Gwyddorau Clinigol

Objective:

• To get students engaged in networking
• To get students to understand what networking is
• To get students to see the value of networking
• To get students to acquire networking skills and techniques

Overview:

It goes without saying that networking is a really important activity. Yet students are often reluctant to engage in relationships beyond their immediatecircle. They have powerful aversions to networking partly based upon fears and misconceptions about what it is: selling (it's all about selling yourself and pitching), that it is about being an extrovert (sociable and bubbly), that they as students have nothing to offer (‘who would want to talk to me?'), that it seems pointless (students will have stories about going to events collecting business cards and nothing ever happening). They will have a multitude of good reasons why they can't and shouldn't do it. The challenge is to turn round these misconceptions and show students that networking is valuable, doable and indeed enjoyable.

Activity:

The first task is to get the misconception and fears about networking out into the open and to introduce different versions of what networking might be. This can't be done by asking students about their fears and why they don't currently engage in networking: this is sensitive and students may feel embarrassed talking about it.

The session begins with the value of networks and networking. This should be interactive, talking to students about their networks, how they found opportunities, but also using statistics about how many jobs are filled via networks rather than open advertising. This part of the session functions as a warm up and should get students feeling positive about networking.

The second activity is to get them into groups and ask them to draw a 'good' networker. This will bring out some of the negative misconceptions about it:students will draw someone who is extroverted, experienced, knowledgeable, valuable, confident, good at pitching – all the things they may not be good at. This is your opportunity to demonstrate that a good networker is someone who is good at listening, (not talking), it is someone who is genuine and open (rather than focussed on their own agenda) and that it is about building trust and rapport leading to a lasting relationship.It's an opportunity to discuss their value as students – which they are very anxious about as they have little work experience. Here a discussion about their value in terms of innovation, fresh thinking, new ways of doing things is important.

The third activity is a group brainstorm around how to create rapport with someone: suggestions will include, smiling, shaking hands, complementing people, being helpful, listening to what people have to say. This section could include a listening activity, for example where individuals have to listen to partners and paraphrase.

The final session involves practical activity. The students will network amongst themselves. It's important that they shake hands here: this is partly about creating the rapport, discussed earlier, but also about adopting a more professional outlook and attitude. The students will find this both fun and challenging and some students will become anxious about it so it is worth doing a bit of role play to try it out: i.e. demonstrations of how to shake hands and introduce yourself. The result is that students will feel more professional.

The assignment is:

Find a person, introduce yourself: impress upon them your integrity and openness.

Reflect on what you did and report:

One positive technique; One negative technique

The feedback will draw out feelings about handshaking, observations about body language, about personalising conversations by using the other person's name.

Skill Development:

This activity has been delivered with 3rd year Design and Visual Arts student, 2nd year Photography students and MA Contemporary Art students at Coventry University.

Through a clear group debrief, students' misconceptions about networking are reversed.

Students understand the networking is a skill that they can practice and develop. They learn the importance of networks and collaboration. They learn that networking and professionalism is a 'performance' which they can adopt when necessary – in this context it can be useful to talk about wearing different hats as they often think of themselves as 'students' which can carry a lot of negative connotations.

They feel more comfortable with the idea of networking – they thought it was all about sales and the pitch but find it is actually something they could do. Some students struggle with the handshake, they find it very unusual but with a bit of practice and shift in attitude, do get it.

A group of students who know one another is not as good as a mixed group where they might be introducing themselves to strangers. However, the practical element can be modified by asking students to find out something new about their colleagues, or to find out a shared interest they didn't know they had with a colleague which will help build rapport.

Objective: 

Debate is used to provide a forum for delivery of argument for and against an issue. It provides a platform for exploring all relevant issues It also is a vehicle for practicing delivery skills and 'thinking on one's feet'. It also has to have audience appeal as the aim is to win their vote but also involve them.

Overview: 

A debate can be formal or informal. It is relatively easy to construct an issue for argument with a class, get them to consider arguments for or against and then speak to it from the 'floor'. A more formal version is described below (however it is possible just to work at an informal level, having established 2 sides for the debate and defined roles 1-3 below). 

