VNifty Assignments

in Entrepreneurship Educationfacilitated byClif Kussmaul

Muhlenberg Collegeclif@kussmaul.org Michael LehmanLehigh University

mil312@lehigh.eduhttp://kussmaul.org/na.html

Every educator

wantsgood

materials to adopt or adapt.

Conference sessions describe programs, courses, and materials, often at a high level.

Colleagues describe individual experiences, often anecdotally.

Great ideas may go unreported or lack enough detail to be ideally useful.

Epicenter-PA Meeting

May 29-30, 2014Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA

Epicenter-PA MeetingMay 29-30, 2014 · Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

Epicenter’s goal is to unleash “the entrepreneurial

potential of undergraduate engineering students across the United States to create bold innovators with the

knowledge, skills and attitudes to contribute to economic and societal prosperity” (epicenter.stanford.edu).

Epicenter-PA is mobilizing to allow that mission to

happen on a regional scale through networking and collaboration of Pennsylvania faculty.

Epicenter-PA MeetingMay 29-30, 2014 · Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

Target audience: faculty from PA schools teaching in undergraduate engineering curricula

Goals•Meet and reconnect with regional colleagues•Share ideas, share materials, and collaborate

as related to the Epicenter goal•Integrate and weave practical takeaways into one’s approach on their campus

Epicenter-PA MeetingMay 29-30, 2014 · Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

Nifty Assignmentshelp us to share

these ideas and experiences easy to adopt and adapt

broadly relevantthought provoking

fun for students and teachers

The Melting Pot – Cooking for One

• brainstorming, creativity• Michael Lehman, Lehigh University

mil312@lehigh.edu

1. Each student lists 5-10 things they like to do. Be specific.

2. Randomly select 3 things from the list.3. Combine 3 ideas and blend them to form

a product, service or business idea.

Bake Some Cookies

• scheduling, Gantt charts, critical path• team classroom activity: http://cspogil.org• Clif Kussmaul, Muhlenberg College

kussmaul@muhlenberg.edu

1. study cookie recipe (& samples)2. find missing steps (=hidden requirements)3. find dependencies between steps4. find & sketch optimal sequence of steps5. consider impact of multiple cooks, etc

Think Like an Ant

• idea generation, creativity• Michael Lehman, Lehigh University

mil312@lehigh.edu

1. Student spends 1 technology-free hour in nature.2. Repeat.3. Based on observations, develop 20 ideas for

new or enhanced products and/or services.4. Collaborate with classmate on creating 20 more ideas.5. Present.

Build a Pyramid

• story point estimation• team classroom activity (http://cspogil.org)• Clif Kussmaul, Muhlenberg College

kussmaul@muhlenberg.edu

1. estimate size, effort, time required2. initial estimates & projections3. revised estimates & projections4. equations & spreadsheet models

Roll the Dice…

• business models, presentation skills• Michael Lehman, Lehigh University, mil312@lehigh.edu

1. Obtain giant foam dice.2. Number 1-6 (or 1-12) on a whiteboard.3. List an element of the business model canvas beside each

number. WILD CARD and PICK A CLASSMATE options keep the class lively.

4. Students go to the front of the room, roll the die (dice) and address the topic rolled…

Crazy Restaurant

• brainstorming, warmup, pitch practice• Alyssa Boutelle, Univ. of Oklahoma

alyssa.m.boutelle@ou.edu

Form groups, and brainstorm:1. What makes a restaurant good?2. What would make it the best in the world?3. What would make it terrible?4. Rotate to next group’s list of terrible features,

and pitch a restaurant that uses them.

Stalking Exercise

• observe people & needs in different contexts• Alizabeth Sanchez, Universidad del Turabo, PR

alizabeth@amsconsultinggroup.com

1. Focus on an individual for 30 minutesat work, shopping, home

2. Report on individual’s characteristics, context (where observed), actions.

3. Consider how to help or improve what they do,and what products/solutions might help them

Entrepreneurial Improv• Stephan Brand, Olin College of Engineering

stephen.brand@olin.edu

• Game using Business Model Canvas1. Form teams of 2-4 (even # of teams)2. Choose groups of 3:

objects, trends, target markets, brands, catastrophe3. Each team gets one trend, two markets, to design product.4. Replace one of 3 given elements and redesign.5. Redesign for new brand (you were bought out)6. Redesign for new brand (again)7. Redesign in response to catastrophe8. Trade product with another team and redesign again

(you were fired and rehired).

Mind Workouts for Teams

• Nicole Rosskopf, KEEN coordinator, St Louis Univrosskopf@slu.edu

• eBook: Innovation Challenges: Mind Workouts for Teams (download or PDF)

Know Me, Know You

• team forming, presenting• Sena Agyepong, Ashesi University, Ghana

sagyepong@ashesi.edu.gh

1. Given list of basic objects/tools: watch, screwdriver, clothing items

2. Pick 2 tools that describe yourself3. Pluses & minuses of their choices4. Present to class – learn about other people5. Look for teammates with complementary skills

Football + ?

