identify the lessons that they can take forward that will improve their future group work and learning experiences.

Ask if they started by sharing their knowledge and skill set or just started on the tasks (the most typical response) and whether they would do that again. Ask when, or if they ever start a task by reviewing when they have collectively or individually undertaken something similar and what was learnt that they could take forward.

Resources:

  • Prepared tasks – such as Two indoor puzzles/tasks
  • Research the area for tasks to complete
  • A flip phone or check if students have their own camera phone
  • Flip boards or wall space to show evidence
  • A prize
  • A timer or watch

About the Author
This guide was produced by EntEv.

Engaging Alumni for Real World Learning (QAA 2, 3, 4, 5)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action

Objective:

Effective engagement of Alumni seeks to support the students to become:

  • be flexible and adaptable, seeing alternative perspectives and offering a choice of solutions
  • review and evaluate multiple solutions in contexts that anticipate and accommodate change and contain elements of ambiguity, uncertainty and risk.

Overview:

With the pre-arranged (and prolonged) support of alumni (now professionals) this approach of continued access to external professionals (ideally programme/course Alumni) is designed to prepare students to be able to engage with real clients and better enable them to respond proactively to change.

Externals are invited to engage with the current student group as they undertake a task, using social media (facebook; twitter etc) an/or Skype. This creates either incremental weekly instruction that builds into an overall assignment or regular support or feedback on course work from externals.

Activity

This approach needs pre-agreement and commitment of externals (ideally Programme/course Alumni) who commit to short, but regular interaction through social media or Skype.

This activity can either be driven by a live brief or challenge identified by the external (higher level of engagement) or as comment and support to those undertaking the programme, through sharing expertise and current work experiences. If the students are working on a live brief or task given by the external, this high level of interactivity can mean that summative deadlines can changedand information updated, and the newsworthy or other high profile influences can be included throughout the module. (The assignment usually mirrors an actual assignment undertaken professionally by an Alumni professional).

This engagement can be “managed” by the tutor – to pre-plan some ambiguity or pre-agreed change of brief/scope with the Alumni contact, or left open to allow access to externals as an organic relationship, where advice may be sought by the students or experience/daily practice shared by the Professional as they see fit.

In addition, any presentation /show case or final assignment submission can be shared with the external and their input made part of the summative or formative feedback (assessment strategy).

Note that the choice of social media will impact on the type of engagement between alumni and students, but ideally something that the Alumni member uses regularly will ensure more regular engagement. Even small inputs (as typically seen in social media such as Twitter) can guide student approach and ensure that they are able to ask private questions, and that other students can also learn from the mentor/alumni generic comments or insights.

Skill Development:

Depending upon the level and type of engagement, students can benefit from insights from a ‘typical day/week’ of a professional working in their area, or be pushed to develop their tolerance to ambiguity (through changing deadlines, or unexpected changes to the brief or additional information). This can build resilience in the students but there needs to be clear expectations of this relationship, as well as additional tutor support.

Students typically respond well to changes and additional insights from professional Alumni and can develop their understanding and judgement, in their chosen field, whilst gaining further insight regarding professional practice.

Students should be bought together to share their experience of virtually engaging with their Alumni contact and explore their emotional responses to the changing briefs or additional information. They need to explore, and develop strategies, for coping with ‘real world’ brief/challenges and exploringthis together, and sharing how they dealt with it, and could deal with it in the future, builds their confidence and resilience to change. Using reflective practice to consider the learning across the group can draw out a range of key lessons for preparing for future challenges.

Resources:

Access to, and ongoing (committed) virtual engagement by appropriate alumni – determine brief/project or to commit to regular updating/comment for a pre-agreed period of time.

References:

Penaluna, A., Penaluna, K and Diego, I. (2014) The role of education in enterprising creativity. In Sternberg R and Krauss, G. (2014) Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship and Creativity. Cheltenham / Massachusetts: Edward Elgar).