Traditionally, a debate will have a 'Motion' (statement) which the 'House' (those attending) must address. For example, 'This House believes that entrepreneurs are 'born not made' or 'This House believes that entrepreneurial management can only be fully pursued in the independent business organisation'.

Activity:

The debate will need: (indicative timings included for an hour session)

1. A Chairperson:

• Who will introduce the Motion and the Proposers, Opposers and 'Summers up'.
• The Chair also sets out the rules of the game, the time limits and how he/she will enforce these and how the audience should contribute.
• A chair will explain the vote and how this will be for the best arguments best delivered not the audience's personal preference (as more reflective of the learning gained, rather than opinion at the time).

2. A Proposer

• To put up all the major positive arguments for the Motion {7 minutes}

3. An Oppose

• To put all the main arguments against the Motion {7 minutes}

4. A Seconded for the Motion

• To counter the arguments of the Oppose as they have been anticipated and as they occur in reality. Also to back up and add arguments to those of the Proposer {5 minutes}

5. A Seconded against the Motion

• To counter all the arguments of the Proposer and Seconded for the Motion as they have been anticipated and as they occur in practice and to back up the opposition arguments {5 minutes}

6. Speakers from the floor (the audience)

• Think of their own views and articulate them.
• Speakers do not ask questions but make points and arguments. They may of course take up what has been said by the speakers.
• In a small audience it should be emphasised that every member has to contribute

7. A Summariser for the Motion

• To summarise up the debate after the audience has contributed, using the key audience contributions, and emphatically inviting the audience to support the Motion {5 minutes}

8. A Summariser against the Motion

• To summarise up the debate after the audience has contributed, using the audience contributions that support their argument, and emphatically inviting the audience to oppose the Motion {5 minutes}

All speakers should not read from notes but should address the audience warmly and convincingly and should use humour sufficiently to entertain.

The sequence is as follows:

• Chairpersons Introduction of Motion, Speakers and Rules
• First Speaker for the Motion
• First Speaker against the Motion
• Seconded for the Motion
• Seconded against the Motion
• Floor opened to the audience
• Final Summary for the motion
• Final Summary against
• Vote by the audience
• Concluding remarks by the Chair

To engage all the participants in the debate it can be organised as follows: 

Divide the class into 6 groups

• Group 1 has to agree the main points for the Motion make suggestions as to innovative/entertaining arguments and choose a speaker.
• Group 2 has to agree the major points against the Motion, make suggestions for Innovative/entertaining arguments and choose a speaker.
• Group 3 has to brainstorm on the arguments that might be put by the opposition, think of counterpoints and ways of refuting them entertainingly and subsidiary points to reinforce the Motion. They then choose a speaker to second the Motion.
• Group 4 has to brainstorm on the arguments that might be presented by the proposers of the Motion and also how the points against might be attacked and choose a speaker to second the opposition to the Motion.
• Group 5 has to brainstorm on what they think will be the main points for and against (including any possible points from the floor). They then prepare an outline summary of the argument for supporting the motion and refuting the opposition. They then choose a speaker who has however to be prepared to build flexibly upon what goes on in the debate
• Group 6 goes through the same procedure as Group 5 except that they prepare an outline summary of the arguments for opposing the Motion and refuting proposition arguments. They then choose a speaker who has however to be prepared to build flexibly upon what goes on in the debate.

Skill Development:

The ability to think and speak on one's feet is tested and in particular the ability to have empathy with the alternative point of view. This also tests the capacity to argue and present a case in a flexible and innovative manner. Critically, it is a vehicle for exploring key issues in entrepreneurship development which creates group cohesion, bonding and fun.

Outcomes

Major outcomes to be targeted are the airing of key issues in entrepreneurship development via an innovative format. Participants can also apply their more formal learning in a flexible and demanding context and building a team spirit is also a key component, within a cohort.

Resources:

A Compendium of Pedagogies for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Professors Alan Gibb and Alison Price -  (PDF)

References:

N/A

Objective:

• To develop students communication skills.
• To encourage students to understand context when communicating.
• To encourage students to consider the real-world context for their subject area, and the skills they are developing.