• analogy, brainstorm• Doug Ayers, University of Alabama

dayers@uab.edu

1. Present a challenge (e.g. low attendance at football games)

2. What are competing activities?3. How to incorporate them into the game day?

(bring dirty laundry for washing, etc)

Speed Innovation Workout• soft innovations, divergent thinking opportunities,• Jorge Vanegas, Texas A&M

jvanegas@arch.tamu.edu

(course with diverse student backgrounds)1. Form small teams 2. Identify something that bugs you, you love, you hate, 3. Identify things you like, don’t like, don’t have time for4. Identify emotions you like, don’t like5. Share in team6. Brainstorm products to overcome problem,

leverage love/hate, emphasize good emotions

Wolff Fest

• Ken Jones, Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, Univ of Houston, kenjones@uh.edu

• “Wolff Fest” 3-day event: teams must sell food– Rent space, get capital & cash flow– Recruit, brand, web apps, – Measured: bottom line, top line, acquisition, quality– Rotate roles: CEO, CFO, …

• Other ideas– Mentor prison inmates “prison entrepreneurship program”– “Your Business at the Improv”

local businesses on hot seat, students solve their problems

Applications for Patent

• Rob McNamee, Fox School, Temple Univrobert.mcnamee@temple.edu

• Part of 2 evening workshop on tech commercialization

• Group work: given patented technology(e.g. from university researchers)

• Identify alternative applications & jobs• Using worksheets, etc. – website coming soon…

• (LES: Licensing Executives Society)

Don’t Fall in Love with Your First Idea

• brainstorming• Heidi Neck, Babson College, hneck@babson.edu

• 3 alternative uses for pencil, paperclip1. 3 min for as many uses as possible2. Count – who came up with the most?3. What is 1,2,3 on list? Who else had the same?4. What is 25? Who else had the same?5. Takeaway: Don’t fall in love with first idea,

since many others have it too.

How to Make Toast

• systems models• Cathy Hill, Skidmore College, chill@skidmore.edu

1. Give index cards, draw how to make toast.2. Critique each others’ instructions.3. Develop business plan on index cards,

drawings (no words).4. Critique each others’ plans.5. Low investment

more willing to critique and rearrange.

Mythical Creature

• Jay Krysler, JR Shaw School of Business, NAIT(Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)jkrysler@nait.ca

1. Invent a mythical creature.2. Describe in 3 sentences.3. Have other student draw from description.

Accounting Lists

• Mike Lehman, Lehigh University

• Create 3 lists: – startup expense items (long)– monthly expense items (medium)– Monthly income (very short)

• Visual reminder of business realities

Make a Duck

• multiple perspectives• Marc de Vink,

Lehigh Universitymad312@lehigh.edu

1. Provide small set of Legos to make a Duck2. Each person creates a duck.3. Explain why/how it is a duck (consider differences).• Also: False Facts / Opposites

– Pick industry, list attributes– Pick one, false fact it – do the opposite

Engineering & Branding at the Mall

• Mall with high & low rent districts• Spend all day exploring (smell, taste, touch)– Look up, down,

• Compare stores with different feelings,target markets, etc.

• See materials, branding, etc

Six Hat Pizza

• Susannah Howe, Smith College (via Mike Lehman, Lehigh University)

• Based on DeBono 6 Hats: lateral thinking• Teams with 6 hats, bike, pizza• How to deliver (using 6 hat perspectives)

Bag of Fun

• Jay Krysler, JR Shaw School of Business, NAIT

1. Provide bag of objects, tools (eggbeater)2. Students draw items randomly3. Address a challenge, e.g.

How can you use (or be inspired by) this object or idea for Valentine’s Day?

Pain Points

• Ariel DuChene, Syracuse Universityadduchen@syr.edu

1. During week between 2 classes,journal all pain points.

2. Share with others, hone in on one.3. Pick random dictionary word(s).4. Use word(s) to address pain point.

Deserted Island

• Event icebreaker @ capstone design conf

1. Get comfortable, meditate, imagine you are floating or drifting.

2. You are stranded on desert island,find team & tools to survive & escape.

3. Pitch solutions to entire group.4. Vote with $$$ for best ideas.

Pain Relief

• Mike Menefee, Univ of North Carolina, Pembroke(formerly Purdue) michael.menefee@uncp.edu

1. Split into groups.2. Draw name of commercial product to research.3. Consider positive & negative effects.4. 5 minutes to convince instructor that

their product will solve his/her headache.

Wallet Design Revisited

• market research• Tom Westbrook, OK State Univ,

tom.westbrook@okstate.edu

1. Tried rapid prototyping of wallet,but it was too shallow & quick.

2. Use wallets to introduce to each other.3. TA walks through wallet contents,

asks detailed questions about contents.4. Repeat wallet exercise – much more effective. market research to reduce risk

• Mike Lehman, Lehigh University

• Global 5 Personality Test (free, vs MyersBrigg)

Creative Desserts

• Danner Friend, Norwich University,rfriend@norwich.edu

• Based on Idea Box, DaVinci Box– List sets of attributes: shapes, materials, etc.– Pick one from each list & combine for new idea.

• Creative desserts.– Different ingredients, presentation, etc.– Recombine elements to pitch new dessert.

Idea Generation

Intellectual Property

and

Technology

Marketing

Financeand Accounting

Nifty Assignmentshelp us to share

these ideas and experiences easy to adopt and adapt

broadly relevantthought provoking

fun for students and teachers

http://kussmaul.org/na.html