IA40330 Entrepreneurial Mindset for Educators

Academic Year 2023/2024

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MODULE IS PROGRAMME BASED. THIS MODULE IS NOT OPEN TO OTHER UCD STUDENTS.

This module focuses on the importance of education in the promotion of more entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours and refers to the challenge of stimulating entrepreneurial mindsets in young people. The concepts of Entrepreneurial Thinking & Innovation are explored in a way that these concepts can be developed as educational tools in the classroom. There is now clear evidence from a societal perspective that skills such as creativity, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking contribute to peoples well-being and to democratic societies. The link between creativity in education and economic and societal success is strong, According to the OECD creativity and critical and entrepreneurial thinking are key skills for complex, globalised and increasingly digitised economies and societies.

This module aims to introduce participants to the mindsets and skills necessary to inspire entrepreneurial thought and action at the personal level and amongst student cohorts. The module introduces core concepts central to the development of entrepreneurial ideas from initial idea to launch such as opportunity generation and development, iteration and prototyping and idea validation. The concept and process of Design Thinking is brought into the approach to the main project on this module, The Festival of Education (FoE). The FoE project requires the participants to work in teams to firstly understand a need in educational change and then work through this need using empathy and coming together at the end of the week in a Festival style presentation of the ideas generated by the team. The FoE is a highlight of the overall programme and brings an invited audience with guest speakers and panel discussion from key educational leaders.

Module objectives include:

• Identifying how to bring design thinking, entrepreneurial mindsets, and experiments from across the globe to the classroom
• Exploring leadership and how to effect change in educational institutions
• Developing the ability to apply new teaching methodologies and approaches to learning.
• Creating a more innovative learning environment.

The module draws on a number of key techniques, tools and methodologies around entrepreneurial thinking and innovation. Some of these will include Sarasvathy’s effectuation, design thinking, disruptive innovation, the use of business canvases towards education and the adoption of the entrepreneurial mindset. Learners will work through the commercial development of ideas and will be will be expected to develop projects by using these techniques, working in teams to test ideas and prototype solutions. The module also considers ways of triggering entrepreneurial thinking within an educational institution. Generic foundations of teaching and learning, including motivation, evaluation and review will be explored.

At the UCD Innovation Academy, we are a group of Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, educators, business and social entrepreneurs, tech thinkers, creative professionals and design thinking practitioners.

We take an action-oriented approach to learning, with a combination of individual, group and class tasks and activities, including discussions, presentations and reflection. All of our teaching is grounded in academic rigour, but our focus is on learning by doing in a real-world context.

www.innovators.ie

**Enrolment in an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes.**