Overview:

The ability to communicate your ideas clearly, confidently and effectively is essential in enterprise, and for any study and career a student may undertake. However, no to audiences are the same, and so, to be maximally impactful, no to pieces of communication should be the same either.

This simple activity can be run as a 5 minutes warm up or plenary to a session, or be expanded upon to fill a session in its own right. It works equally well with small or large groups, and requires no materials or preparation. It works well as a revision tool at the end of a lecture, topic, or module.

It encourages students to reflect on who their audience are whenever they're communicating, and to consider their language, tone, and points of reference to ensure that their message is understood as clearly as possible. It allows students to consider how their skills may be applied in a real world context, and to consider how their field connects with others.

Activity:

• Provide students with a piece of information which they are required to communicate. This could be something general (for example, what they do at University), or something relevant to the prevailing context and subject matter (for example, the plot of Hamlet, how a car engine works, or how the European Union was formed).
• Next, provide students with three hypothetical audiences which they must present this information to. The three audiences should be distinct from one another (for example, a 5 year old, a friend and a grandparent; a website developer, a graphic designer and a plumber; a British client, an American client and an Australian client).
• Instruct students that they should prepare a mini-presentation (30 seconds – 1 minute) to communicate their piece of information to each of these hypothetical audiences. They can do this alone or in small groups, and make any notes if desired.
• In completing this activity, the students are required to think about the language and reference points which will be familiar to each of their audiences, and how the key information can be communicated without anything becoming lost in translation.
• Students can then present their mini-presentations to the group for feedback and discussion.
  
  

The activity can easily be extended in a number of ways;

• The topic and / or audience can be kept a mystery from the audience, who have to guess what they are as the individual / group presents.
• The students can select three audiences themselves, reflecting on likely audiences for the information being communicated.
• The task can be used to consolidate key information students require, as a revision tool.
• The students can produce full presentations for their hypothetic audiences (for example, a web designer's sales pitch to a customer, or an economist’s evaluation of the economy to a public radio audience). These can be presented, recorded, or even tested in a real-world environment.

Skill Development:

Students will enhance their communication and public speaking skills, with a greater understanding of the importance of meeting the needs of your audience. They will have a greater appreciation of how their subject area connects with others, and of how their subject area operates within a real world context.

Resources:

• This activity forms part of the workshop outlined in How to Guide 'Workshop: How To Speak In Public'

References:

• BBC - The Speaker - Improve your public speaking. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/speaker/improve/ . [Accessed 28 July 2015].
• Corcoran, Mike. How to Speak in Public - YouTube. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMnh02odBNA. [Accessed 29 July 2015].
• McCarthy, Patsy, 2002. Presentation Skills: The Essential Guide for Students (Study Skills). Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd (pp70-106 & 219-236).
• Shephard, Kerry, 2005. Presenting at Conferences, Seminars and Meetings. 1 Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd (pp1-18 & 138-148). 
• Van Emden, Joan, 2010. Presentation Skills for Students (Palgrave Study Skills). 2 Edition. Palgrave Macmillan (pp1-61).
• Zone Enterprise Hub, Topic: ZONE Resources. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: https://moodle.glyndwr.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=37§ion=11. [Accessed 28 July 2015].

Associated Case Studies

• How To Speak In Public

Objective:

• The learner will discover that they have entrepreneurial abilities and potential
• The learner will get an insight into the world of 'everyday' entrepreneurship
• The learner will become more alert to opportunity recognition
• This is a useful session for the reluctant entrepreneur – those who might think it's not for them, particularly arts students.

Overview:

Activity:

This is a two hour session and it will begin abruptly by creating a case study with the student group.

The idea is to pick on a student and announce in 5 years' time "Jane"(or John) will run a successful arts consultancy. This will raise some surprised gasps and giggles which will immediately engage students' attention. The narrative that unfolds will demonstrate: how Jane started out in one direction but discovered, and followed, opportunities elsewhere, how she took a few risks, showed resilience in the face of setbacks and how she turned to her networks (other students in the room who come into the story) to help her fill skills gaps and capacity problems.

