Modules and course projects connected to innovation and entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a mindset that enables students to build the capacity to affect change on a broad scale. The entrepreneurial mindset can only be developed from deep and sustained learning across the disciplines. The following are examples of ways to integrate innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset across the curriculum.
Ethics and Social Impact: Incorporate discussions about ethics and social impact of innovation and entrepreneurship. Encourage students to consider the ethical implications of their creative work and entrepreneurial endeavors, as well as the potential for positive social change.
Critical Thinking and Communication Skills: Emphasize the development of critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills, which are essential for entrepreneurship and innovation. Encourage students to articulate their ideas effectively, persuade others of their value, and adapt to feedback and criticism.
Creative Problem Solving: Introduce workshops or class sessions focused on creative problem-solving techniques. Encourage students to apply these methods to real-world challenges within their field of study, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset of identifying problems and developing innovative solutions.
Cross-Disciplinary Prototyping: Cross-disciplinary prototyping challenges or hackathons where students from different disciplines collaborate to prototype solutions to specific problems or challenges. Foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation by bringing together students with diverse perspectives and skill sets.
Cultivation of Open-mindedness and Curiosity: Foster a culture of open-mindedness, curiosity, and exploration in creativity education. Encourage students to question assumptions, challenge conventions, and approach problems from multiple perspectives to stimulate innovative thinking and creative problem-solving.
Embracing Failure and Risk-taking: Create a supportive environment where students feel comfortable taking creative risks and embracing failure as a natural part of the creative process. Encourage experimentation, exploration, and pushing the boundaries of traditional practices.
Venture Building: Encourage students to explore the possibilities of venture building in for-profit, non-profit, and hybrid models. Topics can include: organizational model planning (ex. Business Model Canvas); an understanding of financial modeling; market research; and customer development.