Ebook Experiential Learning, New Venture Creation, Strategic Entrepreneurship, Knowledge and Competency in the University Context
In this paper, our aim is to explore the role of experiential entrepreneurial learning in the provision of university entrepreneurship education while students engage in parallel in actually creating a new venture. Our chosen focus is particularly salient given contemporary debates about the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education (Henry et al, 2003), evaluation of programmes and the alignment of objectives with learning outcomes (Hytti, 2001; Hytti and Kuopusjärvi, 2004a, b) and, therefore, the importance of providing solid „entrepreneurial outcomes (Hannon, 2007; Pittaway and Cope, 2007b; Pittaway and Hannon, 2008).
We build upon prior studies that have argued the case for a „learning by doing and learning from doing approach (Thompson, 2008) or even an explicitly new-venture-based-learning experiential pedagogy (Gibson et al, 2009) in order to discuss the practical and theoretical rationale for delivering the most experiential and high-impact enterprise education possible.
As such, we compare and contrast two philosophically and ideologically aligned degrees, at the University of Huddersfield (Undergraduate/Bachelor's level) and Queen's University Belfast (postgraduate/Master's). Although there is prior evidence of the starting up of real businesses as part of entrepreneurship education courses in Europe (Hytti and Kuopusjärvi, 2004b), it is far from clear whether such pedagogies have been effective or successful, i.e. Hytti's (2001: 45) cautionary note that, “the setting up of virtual or real businesses in entrepreneurship education programmes does not automatically create positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship.” As a result, we have sought to ensure that our respective pedagogies are grounded sufficiently theoretically and practically, as well as linking the classroom sessions, assessment, mentoring, and the new venture creation (NVC) itself in the most coherent and symbiotic way in order to optimise students entrepreneurial learning.
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