The case study is pre prepared and can be tailored to the cohort. It should be approximately 10 mins long and the story should be plausible – not extraordinary – a case of everyday entrepreneurship. It will be fun as it draws the students into a fictional story.

Following this there is a 30 min breakout to discuss in groups of 3 or 4 to analyse Jane / John's journey: how did he do it, the key factors for success, would you have done it differently, could you have done the same journey, have you encountered any similar situations to John, if so what did you do? Students post thoughts on stickies.

The management of feedback here is important because the students, who are reluctant entrepreneurs, should be led to the explanation that this behaviour is entrepreneurial. The session is to not only identify the behaviour as entrepreneurial but to get the students to reflect on their experiences in similar situations and imagine how they would respond. The idea is for the students to see enterprise as tangible, every day (familiar even), as a series of minor steps and small scale risks and about trying things out to see what happens.

The upshot of the feedback session is that the students 'discover' the entrepreneurial mind-set for themselves – they have not listened to an expert talk about it for 50 mins – and that they identify with it as something they can do themselves.

Skill Development:

The session finishes with 10-15 mins reflection where students have to pledge to do something entrepreneurial that week. It could be something they had been thinking about for a while but had made excuses not to do it. Others may need a little help and guidance from peers about what they might do, so reflection and pledge setting should be discussed in groups. The follow up session (if appropriate) will be when more detailed reflections can emerge and when students can get a measure of where they might be regarding their own development in terms of entrepreneurship and the enterprising mind-set.

Resources:

• Post-its or similar sticky pads
• Pens
• Flip chart

Objective:

• To design a research strategy for a summer laboratory studentship project
• To investigate the research background, experimental methods and timescales to achieve a set of aims
• To understand the research process and appreciate the contingencies required for real world research
• To engage in decision making and problem solving
• To evidence the power of group work as students peer learn and present together

Overview

The focus within this task is to stimulate team building and decision making through the research process.
Within this task, students will work together to explain their findings to group peers as they understand them and progress the plan as a group. (Some students may later undertake a summer studentship so they have been prepared for the situation as a result of this authentic assessment).

Activity

This task was based in Microbiology but would be accessible to any discipline where a research strategy and resources are required.
By placing the students into groups, issue the aims and introduction from a real research studentship (available from HEIs or via colleagues) and issue the task to design the activities required for the eight week research summer project.

This challenge is complex for the groups to address and requires them to utilise peer learning to understand what is required. Your role as tutor can beadjusted, depending upon the needs of the group, but it is suggested that you present yourself as a ‘resource’ to their learning, rather than ‘the guide to’ their learning.

You may wish to include regular contact time which could involve:

• an ice-breaker session (short tasks to develop analytical reasoning, team-decision making and reflection)
• a process of research session, looking at examples previously encountered and how these were approached,
• optional drop-in sessions (x2) to validate their ideas (which can be tutor-led or working groups that create peer review and comment).

Students prepare a one page summary on their approach and what part of the project they researched. They also present their group studentship plan as a short group presentation (10 mins). Questions and comments from other groups should be welcomed, with the aim of enhancing their approach and improving their work through this final opportunity for peer-review and tutor comment.

Skill Development:

This task helps the students develop the mind-set of a researcher; questioning why and how for each experiment, and evaluating feasibility with respect to cost and time. Usually students would not develop these skills until postgraduate studies level so this encourages students to develop key skills early (so they may be utilised or referred to in an employability context).

Key skills include

• Research and interpretation skills
• Decision making
• Resources
• Communication – formative with peers and summative through assessment
• Budgeting and time management
• Delegation and leadership skills

However it is important that you draw out this learning within their presentation or within a final group discussion. It might also be helpful to review the ‘changed’ role of you as tutor, in directing the journey of their learning, and providing opportunities for review and enhancements, rather than immediately resolving their problems.

You can also explore with the groups how the decisions were made and resources accessed, exploring social networks as well as traditional academic resources (Guides; texts etc). Those that contacted senior researchers or their subject club/society may have drawn on expertise and experience and thisproject encourages them to access support as widely as needed. It also gives the opportunity to review and evaluate sources, and comment upon the validity of different materials. 