Scott, J., Penaluna, A., Thompson, J & Brooksbank, D. Experiential entrepreneurship education: Effectiveness and learning outcomes. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research (Forthcoming)

Jones, C., Penaluna, A., Matlay, H., Penaluna, K. Discovering the Soul of Enterprise Education. Education +Training, Emerald Publishing (Forthcoming)

Penaluna, K., Penaluna, A., Jones, C. and Matlay, H. (2014) ‘When did you last predict a good idea?: Exploring the case of assessing creativity through learning outcomes’, Industry and Higher Education, Vol.8, No.6, December 2014: 399 - 410

Penaluna, A., Coates J. and Penaluna K., (2011) Creativity-Based Assessment and Neural Understandings: A Discussion and Case Study Analysis. Education + Training, Emerald Publishing, Volume 52, Issue 8/9, pp. 660 - 678

About the Author
This guide was produced by Professor Andy Penaluna, University of Wales, Trinity St David.

Communication Icebreaker (Physical) (QAA 4,5,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action 7Communication and Strategy

Objectives: 

  • Ice breaker (which builds a connection between pairs)
  • Participants will have to interact and adapt their communication skills to help their team member 
  • Participants will reflect and evaluate their performance as a pair
  • Improve communication and listening skills and to highlight the importance of trust when working in a team or pair

Overview: 

This physical task engages the whole person in supporting a colleague and ensuring their safety through good communication.  The activity can be used at any time during the session, however it is highly effective as and ice breaker.  It is a fun method to start participants communicating and is simple to deliver in an appropriate environment and can be adjusted depending upon group size, age etc. However health and safety is paramount and you must consider the appropriateness of the group and room for this challenge.

Activity:

You should initiative this activity by stressing the nature of the challenge and stressing that the safety of those involved is paramount.  You can also agree across the group that “stop” can be initiated by any member of the team by raising a hand if they don’t feel that it is safe to proceed.  This can be actioned by anyone and will not result in any penalties.

To run the task, gather the group outside the room and:

  1. Scatter furniture that can be used as obstacles but ensuring that safety is not compromised. 
  2. Put team members into pairs and should decide amongst them who is to be blindfolded first. 
  3. The sighted and blindfolded member should stand at one end of the room. 
  4. Aim of the task is for the sighted individual to guide their partner across the room and giving concise information to avoid the obstacles. 
  5. Once each team reaches the other side, the pairs are to swap roles 

It could also be possible to create a preferred route or course (as seen in horse show jumping) which they need to accomplish (if you didn’t wish to use obstacles for safety or mobility reasons) which would lead the pair to particular numbers/letters indicated on the wall.

Subject specialisms could also be tested by placing knowledge based answers on the walls and asking the pairs to walk to their answer through the course (see QAARunaround for details of how to do a multiple choice but don’t mix the games in play for safety reasons).

Skill Development: 

This task requires listening and communication skills and also helps builds trust and connections across the pairings.  However the skill development and improved future practice comes from evaluating performance across the group and understanding how and when particular techniques were effective and what lessons that provides for the future.  It is important to acknowledge fears and concerns, or frustrations between the pairings but keep the discussion to the general learning, rather than focusing upon particular experiences of individual pairings as the depth of learning will come from the lessons that can be applied in future group work or communication challenges.  These lessons include clear communication; agreeing ground rules for working together; recognising the need of feedback or support; understanding the importance of clear short messages within these circumstances etc.

Resources:

  • Blindfolds
  • Large room  - large, safe, open space
  • Items that can be used as obstacles which will act as safe barriers (not fall over; not hurt if walked into – no sharp edges)

About the Author
This guide was produced by EntEv.

Team Roles/Membership using Myers Briggs (QAA 5,6)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6), Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills

Objective:

  • To introduce the group to the increasingly popular MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) Test that is felt by many to help individuals identify their personality type and thereby inform them how best they might work or operate in a team/ group situation.
  • To construct teams based on the individual’s responses before setting a task to complete and then reflect upon understanding.

 Introduction:

The increased popularity of Psychological tests to help recruiters or managers select characteristics that they believe will make their work teams more effective is something all students and tutors need to be aware of.

While the practice may (or may not!) be well founded, it cannot be ignored. Personally I have been given several opportunities to have my personality and working style measured through a variety of tests. Clearly the results will be shaped by the environment in which the test is taken. I would feel my responses were different when I was a Business School Director involved in managerial decision making when compared to my earlier life as a humble academic or even when I was a research scientist.

