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IA40470

Academic Year 2026/2027

Entrepreneurship: Application and Mindset (IA40470)

Subject:
Innovation Academy
College:
VP - Research, Innov & Impact
School:
Innovation Academy
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Mr Maurice Knightly
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MODULE IS FOR GRADUATE TAUGHT AND RESEARCH STUDENTS ONLY.

The purpose of this module is to develop your entrepreneurial mindset - helping you see the world, think and act in a more entrepreneurial manner - either for starting your own business or for leading initiatives within an organisation.

Dynamic changes in technology, demographics and the environment are creating turbulent, unpredictable marketplaces and workplaces. Coping with such complexity is increasingly challenging for individuals, commercial organisations, social enterprises, public bodies and government. Founders, managers and employees in all sectors need to think more creatively, innovatively and entrepreneurially in order to make effective decisions. They need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

An entrepreneurial mindset is one that focuses on who you are, what you know and whom you know rather than what you need. It is an approach where action trumps everything, where the focus is on our own experience of doing rather than procrastination or studying the actions of others. It’s a culture that believes that collaboration, team working and community resilience promotes success. It’s a mindset that views the calculation of risk as fundamental rather than the taking risk per se. Entrepreneurial Thinkers see failure as a means to learn rather than a lack of success.

Entrepreneurs view the world around them in terms of problem-solution fit and product-market fit. The entrepreneurial mindset is to first and foremost clearly define 'a problem-to-be-solved'. This is discovered by observing and talking to potential customers/users about their needs, wants, pains and gains. This is the difficult part. Only after that do you move on to the easier part whereby you ideate a number of alternative, creative solutions to the defined problem. The mindset is to then carry out tests or experiments to identify the best solution by prototyping minimal viable products (MVPs). This cycle of trying to find 'fit' is very much an iterative process.

This module will embrace the ideas and concepts above by facilitating students to practice key innovation and entrepreneurial tools and techniques and develop life-skills including creative confidence, curiosity, communication, collaboration and commitment. This module will also enable student teams to develop a commercial, social or community venture.


UCD Innovation Academy

At the UCD Innovation Academy, we are a group of Educator Practitioners with extensive real-world experience as academics, 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 real-world contexts.


**Enrolment in an Innovation Academy module means a commitment to active participation and engagement, which necessitates attendance at all scheduled classes. Please note that auditing Innovation Academy modules is not be possible**

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion students should be able to:

• Understand the concept of an entrepreneurial mindset and why it is so important for all of us in our everyday lives
• Understand the principle of problem-solution fit as well as product-market fit
• Be able to apply the following to a new venture; lean startup tools and techniques such as ideation, customer discovery, empathy mapping, customer journey mapping, business model canvas, prototyping, testing and pitching
• Understand the challenges and benefits associated with working in teams
• Understand that failures along the way can be opportunities and how to capitalise on those opportunities
• Practice pitching and presenting ideas and concepts clearly and professionally in a safe environment

Indicative Module Content:

•​ Identifying and defining problems-to-be-solved (jobs-to-be-done, pains and gains) using customer discovery techniques such as interviews, observation and secondary research
•​ Generating solutions for problems defined through brainstorming, empathy mapping and customer journey mapping
•​ Value proposition design: identifying value propositions for chosen customer segments
•​ Business model canvas; taking a helicopter view of your new venture
•​ Prototyping, experimentation and testing
•​ Iterating and pivoting
• ​Pitching

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Competent

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 5

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 5

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 5
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Lectures

4
Studio

16
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
All Innovation Academy modules take a learning by doing approach, combining, individual, group and team activities, tasks and projects including presentations, discussion and reflection:

• Active/task-based learning
• Peer and Group work
• Reflective Learning
• Enquiry & Problem-based learning
• Student Presentations
• Case Study Learning

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
IA20020 - Essentials of Entrepreneurship


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Individual Report on Individual or Group Venture Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: This modules requires active participation and engagement which necessitates attendance at scheduled classes.
 Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
40
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Individual and Group Presentations throughout the module Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Personal Reflections/Self Realisation Report Week 1 Pass/Fail Grade Scale Yes
20
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be given to students upon request. This will include feedback based on their participation during the module and their deliverables.

Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers
by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur

The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 12, 13 Fri 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 12, 13 Mon 09:00 - 13:50
Autumn Workshop Offering 1 Week(s) - 12, 13 Tues 09:00 - 13:50
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