Resources:

Flat floor teaching space with tables so students can engage in teamwork activities
Quick teambuilding games: re-ordering a sequence of events, contingency planning, structuring research, and decision making

References:

Enterprise for Life Scientists; Developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Biosciences. Adams. D.J, and Sparrow. J. (2008). Scion
Research scholarships information page (2015) www.ncl.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/finance/funding/ukstudents/vacation/

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Objective:

• The learner will understand the importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behaviour in the context of their subject area
• Will engage with subjects outside their discipline to pitch for and explore ideas and concepts
• To reflect and draw personal conclusions about their capacities and capabilities for entrepreneurial behaviour
• To research and persuade others of the feasibility and viability of their ideas
• To conclude with a ‘live’ opportunity which they can research and develop further through a research project/dissertation, employment or a new business venture

Overview: 

This type of module is appropriate on applied courses, or courses ‘with enterprise’. It is especially valuable where students from a range of disciplines are taught together, invited to ‘bring their discipline and interests with them’ (of course, discipline and interests are not always/often synonymous, and this approach helps with that!)

Activity: 

Students engage in a shared first lecture, setting the context for the module, discussing, and responding to individual learner expectations, and an introduction to innovation, delivered by an inventor, which asks the students to invest in one of a series of inventions, based on a case study of each in practice. They are encouraged to reflect on their choice, and in particular the reasons why they feel that their chosen option represents most value.

In week 2 students return to their own discipline (or choose an area of interest based on the available disciplines) and a session is led by academics and industry guests/entrepreneurs focussing on ‘the current and future trends in the XYZ industry’. This tends to be ‘products for users in Science and Engineering’ subjects (e.g. pets and children), and ‘approaches’ in other subjects (e.g. social and online media). 

Week 3 is a facilitated session in which students join interdisciplinary groups (formulated with as wide a variety of disciplines as possible (e.g. 1xcomputing science, 1xbiology, 1xmarketing and management) and share their findings from the previous week to identify areas of shared interest and the skills each member can contribute.

The remainder of the sessions are built around convincing the module assessors, and industry/entrepreneurs that your emerging idea is worth spending more time, money and effort on developing, and that individual students have the appropriate skills and motivations to deliver on the opportunity. The design of the remaining sessions is aimed at students achieving this objective. Remaining module content and tools can be designed together with the students, using flipped classroom, online resources, and update meetings alongside taught lecture material.

Skill Development: 

The confidence gained by the students is seen as they engage with each other and with externals (industry experts).  They are exposed to entrepreneurship through opportunity spotting and evaluation, and through building their reflective and persuasive/selling skills.  By working in teams they are building collaborative approaches to problem solving and task completion.

Resources: 

Planned engagement – including engagement of academics, entrepreneurs and industry partners in each discipline where a student originates.

Time to coach groups individually, access to mentors or online interaction.

Objective:

• To stimulate entrepreneurial effectiveness (QAA 2012) cross campus
• To demonstrate entrepreneurial practice across the region
• To promote creative thinking, problem solving and wider entrepreneurial skills

Introduction: 

Each year an institution and region wide Business Idea Competition is run as a broad tool to stimulate and support entrepreneurship in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The competition promotes creative thinking and problem solving for learners at all stages of the learning journey including upon graduation. Our institution comprises a network of tertiary colleges and research centres, spread across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The competition was devised and is organised by Create, an Enterprise and Innovation Learning centre based within Inverness College UHI and delivered across the university and all partner institutions including the surrounding Highlands and Islands community (subject to T&Cs).

Activity: 

The competition is supported across campus to significantly raise ‘Enterprise Awareness’ (via induction, workshops, talks, e-comms), develop ‘Entrepreneurial Mindset’ (through intensive engagement and support to submit entries to the competition with learners from all faculties) and for some students (who progress in the competition and beyond) to start to develop their ‘Entrepreneurial Capabilities’. We have examples of this being delivered as an extra curricula workshop/activity and within the curriculum as a tool to aid experiential learning.

The competition opens in August each year and is promoted widely across the university, all colleges and research centres and in the local community.  Lecture ‘shouts’ and workshops have proven to be the most effective technique to engage the broadest range of staff and learners.  Short films are included on our website to give tips on entering. 