What has to be made clear is – your preferred working style or approach to team situations will change as you change. The results are not set in stone, rather they are an indicator.

The “quick and dirty” exercise here is just that – it is far from rigorous! It should be used to raise awareness of the issue and for those who wish to take it further; then most Universities have licences for the real thing and will be more than happy to pay for a proper test to be completed.

Activity:

I tend to introduce the session by running though the Power Point slide deck to explain the background and the rationale for the activity.  Then I ask the four questions and invite everybody to select a letter response.

When everybody has a four letter code, we look how the “population” breaks down.

WE then can talk about how the group feel about the four letter codes they have chosen. Do they relate to the characteristics attributed to the four letter codes from the full MBTI test?

I then invite individuals to adopt a specific role within a group context. I then link a four letter MBTI code to the roles and start to construct teams based on the role mix.

Individuals can do this in a variety of ways. I simply ask for teams of four to be created. A show of hands for each role allows me to go – “OK you ; you; you and you – you are one team.” And so on. Individuals can create teams/ groups based on their knowledge of the cohort and student’s ability to work collaboratively.

You will have teams of varying levels of maturity and motivation and you will find some teams do not have the exact or optimum role mix.

The joy of this activity is to watch how the teams perform when the open ended task is given.

As experienced tutors, you can float and pick out the team dynamics. You will soon hear gentle laughter and see smiles on the faces of those in the teams that are starting to relax and work to their preferred style. This will be contrasted by the teams that have individuals who are not comfortable in their role or team.

Leave the exercise to run for as long as you wish. Make sure you spend time drawing the learning from the exercise. Why did some teams laugh more than others? How did the individuals feel about the role they were asked to perform? How did the team come together? What did they learn about themselves and about team working?

Impact:

I have used this activity when a lecturer with groups of students before they embark on a major assessed team work activity. I conducted this activity with L5 students before they were expected to go out on their Industrial Placement year. An awareness of how to operate in a team is essential preparation for the world of work.

I also have used this with Enterprise Educators in Wales (ELVIS) and when running staff development activities with tutor teams in departments I am supporting. I have also shared this with IEEP participants.

Everybody can take something away from this and use it in their teaching or working lives.

Learner outcomes:

At the end of the session the participants will:

  • Appreciate the different roles that are required for effective teams.
  • Recognise that personality types impact on effective teams performance
  • Understand that they have a preferred learning / work style that will change over time
  • Be more understanding of how fellow team members feel when put in situations that do not allow them to work to their preferred style.

Resources:

 

About the Author
This guide was produced by Dr Simon Brown (with Matthew Draycott) (Visiting Professor UWTSD, Head of Enterprise Development NCEE, Fellow EEUK).

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If you would like to have your How to Guide featured, please download the template and email the completed version to hello@etctoolkit.org.uk.

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Vet Case (QAA 1,2,3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To apply practice and expertise to 'real world' environment
  • To practice techniques and explore for new opportunities and applications in new settings and environments
  • To evaluate new opportunities
  • To make judgements based on the information provided and professional judgement
  • Understand the challenges involved in developing and growing a small veterinary practice
  • Appreciate the need to develop a strategic marketing plan to deal with growing competition
  • Apply marketing theories to propose a strategy for addressing the challenge now facing "Cromlyn Vets" and determine the way forward.

Introduction:

This case study is attractive to Vet nurses and students as explores the real world situation that they wish to practice in and challenges them to consider the operational aspect of practice management.

The case focuses on practical veterinary business issues such as striving for and maintaining excellence in clinical veterinary care, maximising resources, utilising available expertise and marketing efforts to retain client numbers in the face of growing competition.

Activity:

Provide the students with the case in advance, encouraging them to read and understand the case and the issues within it.

Within the case, the growth and development of Cromlyn's practice is discussed, along with the various challenges the business has faced in its near thirty-year history. The case focuses on practical veterinary business issues such as striving for and maintaining excellence in clinical veterinary care, maximising resources, utilising available expertise and expanding marketing efforts to retain client numbers in the face of growing competition. The casealso covers the make-up of the veterinary team, the need for business skills, the importance of managing the money side of things, the changing veterinary business landscape, including important issues such as the increasingly competitive veterinary marketplace and the feminisation of the profession.

