Co-Developing a Social Entrepreneurship Program with a Focus on Engineering

Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer; Tim Dallas

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT) Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48467

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Paper Authors

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Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer Texas Tech University

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Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University, as well as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. Her research emerges at the intersection of Educational Technology, Pedagogical Innovation, Personalized Learning, Diversity and Equity Issues, and Global Studies. Greenhalgh-Spencer explores practices of using technology and pedagogical innovation to create engaged learning in both formal and informal learning spaces, and in both national and global contexts. She explores diversity and equity issues in the STEM pipeline, and also researches embodied and transdisciplinary learning practices that increase engagement for underrepresented populations in STEM courses. Greenhalgh-Spencer also researches blended / personalized learning (BL/PL) and the ways that BL/PL can create diverse pathways and increased opportunities for all students.

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Tim Dallas P.E. Texas Tech University

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Tim Dallas is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas Tech University. Dr. Dallasâ€™ research includes developing educational technologies for deployment to under-served regions of the world. His research group has developed MEMS-based

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Abstract

This paper describes the process of co-developing a degree program in Social Entrepreneurship with a focus on Engineering. The degree program is designed as an interdisciplinary graduate program that models the real work of being a social entrepreneur. In order to develop this program, we worked with several groups of stakeholders to define the needs around knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work as an entrepreneur with a focus on social entrepreneurship and Engineering. The stakeholder engagement has helped us to define the needs, develop syllabi, define course activities, and develop a group of engaged “knowers’ that continue to help us develop this program. We took the following steps: 1. Worked with industry stakeholders and industry funders to define the skills, knowledge and dispositions needed to become a successful entrepreneur whose business model emerges at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and Engineering a. Started with a research-based list of competencies and gathered feedback from industry stakeholders on that list b. Conducted interviews with industry stakeholders in order to get a deeper sense of the terms and needs c. Analyzed that data in order to arrive at a more defined list of needs, and then used that list of needs to develop a call for course proposals that would become official courses in this program 2. Worked with faculty to develop course proposals 3. Worked with a group of Engineering and Business students to get their feedback on the course proposals, as well as their thoughts about the degree program a. This took the form of interviews b. Analyzed the data from the interviews in order to provide feedback on the courses to the faculty 4. Worked with the group of industry stakeholders to get their feedback on the course proposals a. This took the form of interviews b. Analyzed the data from the interviews to provide feedback on the courses to the faculty 5. Brought together faculty and industry stakeholders to hone the courses and reassess the needs for the program a. This involved interviews and focus groups with faculty and industry stakeholders b. Analyzed the interviews and focus groups to iterate on the courses and on the degree program 6. Worked with faculty, student groups, and industry stakeholders to define the gaps that were still missing after we gathered and iterated on course proposals. This involved a redefinition of terms and needs for specific skills, knowledge, and dispositions that are important at the intersection of Social Entrepreneurship and Engineering

The paper discusses the data collection and analysis processes, as well as what we learned about the process of co-developing coursework and degree plans. Furthermore, the paper examines our findings around the skills, dispositions, and knowledge that need to be taught in social entrepreneurship programs.

Citation
Format

Greenhalgh-Spencer, H., & Dallas, T. (2024, June), Co-Developing a Social Entrepreneurship Program with a Focus on Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48467

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This paper describes the process of co-developing a degree program in Social Entrepreneurship with a focus on Engineering. The degree program is designed as an interdisciplinary graduate program that models the real work of being a social entrepreneur. In order to develop this program, we worked with several groups of stakeholders to define the needs around knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work as an entrepreneur with a focus on social entrepreneurship and Engineering. The stakeholder engagement has helped us to define the needs, develop syllabi, define course activities, and develop a group of engaged “knowers’ that continue to help us develop this program. We took the following steps:
1.	Worked with industry stakeholders and industry funders to define the skills, knowledge and dispositions needed to become a successful entrepreneur whose business model emerges at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and Engineering
a.	Started with a research-based list of competencies and gathered feedback from industry stakeholders on that list
b.	Conducted interviews with industry stakeholders in order to get a deeper sense of the terms and needs
c.	Analyzed that data in order to arrive at a more defined list of needs, and then used that list of needs to develop a call for course proposals that would become official courses in this program
2.	Worked with faculty to develop course proposals
3.	Worked with a group of Engineering and Business students to get their feedback on the course proposals, as well as their thoughts about the degree program
a.	This took the form of interviews
b.	Analyzed the data from the interviews in order to provide feedback on the courses to the faculty
4.	Worked with the group of industry stakeholders to get their feedback on the course proposals
a.	This took the form of interviews
b.	Analyzed the data from the interviews to provide feedback on the courses to the faculty
5.	Brought together faculty and industry stakeholders to hone the courses and reassess the needs for the program
a.	This involved interviews and focus groups with faculty and industry stakeholders
b.	Analyzed the interviews and focus groups to iterate on the courses and on the degree program
6.	Worked with faculty, student groups, and industry stakeholders to define the gaps that were still missing after we gathered and iterated on course proposals. This involved a redefinition of terms and needs for specific skills, knowledge, and dispositions that are important at the intersection of Social Entrepreneurship and Engineering

The paper discusses the data collection and analysis processes, as well as what we learned about the process of co-developing coursework and degree plans. Furthermore, the paper examines our findings around the skills, dispositions, and knowledge that need to be taught in social entrepreneurship programs.

AU  - Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer
AU  - Tim Dallas P.E.
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Co-Developing a Social Entrepreneurship Program with a Focus on Engineering
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48467
ER  -