Embedding active and experiential learning within the curriculum: the experience of a large cohort ...

WOLVERHAMPTON BUSINESS SCHOOL

Entrepreneurial Creativity and Innovation

Embedding active and experiential learning within the curriculum – the

experience of a large cohort undertaking fundraising activities

Barry Whitehouse


The start of our journey from learning to doing!

• We want to share our experiences and practice

• To outline what we are trying to do

• How we are trying to do it

• Reflect on the outcomes


The Justification………..

• The module team wanted students to be able to practice enterprise and engage in creative activities. The challenge was to come up with creative fundraising ideas and deliver them for local charities

• Lourenco and Jones (2006) suggest entrepreneurs learn primarily though learning-by-doing and reflection. They cite Cope and Watts (2000) and Deaking and Freel (1998) ‘ learning by copying and opportunity taking; and learning from making mistakes’ Gibb (1997).

• Raising funds for local charities proved most opportune, they are always looking for people to help and institutionally the least contentious route, it is difficult to disagree with a good cause

• It provided a degree of creative freedom, was not resource or time hungry and introduced the students to the third sector. Lourenco and Jones (2006) less than 3% of HEI’s made use of action/experiential learning which are regarded as ‘the most effective route to entrepreneurial education’ (McKeown 2006; Pittaway and Cope 2006)


Designing a curriculum for Designing a curriculum for enterpriseenterprise

• A shift from a transmission model (learning about) to an experiential model (learning for)

• Learning that is centred on investigating ‘real’ problems and opportunities (not discipline focused).

• Student project-based learning involving independent and team based investigation and presentation of solutions.

• Experiential, practice-based, work/ community located learning opportunities

Rae, 2007


Designing a curriculum for Designing a curriculum for enterpriseenterprise

• On-going Personal development and self assessment.

• Alumni, practitioners and entrepreneurs contributing to the learning experience.

• Conditions of risk, uncertainty and ambiguity introduced into the learning and assessment process to develop students’ judgement.

• Affective learning being valued as much as cognitive learning.

Rae, 2007


N. Moreland Entrepreneurship and HE: an employability perspective HEA• Graduates need to:

• Show initiative, work independently, in teams, under pressure, communicating effectively, managing time effectively, take decision, be responsible, adaptable, plan co-ordinate, organise


The assessments• Firstly the students have to

produce and evaluation of their entrepreneurial potential based on the evidence of their diagnostics

• Secondly the students in a team have to come up with a creative fundraising idea for one of our charity partners and then deliver it. This is then assessed by ‘an Exhibition of Applied Creativity’ and via a presentation

The Practice…..


The assessments

Firstly the students have to produce and evaluation of their entrepreneurial potential based on the evidence of their diagnosticsSecondly the students in a team have to come up with a creative fundraising idea for one of our charity partners and then deliver it. This is then assessed by ‘an Exhibition of Applied Creativity’ and via a presentation


Understanding and evaluating entrepreneurial potential• Students were introduced to the FACETS model ( Focus,

Advantage, Creativity, Ego, Team and Social - Bolton and Thompson 2003; Thompson2003), using online diagnostics and workshop activities on creativity, team roles, personality and IQ tests and culminating with an assessment via the Bolton and Thompson Entrepreneurial Indicator http://www.efacets.co.uk/login.aspx.

• Creativity techniques and creative problem solving methods including Hermann brain tests (Lumsdaine and Binks 2007), idea showers, combining ideas and Scamper techniques to enabled students to consider the issue of fundraising from new perspectives.


Expert Help• Our partners the Compton http://www.compton-hospice.org.uk/

• The Steve Bull Foundation http://thestevebullfoundation.co.uk/

• Acorns Children’s Hospice http://www.acorns.org.uk/

• The charity partners produced a framework in terms of fundraising

• We all learned from their experience and used their resources

• We created event approval forms and risk assessment templates and Exemplars students needed to complete prior to their fundraising


We enlightened and enthused about the Third Sector

• Students were not considering careers in the Third Sector, one which was growing at the time and which will undoubtedly have to fill the gaps as the frontiers of the state are rolled back because of spending cuts


The result..