With the students, explore the challenges presented in the case (using the resource sheet to undertake a SWOT analysis)

The challenge presented in the case is that Cromlyn Vets have clearly been quite active in their growth plans and marketing efforts over the years, and have managed – reasonably successfully – to keep local competition at bay. However, the recent entry to the marketplace of the corporate brand Vets4Pets, taking up position in a prime city centre location, has opened the door for further 'big brand' competitors to follow suit, and has made Cromlyn realize that they will need to not only sustain their marketing efforts but very probably expand them. There are a number of options now open to the practice. The challenge for students is to identify the best one for Cromlyn and to suggest a clear way forward.

Set this challenge as a group exercise to

  • Generate solutions
  • Evaluate options
  • Recommend options

As if working as a team of consultants, supporting the business.

The students can pitch for the tender, outlining their approach and rationale.

Impact:

The impact was significant as typically the students were used to "chalk and talk" in large lecture theatres. By engaging the students in the discussion of the case (using techniques that work in large groups, such as "think-pair-share") the dynamic of the class was changed and everyone was able to interact and address the problem with the class environment and continue working on this as their assessment.

Learner outcome:

The learners develop their critical thinking and recognise the potential impact of changing business environment on their professional practice. The presentation element increases their skills as they work as a group and pitch for business. This increases their confidence in problem solving as well as with presenting complex ideas.

Resources:

Case Study - Veterinary Business and Enterprise - Theoretical Foundations and Practical Cases (2013) by Colette Henry FRSA, FISBE, Norbrook Professor of Business and Enterprise at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London, UK. http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/story.html?partNo=2&story=3

References:

http://www.enterprisingvet.com/

http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/

Henry, C (2013) Veterinary Business and Enterprise - Theoretical Foundations and Practical Cases London Elsevier

About the Author
This guide was produced by Colette Henry FRSA, FISBE, Norbrook (Professor of Business and Enterprise at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London, UK).

Guest Lectures in Vet Practice (QAA 3,4,5)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action

Objective:

  • To showcase the business and entrepreneurial aspects of animal based practice
  • To encourage students to reflect upon, and plan for, their careers
  • To increase understanding of opportunities available

Introduction:

By inviting a guest speaker, typically the focus is on the animal care as the guests explore this part of their role more readily and students are most naturally interested in this. By creating a topic/challenge, you can encourage wider elements to be explored by a large group.

Activity:

We have invited a range of speakers, typically from the local vet practices but also 'celebrities' such as SuperVet Noel Fitzpatrick and invited them to speak on a decision that they have had to make.

By focusing the presentation on an event or decision (ideally with costs in terms of time, resources etc) the format can be that the speaker presents a simple situation (can be a one liner) regarding a professional dilemma and the students are invited to ask questions to determine what to do in this situation. By sharing a short 'story' of an animal requiring help out of hours, with no owner, or a request to support local event (judging a dog show or running a stand) with increasing demands and no payment, or how a particular situation with escalating costs was handled, the students are invited to ask short questions in order to make their decision as to how they would approach the task.

Wider issues of cost, professionalism, ethics, PR (Public Relations) etc can all feature in the discussion.

With an invitation to a more well-known figure, a different approach can be taken, and a broad invitation across the institution and beyond be made. By creating a public event, this allows for a broader range of questions to be asked and students to mingle with externals and wider colleagues alike.

Impact:

The impact of bringing external viewpoints into the traditional lecture theatre practice often creates an impact that creates a “buzz” for weeks to come.Students regularly reference the comments made by externals for weeks to come and deepen their understanding of their future careers. By sharing real-life stories, the interdependent nature of business issues and animal care is made clear to the students.

Learner outcome:

Understanding and appreciation of career options, as well as the wider context of their subject is a key lesson for most students. Ideally the week after a talk, a wider debrief (without the speaker present) is taken to explore the range of issues that the students have understood. This reflection can be particularly powerful, especially as the opportunity to hear different speakers provides different perspectives for learners to compare.

Resources:

Agreement and discussion with the guest speaker – to prepare their situation and what questions they will answer and how they handle them.

