ETC Toolkit Case Example 3 – Curricular Enterprise Course offered for the OPTIMA CDT PhD students (QAA 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,) #EERPF

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
Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space, 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
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(s) or key message:

This Student-Led Individually Created Course (SLICC) for Postgraduate students is an option course developed within the University-wide framework for self-designed experiential learning. Students will direct their own learning using the Student-Led Individually Created Course (SLICC) approach. They will plan, propose, carry out, reflect on and evaluate a piece of work undertaken within their own context. The SLICC is available to Postgraduate students whose programme of study allows them to undertake a SLICC.

Introduction:

The course is designed as an integral part of the PhD with Integrated Studies offered by the OPTIMA CDT. It will also be able to accommodate other researchers/research students from the business school and other schools from the university with prior agreement. The current course builds on the overall programme of OPTIMA activity, in particular, the Grand Challenge; the Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship course in year 1, and Ethics and Regulatory Processes in Translating Innovation from Bench to Man in year 2. In addition, it sensitises the students to the range of real world issues involved in commercialisation of healthcare technology and thus prepares them for further optional courses in innovation and entrepreneurship in year 3 (and 4).

Activity:

The student is responsible for developing and undertaking a project which enables them to achieve and demonstrate achievement of the Learning Outcomes, framed within the subject area of their Postgraduate programme, and aligning with their programme-level learning objectives.

Undertaking a SLICC enables the student to create and shape a learning experience which is unique to them. The student develops an e-portfolio to provide evidence of their learning. This Level 11 course requires students to demonstrate the development of their skills and understanding in terms of critical analysis, application, reflection, recognising and developing skills and ways of thinking, and evaluation within a specific context of their learning experience. This course will also enable students to demonstrate their ability to exercise autonomy and initiative at a professional level in their field of study.

Learner outcomes :

A SLICC is assessed via three key components, a self-reflective report, an agreed portfolio of outputs/deliverables and a formative self-assessment.

Self-critical Final Reflective Report (100% weighting): The reflective report is the key component of the assessment. The student is expected to document and demonstrate active self-critical reflection and responses to their learning throughout the experience. It is essential that the student's report is linked to, and draws upon, their e-portfolio of evidence of learning. The maximum word limit is 3,000 words.
E-portfolio of evidence: At the proposal approval stage for the SLICC, the Course organiser will discuss and agree with the student what outputs and information need to be created, collated and submitted in their portfolio. This e-portfolio will support and provide evidence of the student's learning and development of skills through undertaking the SLICC. The portfolio should be constructed throughout the duration of the learning experience, demonstrating evolution, iteration and progress over time.
For instance, E-portfolio may include a regular reflective blog diary. It may contain other evidence, which may take many forms including, for example, photographs, documents, reports, feedback, video, and podcasts.

Formative Self-Assessment: An important component of the final submission is for the student to demonstrate their understanding of their achievements through graded self-assessment. In undertaking self-assessment, students are required to demonstrate the alignment of the grades that they give for each learning outcome to the justification for them, and where this is evidenced within their e-portfolio.

Resources :

Developing Partnerships: PhD students and Canon Medical https://edinburgh-innovations.ed.ac.uk/news/optima-canon-medical

Canon Medical & OPTIMA Student-Led Individually Created Course (SLICC) https://figshare.com/articles/presentation/CANON_SLICC_Case_study_pdf/14135243

About the Author
This guide was produced by Dr Fumi Kitagawa (Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Edinburgh Business School ).