And not just in the UK


Examples, Awards and Prizes

• Prizes are provided by a KTP company we had worked with (Fabweld Steel Products Ltd) and the IOD and there were awards for the group that raised the most money and those who were most creative in the opinion of the module team.

• Example Fundraising winners – Liaised with a local school and organised a music event with pupils, raised £400 which was used to pump prime an event at a local hotel (they negotiated the price down from £850 to £200) with a band, food, raffle and auction (secured donated prizes) selling 120 tickets at £10 per head, followed by themed bag packing at a superstore. 5 Students raised £2,000 over a 3 week period

• Example Creativity winners – group set up a society in conjunction with the students union, to ensure fundraising was continued and to channel student fundraising across the university. A small sum was raised during the exercise but the sustainability of the idea was judged as very creative, they are engaging with other students and business organisations


Benefits - students

• Students were the decision makers and were active• They began to understand why the third sector exists,

why it is likely to grow in significance and the opportunities it might offer for them – ‘The Big Society’?

• A vehicle for the release of creativity• An opportunity to assess and take risks in a structured

environment• Confidence, initiative and experience• Learning by doing• Adding CV value • Understanding of the principles and practice of

enterprise and fundraising• They now achieve a Volunteering award and an

Employability award as part of the module


Active learning

• The students were enthused, had to make real things happen, many were moved out of their comfort zone and had to change their modus operandi.

• They had to take decisions and evaluate risks, contact and negotiate with third parties, plan and implement.

• Their creativity was challenged throughout, they had to deliver an exhibition of their efforts and assess and reflect on their entrepreneurial potential through their research and experience.

Does it work? Yes according to our student feedback

•

Excellen

tVery Good

Good Average Poor

Clarity of module aims and learning outcomes? 16 25 20 2 0

Structure and quality of content? 13 30 20 1 0

Classroom sessions/ lecturer? 22 18 15 7 1

Support for learning out of the classroom (e.g. WOLF?)

20 22 20 6 0

Clarity of assessment criteria and tasks? 13 25 19 8 0

Feedback/ Discussion with tutor in class or online?

13 19 16 12 1

Contribution of this module to my overall programme of study?

16 28 15 5 0

Value of this module to my knowledge, practical skills and general learning?

20 29 19 1 0

Enjoyment of the learning experience? 17 28 15 1 0


What did they like?

• What have been the BEST aspects of this module?

• Practical x12, • Teaching x 7• Fundraising x7• Creative x6• Active x2• Brainstorming, • Structure, • Add to CV • Different• Exciting, • Blended Learning • Confidence • Freedom • Groups


Benefits - Charities

• £80,000 in terms of funds raised in the last 4 years

• The local charities were able to spread their message

• To engage with demographic segments and community groups outside their normal sectors

• The opportunities to ‘capture’ activists and fund raisers at an earlier stage of their lifecycle


Benefits – Business School• We produce better rounded, more confident and more

competent graduates that enhance our reputation

• Community engagement,the opportunity for the university to stimulate active involvement, giving back

• It strengthened partnerships with business and third sector organisations and provides a good PR message

• Given all the above we felt this activity was win-win for all partners


And us?• Staff have been reminded of how fulfilling a creative

approach to teaching and assessment can be


Sources• Bolton, B and Thompson, J. The Entrepreneur in Focus, Thomson

Learning 2003, London.• Laurenco, F. & Jones, O. (2006) Developing Entrepreneurship

Education: Comparing Traditional and Alternative Teaching Approaches, International Journal of Entrepreneurship Education 4: 111-140

• Lumsdaine, E and Binks, M Entrepreneurship from Creativity to Innovation, Trafford 2007, Oxford

• Moreland, N. Entrepreneurship and HE: An Employability Perspective, HEA, Learning and Employability Series 1

• Thompson, J. (2004) The facets of the entrepreneur: identifying entrepreneurial potential, Management Decisions Vol 42 No. 2

• Rae, D. From Opportunity to Action, Palgrave Macmillan 2007

Embedding active and experiential learning within the curriculum: the experience of a large cohort ...

Education

Transcript of Embedding active and experiential learning within the curriculum: the experience of a large cohort ...