References:

http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/story.html?partNo=2&story=3

http://www.enterprisingvet.com/

http://coursewareobjects.elsevier.com/objects/companion_sites/enterprisingvet/casestudies/

Henry, C (2013) Veterinary Business and Enterprise - Theoretical Foundations and Practical Cases London Elsevier

 

 

About the Author
This guide was produced by Professor Colette Henry FRSA, FISBE, Norbrook (Professor of Business and Enterprise at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), London, UK.).

Nurturing Enterprise Through Student Societies (QAA 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To provide extra-curricular learning opportunities for animal studies students.
  • To provide networking opportunities between students, lecturers and industry professionals.
  • To provide animal studies students with opportunities to create and manage their own extra-curricular projects.
  • To provide animal studies students with opportunities to develop their business, finance, marketing and management skills.

Introduction:

Student clubs and societies can be a great means for students from any level or programme of study to gain invaluable enterprise skills. Through taking responsibility for a club a society, students are required to demonstrate effective team working, excellent management skills, excellent administrative skills and financial literacy, communication and marketing skills, and must have the ability to successfully devise, plan and deliver projects and activities to keep their members engaged.

Clubs and societies can be for students from any programme of study, run exclusively for students from a particular programme, and include students, alumni, staff and members of the general public.

For the small cohort of students studying towards a BSc in Animal Studies at Glyndwr University, forming a departmental society (Zoo Soc) was an ideal way to bring the cohort together, and provide a range of extra-curricular social and learning opportunities.

Activity:

In Spring 2013, students from the BSc (Hons) Animal Studies programme at Glyndwr University, approached Glyndwr University Students Guild regarding establishing 'Zoo Soc' at the institution.

The society was to cater primarily to students (at all levels of study) from the Animal Studies programme, but open to membership from staff, alumni, andstudents from any course with an interest in animals and zoology.

The students nominated a president, vice president, two secretaries and a treasurer to run the society, and promoted the new society to their peers, gaining enough support in the form of signatures to be constituted as a Students' Guild Society.

There after the students took responsibility for all aspects of Zoo Soc's management and administration. This was inclusive of promoting the society and its events, promoting society membership, conducting meetings of society members and officers, organising activities and events, and raising and managing funds. The Students Guild offered support to the students through all of these processes.

Zoo Soc's first event was a Pub Quiz, held at the University's student bar, and aimed at developing relationships between students from Glyndwr’s main campus, and its rural campus (situated approximately 20 miles away). The event was a success, and the revenue and new membership gained through the event went on to directly support future events, including trips to Zoo’s, Museums and other events.

Figure 1. Promotions poster for Zoo Soc's first event

Impact:

2 year after the society's establishment, approximately 100 students are engaging with the Zoo Soc and its events, which have continued to be delivered in a professional and financially sustainable way.

Learner outcome:

For all learners who have engaged with the society, there have been countless opportunities to network, increase their knowledge, and exchange and create ideas.

For those leading the society the outcomes have been far greater, developing a broad range of enterprising skills in the process, whilst directly supporting their academic subject knowledge.

Resources:

  • The support of your institutions Students' Union / Guild.

References:

Author:

www.macorcoran.com

With thanks to Glyndwr University Students Guild.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Mike Corcoran. If you would like to contact the author, please use this email address:- m.a.corcoran@outlook.com.

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Ymgorffori Entrepreneuriaeth

Os oes gennych chi neu eich myfyrwyr ddiddordeb mewn datblygu syniad busnes, dod yn hunangyflogedig / gweithio ar eich liwt eich hun neu greu busnes dyma rywfaint o offer i helpu a hefyd rhai cysylltiadau ar gyfer cefnogaeth dechrau busnes.

Canllawiau Sut i

Mae'r canllawiau hyn wedi eu dewis i adeiladu sgiliau QAA yn eich addysgu.


Competitor Analysis: SWOT Analysis (QAA2,3,4)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management

Objective:

To create a clear understanding of their competitors, using SW analysis.

Overview: 

A SWOT analysis is a useful tool for analysis, when actions and conclusions are drawn from it.  