Online entries seek information on an idea, inspiration, resources, next steps rather than a business plan. It was inspired by the culturally popular ‘Dragons Den’ but was dubbed the friendly ‘Highland Dragons Den’. Plenty of support is provided for developing application, pitching and presenting.  Independent and experienced judges are engaged each year and relevant follow-up support and advice is offered to all entrants. For winning entrants, start-up support is offered in addition to cash prizes.

Impact: 

CREATE has worked closely with regional partners and the business community to ensure the competition reaches the maximum potential budding entrepreneurs across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.  The competition was launched in 2006 with 27 entrants and has grown significantly to 150 entrants in 2014 representing all industry sectors and parts of the region.  Subsequent business start-ups in both the commercial and social sector have proved to be a recognised economic benefit to the region.  

In addition to business start-up, it is considered that the competition also has two key impacts: it significantly enhances ‘Enterprise Awareness’ across curricula areas (both academic/careers staff and students); and helps to encourage stronger working relationships with local business and enterprise support organisations.

Learner outcome: 

This activity shows how education ‘for’ enterprise can successfully engage a wide range of students, staff and members of the community both within and outside the curriculum. Over the years, more teaching and career staff are building in this opportunity as an awareness raising and experiential tool for learners at all levels. Those who participate, are extremely positive about the experience and can articulate evidence of creative thinking, opportunity spotting, and business awareness and, for those who proceed in the competition, they are able to develop their presentation, commercial awareness and network building skills. They talk of an increase in confidence and greater awareness of ‘know who’ and ‘be known’. Through CPD sessions, more academic staff now have the confidence to introduce these concepts and encourage learners to try this opportunity ‘to make something happen’ which adds to a student’s experience of how it ‘feels’ to be enterprising, which is very much in tune with the philosophy of enterprise education.

For 2015/6, we are extending the competition to early stage start-ups as we find many entrepreneurs start to test their idea earlier each year and still benefit from this type of engagement and encouragement.

Resources: 

Partnership: A critical success factor for this type of region wide initiative is partnership working.  Within the institution, we engage with Deans, Faculty and Subject Leaders as well as Careers and Student Services areas. 

Externally, this initiative has helped to build strong working partnerships which have grown year on year with local enterprise support organisations (Business Gateway, Prince’s Trust Youth Business Scotland, HISEZ, FirstPort and SIE) together with an extensive range of regional businesses (large corporates and SMEs) who wish to be associated with helping to build a vibrant entrepreneurial culture.

Funding: The activity has been substantially funded by institutional funding with support in the early years from the local enterprise agency, latterly EU funding sources and local council funds. All prizes (£8,000 in 2015) are sourced via sponsorship from local business and enterprise support organisations which CREATE attracts each year.

References:

http://www.createhighland.com/

Objective:

• Know about a range of ideas and concepts about enterprising mind-set and entrepreneurship
• Reconnecting with your creativity 
• Introduction to design thinking and exploring a challenge 
• Apply design thinking to addressing a challenge 
• Developing a chosen idea (including proto-typing if possible) 
• Introduction to engaging others in your ideas (moving beyond a ‘Pitch’) 
• Introduction to crowd funding and funding the idea from within the student and stakeholder audience (external if possible)

Introduction: 

This session suits larger groups of learners being introduced to the concept of enterprise, creative thinking and solving complex challenges. Working with interdisciplinary groups works best to encourage maximum creativity and adds depth to the chosen solution. An introduction to effective engagement with audiences which moves beyond a pitch is introduced and the session closes with the audience crowd funding the idea using specially designed local currency. 

Activity:

This is best run over a 4-6 hour period and can be split between 2-3 sessions to allow for further research into the challenge. Session starts with some team building activities set firmly within the context of the challenge. This can help students to better appreciate the challenge area and develop empathy with various perspectives/realities in relation to the challenge.  

Then follows some creativity exercises with an introduction to design thinking. Teams then apply this process (as time allows) through to completion with ideally prototypes being developed (if not posters/electronic adverts etc). 

