Conferences

Workshop Title: Designing Entrepreneurial Education: A Design-Science Approach for Empowering Change Agents

Questions We Care About – Aim and Summary

This workshop introduces a design-science research (DSR) approach as an innovative framework for advancing the field of entrepreneurial education. By positioning educators as designers, this approach empowers educators to design learning interventions that nurture an entrepreneurial mindset, thoughtfully adapted to their learning contexts and guided by their intentionality. By nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets, such education  prepares students to act as entrepreneurial change agents capable of addressing societal challenges (Van Rijnsoever et al., 2023), aligning closely with the 3E conference theme.

Rooted in Herbert Simon’s seminal work The Sciences of the Artificial (1996), DSR emphasizes the creation of artifacts as solutions to enduring problems (Dimov et al., 2023). The EntreDesign Canvas, developed as a DSR artifact, seeks to support educators to be designers of entrepreneurial education. This EntreDesign Canvas was developed using a co-creative methodology. A formative evaluation conducted during the VLAIO Summer Meeting in August 2024, including representatives from VLAIO, Unizo E&E, Vlajo, and the Sustainable Education Center, further refined the canvas. The resulting artifact is adaptable, enabling continuous improvement of entrepreneurial education.

Workshop Approach

The workshop is designed as a 45-minute interactive session to provide participants with a hands-on experience of the DSR approach. It begins with an introduction to the DSR framework and the EntreDesign Canvas, which is grounded in the iterative cycle of "build, implement & micro-redesign, and evaluate & learn” (Figure 1).

Participants are then divided into small groups of three to four to briefly share cases of entrepreneurial courses in which they are involved. Each group selects one course to focus on and uses the EntreDesign Canvas (Figure 2), provided as large posters with sticky notes, to map its key components. This process helps participants identify course goals, teaching methods, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

Following the mapping activity, groups collaboratively explore ways to apply DSR principles to their course. They consider how to collect data for evaluation and discuss how to improve specific course elements, such as aligning assessment methods with learning goals or integrating role models into the entrepreneurial learning process.

In the final segment, groups share their insights with the larger group. Participants document two benefits of using the canvas and two suggestions for improving it. The workshop concludes with a reflection on the alignment of the activities with the DSR cycle, emphasizing the relevance of iterative and data-driven approaches in entrepreneurial education.

Expected Outcomes

Participants will leave the workshop with:

1.        A clear understanding of the EntreDesign Canvas and its potential.

2.        Hands-on experience applying the canvas to their teaching practice, both in formal education and lifelong learning contexts.

3.        Insights into good practices, challenges, and opportunities shared by peers.

The formative feedback received by the researchers from participants will be used to further enhance the EntreDesign Canvas and thereby  contribute to its ongoing validation.

Details of Any Related Research

The EntreDesign Canvas is rooted in the authors’ recent scientific work and tackles a challenge identified by Lackéus (2015), who underscores the need to explore “when to implement which strategies.” This challenge is significant in preparing entrepreneurial change agents to navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and value-driven nature of societal challenges (Voegtlin et al., 2022).

Takeaways for EE Teaching Practice

By adopting a design-science mindset, educators as designers can create, implement and evaluate intentional, context specific impactful learning experiences that prepare students to address societal challenges. The workshop provides actionable strategies and tools for participants to immediately apply in their educational contexts.

References

Dimov, D., Maula, M., Georges, A., & Romme, L. (2023). Entrepreneurship Crafting and            Assessing Design Science Research for Entrepreneurship. Theory and Practice, 47(5),    1543–1567. https://doi.org/10.1177_10422587221128271

Lackéus, M. (2015). Entrepreneurship in Education. What, why, When, How.            https://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/BGP_Entrepreneurship-in-Education.pdf

Simon, H. (1996). The sciences of the artificial (3rd ed.). MIT Press.

Van Rijnsoever, F. J., Sitzler, S., & Baggen, Y. (2023). The change agent teaching model:            Educating entrepreneurial leaders to help solve grand societal challenges. International    Journal of Management Education, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100893

Voegtlin, C., Scherer, A. G., Stahl, G. K., & Hawn, O. (2022). Grand societal challenges and   responsible innovation. Journal of Management Studies, 59(1), 1–28.            https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12785