Activity: 

Instructions

Invite the entrepreneur / small business owner to identify their key competitors (at least 3), and list the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Examples of strengths and weaknesses for a bicycle manufacturing business,

Strengths 

  • Reliable products
  • Well respected brand 
  • Competitively priced
  • Focussed on specialist market 

Weaknesses

  • Limited capacity to produce 
  • Outdated methods of production
  • Lack of marketing expertise
  • Low profit margin

Consideration should then be given to each of the competitors, and compared with the entrepreneur or small business owners’ view of their own business.

  • What can be learnt from the competitors’ strengths?  
  • What can be done better than the competition?
  • Are there any weaknesses that can be exploited?

This analysis can then inform what approach the entrepreneur / small business owner takes to developing their own business and to understand how they can best create or sustain a competitive advantage.

The key to using SWOT is now determine a course of action from this analysis.

Students can be invited to present their work and comment to provide constructive criticism, which is future focused.  

Skill Development:

By placing a clear focus on future action, rather than analysis, this will build skills of evaluation, decision making and judgement which lend themselves to action.  

About the Author
This guide was produced by Lisa McMullan.

Defining the Marketing Message (QAA3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • Develop their own ‘marketing message’ – content that can be used to describe their product / service that will inform customers about what it is; inspire them to make a purchase by explaining the benefits the product / service offers; and provide details of how to engage so that the customers knows what to do to make a purchase.

Overview:

The focus of this task is to develop a well-constructed marketing message which describes the benefits of a product/service to customers.

Activity:

Instructions  

Invite the entrepreneur to complete the ‘Message Matrix’ below to describe their product or service:

Inform

What is it you are selling?

Inspire

Why should the customer buy from you? 

Engage

What should the customer do next? Ensure they have all the information they need

     

By sharing and discussing their Message Matrix with a business development provider or fellow entrepreneur, the ‘Marketing Message’ can be refined and developed to ensure that it is clear, understandable to a wider audience and that key information is not omitted.

This activity can be undertaken for different groups of customers as a slightly different message may be needed for each.

Skill Development:

By working in groups, or through watching each other present their work, students are able to learn further and deepen their own work.  It is useful to draw any presentation or discussion session to a close by asking what they now wished they had done, or what they are now going to do, in order to ensure there is action from learning.

Consensus Building through Business Planning – Costs and Benefits (QAA 3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • Develop an understanding of the benefits of producing a business plan, for them and  their business
  • Develop an understanding of the costs and resource implications of producing a business plan to them and their business 
  • Alleviate concerns and promote their ownership of the business plan 
  • To evidence the power of group work as ideas and issues are considered from different perspectives and shared through small group work

Overview:

This activity is designed to provide an opportunity for students to develop their understanding of the purpose and benefits of producing a business plan as well as expressing any concerns or issues relating to the process.  

Activity:

As an individual task – invite each student to consider the opposing statement below (that preparing a business plan is ‘a waste of time’ and ‘a valuable exercise’ and to make a list of the reasons why someone may agree with each of the statements. 

Each point can then be researched, discussed in small groups, and challenged within the small group situation to create a consensus for presentation.

The activity should be concluded by asking the group to agree where they would rank themselves on the continuum and make their position to the wider group.

This will create a range of presentations, which will draw out of range of concerns and issues, that can then be discussed and explored across the wider group.

Preparing a Business Plan

A waste of time ......................................  A valuable exercise
0                                                                          10

This can also be repeated, following business planning work, to provide a useful reflection tool at the end of the business planning process, when students are invited to consider the statements again having completed the business plan.  This can provide an indication of any change in the entrepreneur / small business owner’s view.

Skill Development:

The decision making within this task is both individual and within a group and therefore develops consensus building through discussion and debate.  The discussion will build deeper understanding of the business planning process and build confidence around this area, whilst the presentation skills to the wider group will build confidence in public speaking and debate.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Alison Price.

Defining your Customer (QAA 2,3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6), Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objectives:

  • To build a profile of (future) customer as a person
  • To develop the business offer through a broader understanding of the customer needs
  • To  support critical thinking and evaluation of ideas 

Overview: 

This exercise enables students to demonstrate their understanding of their potential customer and deepen that understanding to create a robust offer.

Activity: 

Give each group or individual a sheet of paper with an outline of (non-male or female) person drawn in the middle. 