Then the large group is introduced to the need for effective and authentic engagement of themselves and their ideas (moving beyond the ‘pitch’). Individual or group presentations are developed and practiced. Depending on timing and group size, there can then follow a couple of rounds of presentations with a final selection presenting to the whole group. Ideally this should include at least one external stakeholder/s linked to the challenge context (clinical/engineering/finance etc) able to provide authentic feedback. 

It can be fun then to introduce/revisit the concept of crowd funding and provide everyone in the audience with some currency (we have developed some university notes) and get them to fund their favourite proposal. Of course it could be that there will be some real funding available…

Impact:

This works best with some facilitators to help support the various groups as they progress through each activity and often can make a significantly positive impact where groups from different curriculum areas meet for the first time. Utilising external stakeholders to share their challenges can also help to add real value and excitement for learners. Learners tend to enjoy the active nature of the workshop and the rigours of presenting to an external stakeholder with potential solutions to the challenges set. 

Learner outcome:

Tend to see an increased awareness of wider enterprise and boost in confidence in terms of team working, design thinking, negotiation and engagement with audiences. A useful taster for deeper enterprising learning. Skilled reflection is vital throughout and post session/s through on-going programme.  Depending on the nature of the ‘challenge’ this can be extended to a module/programme duration.

Resources: 

• Team building activities based in context – e.g. Clinical setting/Engineering/Creative/Education. 
• Usual flip charts and pens etc. 
• Raw materials for prototyping if possible 
• Electronic devices to film short presentations 
• Bespoke Currency for crowd funding session 
• Prizes 

References:

Brown, T (2008) Design Thinking, Harvard Business Review, June 2008  (pages 85 – 92)
Dweck, C (2006) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, By Dweck, Carol S. ( Author ) Dec-26-2007 Paperback
Krueger, N.F.Jr. (2010) 13 Looking Forward, Looking Backward: From entrepreneurial Cognition to Neuroentrepreneurship in Acs, Z.K and Audretsch, D.B. (eds.), 2nd Edition of the Handbook of Entrepreneurship Research, Springer 
Westfall, C (2012) The New Elevator Pitch: the definitive guide to persuasive communication in the digital age, Marie Street Press  

Objective:

• Understanding entrepreneurial experience and unpacking the expertise of the learners/participants
• Benchmarking the group to plan development and awareness activities

Introduction:

This activity is a great start to a business planning or business start-up module, as it works well as an ice-breaker in any group seeking to explore the spectrum of activity and can be repeated at the end of teaching programme/input to see how the levels of student confidence in the topic have changed.  

Activity:

At the very start of an activity as an ice-breaker, students are asked to line up (single-file) in a continuum of entrepreneurial experience (from ‘I have never heard of entrepreneurship’ to ‘I am running, or have ran my own business’. They have to talk to one another in order to position themselves. A selection of willing group members from various stages of the link tell the group why they are standing where they are. After each one, individuals are asked if they would like to reconsider their position in the line. Teaching and activities follow that unpack the entrepreneurial mind-set, and ways of developing the characteristics, drawing equally on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, and then the line-up is repeated. If you have the opportunity for multiple interventions, the line-up can be repeated at any point (formatively or summatively), to help students learn from each other and the teacher/facilitator to learn more about the needs of the cohort as a whole.

Impact: 

It also denotes a significant change in teaching style – and therefore student learning and engagement – will be required for this module. It signifies that there will opportunities to share experience, and pitch own expertise or ideas. 

It allows the students to benchmark where they are in the context of peers and understand where they may gain further support from during the programme.

It builds confidence by drawing out smaller examples of entrepreneurial endeavour, particularly those that have taken place through involvement in clubs, societies or outside education.

Learner outcome: 

For a short ice-breaker, or reflective activity this group tasks alerts students to the approach being taken within this area of teaching - “I knew this class was going to be different when we all had to stand up before the PowerPoint had even been turned on”.

Students ‘huddle’ together and start discussing their experiences in the area and this forms bonds and provides insights to potential future group members.  The outcome is a powerful ice-breaking activity that builds confidence in the group as a whole.

References:

Link to HOW TO GUIDE _ Interpersonal Icebreaker: Line of Evaluation

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