Ask them to depict on the figure what they might know about their (future) customer.  This requires them to visually-describe their customer, including things like: 

  • Where do they live, work, spend time outside of work and home
  • How much do they earn
  • Where else might they access products/services like yours
  • How do they think, feel
  • What experience do they expect 
  • What concerns do they have
  • What life to do they lead

The purpose is to try and establish a real understanding of what is important to a potential customer, rather than drawing out key “facts” about them (disposable income etc).

Once all the drawings are done, everyone looks collectively at the different customer outlines and tries to add further understanding from what they can see.  The owner of the drawing need not accept these, but can include anything relevant onto their picture.

Once every drawing has been explored, each team/individual needs to articulate one message that they have learnt from this exercise that they can take forward into their planning.  So if offering fast-food to a student customer base, they may have identified price as critical.  However the wider discussion might have identified that students may also select to eat somewhere that is offering free wifi to allow them to connect with others or make plans with each other.  Or if the customer base was a family, then other elements that are important to them such as child-friendly parking, might indicate 1 premises to be more attractive than another.  This “linked” thinking allows the student to draw out the wider benefits of their product or service and explore it in order to create an effective offer.

Skill Development: 

Whilst this task can be based on initial research undertaken by the student, the critical thinking comes from the assumptions that the wider group offer to develop their thinking.  This shows the power of group work and allows the students to deepen their own thinking through the examples of others.

It is useful to explore this task at the end of the session to see how the groups found sharing and testing their assumptions in a group environment.

Resources: 

Paper, pens, flipchart (outline of a person)

About the Author
This guide was produced by Alison Price.

Teaching Entrepreneurship A Practice Based Approach Exercise Business Model Canvas Game (QAA 1,5)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 5Reflection and Action

Objective:

  • Reflect on the meaning and importance of the nine business model components. 
  • Demonstrate how the ordering on the canvas categorizes components as generating value or creating efficiency to deliver value. 
  • Discuss and debate the ordering proposed by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010).

Overview:

The Business Model Canvas (http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/ canvas) has become a popular teaching tool in entrepreneurship classrooms. It is not my intention here to introduce the canvas or illustrate how it works. Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010) do a magnificent job explaining the canvas, articulating the theory behind the canvas, and offering many ways to use the canvas. This exercise is a quick game to help students reflect on the nature and ordering of the nine business model components found on the canvas as proposed by Osterwalder and Pigneur.

Usage Suggestions

This exercise works well for both undergraduate and graduate audiences. The exercise is best used in a course or class session where the Business Model Canvas is first being introduced.

Activity:

Pre- Work Required by Students - None.

Time Plan (30 minutes)

The Game Setup 0:00–0:05 (5 minutes) 

Before introducing the canvas, simply introduce that there are nine components of a business model. I typically show a PowerPoint slide with the nine components listed in random order. Tell the students that there is a particular order to the components, but they need to figure out what the order is. In other words, they need to determine which of the components should be considered first, second, and so on. What’s most important to start with and what’s least important? Separate students into teams of five (maximum).

The Game 0:05–0:15 (10 minutes) 

Give each team a deck of cards (see resources) and ask them to place them in order from one to nine (10 minutes). After 10 minutes, give each team a long piece of masking tape and have them tape the order of their cards to the wall or board, so everyone can see the differences across the team.

The Discussion 0:15–0:30 (15 minutes) 

Now it is time to introduce the ordering that Osterwalder and Pigneur use. Their book (see Theoretical Foundations) is quite helpful if you are not familiar with the canvas. I typically give out a copy of the Business Model Canvas to each student prior to disclosing the order. The ordering of the components is: 

  1. Customer segments
  2. Value proposition
  3. Channels
  4. Customer relationships
  5. Revenue streams
  6. Key resources
  7. Key activities
  8. Key partners
  9. Cost structure

Usually student teams will have either customer segments or value propositions first and this creates a wonderful debate in the class. Introduce the order of the components one by one while also explaining what each component is. After walking through the components and discussing the differences in order created by each team I end the exercise with a brief discussion summarizing the order. At the end of the day, the ordering really does not matter because the canvas is meant to be an iterative, working document that will continuously change as you learn new information from every action taken or experiment conducted. What is most interesting about the design of the canvas and its ordering is found when you fold the canvas in half (left to right). 

According to Osterwalder and Pigneur, the right side of the canvas is concerned with creating and generating value. The left side of the canvas is concerned with generating efficiencies to deliver that value. As such, an entrepreneur needs to first determine or create the value and then develop the approach to deliver that value. Innovation, novelty, creativity, and competitive advantage are most often found in the value creation. So, start on the right!

Teaching Tips

The most important reason that I do this exercise is to get the students thinking about each component on their own in teams rather than just “telling” them about each component. Expect raging debates about customer segments versus value propositions as being first in the order. It is always a great conversation to have.

Skill Development: 

Key Takeaways

  • It is important to think about the ordering of the components but not be wedded to one particular ordering. 
  • A business model is about value creation, delivery, and capture – but start with creation and think about cost last. 
  • Focusing too soon on cost structure and resources can diminish the innovativeness of new ideas. This can happen when we start on the left side of the canvas.

Resources: 

Materials List

Instructors will need to create decks of “business model component cards.” One deck is needed per team in the class. Each deck is comprised of nine index cards. On each card should be one of the nine business model components: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partners, cost structure. Given that this is the actual order recommended by Osterwalder & Pigneur, it is important that the cards in the deck are not in this order. You may also want to have copies of the Business Model Canvas to distribute as well, but after the game. A copy of the canvas can be obtained at http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas.

The full text ‘Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach’ can be purchased here > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Entrepreneurship-A-Practice-Based-Approach/dp/1782540695 

References:

This exercise is taken from;

•Heidi M. Neck, Patricia G. Greene and Candida G. Brush, 2014. Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach (pp.136 – 138). Edition. Edward Elgar Pub.

Theoretical Foundations

•Osterwalder, A., and Pigneur, Y. 2010. Business Model Generation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Heidi M. Neck.

Eich Canllaw Sut i Yma

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Enghreifftiau Achos

Eich Enghraifft Yma

Os hoffech i’ch Astudiaeth Achos gael sylw, llawrlwythwch y templed ac e-bostiwch y fersiwn wedi ei gwblhau i hello@etctoolkit.org.uk

Rydym wedi cynhyrchu taflen canllawiau a fydd yn eich cynorthwyo i gwblhau'r Astudiaeth Achos.

Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau ynghylch llenwi'r templed, Cysylltwch â Ni

Adnoddau Ychwanegol

Astudiaethau Achos o Arfer Da

Mae Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK) yn rheolaidd yn rhannu ymarfer aelodau, gan gynnwys enghreifftiau fel dull arloesol Sheffield Hallam i ddarparu cyfleoedd i fyfyrwyr fynd i'r afael â heriau bywyd go iawn, a chael profiad gwaith mewn amgylchedd diogel a sicr – y Venture Matrix.

Mae llyfryn Academi Addysg Uwch (2014) yn darparu enghreifftiau o Gwella Cyflogadwyedd trwy Astudiaethau Achos Menter Addysg.

Adnoddau Cychwyn Busnes (BOSS)

Mae BOSS yn sefyll am y Gwasanaeth Cymorth Busnes Ar-lein, a ddarperir gan Busnes Cymru. Mae'r gwasanaeth hwn yn darparu cyrsiau dysgu ar-lein i helpu pobl sy'n meddwl am, neu mewn gwirionedd, ddechrau busnes, sydd eisoes yn rhedeg busnes neu'n chwilio i dyfu eu busnes.

Syniadau Mawr Cymru Mae’r ymgyrch Syniadau Mawr Cymru yn rhan o wasanaeth Busnes Cymru, a gynlluniwyd i gefnogi'r genhedlaeth nesaf o entrepreneuriaid ifanc yng Nghymru.

Pecyn Cymorth Menter Greadigol Nesta

Mae ein pecyn cymorth adnoddau menter yn cynnwys dulliau a roddwyd ar brawf a dulliau a brofwyd ar gyfer addysgu sgiliau menter i unigolion creadigol sy'n meddwl am sefydlu busnes. Ar gael i'w brynu - gyda mynediad at adnoddau yma http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/cet_worksheets_case_studies_and_tutor_notes.pdf