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Entrepreneurs in Action!:

A Problem-Based Learning Environment for Engineering Entrepreneurship R. Wilburn Clouse Vanderbilt University

Joseph Aniello Francis Marion University

Joseph Biernacki Tennessee Technological University

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to describe a model called Entrepreneurs in Action! that teaches engineering students to make the connection between their education and daily life. The model further describes a system of infusing entrepreneurship into multiple disciplines across multiple universities. Using the curricular design principles of whole-part-whole learning, just-in-time teaching and a recursive design, the program achieves its goal of encouraging students to think more like an entrepreneur, which we believe will in turn lead to more entrepreneurial ventures. The session will describe the development of on-line engineering and business related cases and the results of field testing the cases at several universities including Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Technological University, Francis Marion University, Tennessee Wesleyan College and Anderson College.

Introduction

Many of the more aggressive colleges/universities across the country are engaging in some form of coursework and/or experiences related to entrepreneurship education. Many of these efforts can be found either in the School of Business or in the School of Engineering (McMullan & Gillin, 2001). Some schools offer one course in Entrepreneurship in order to acquaint students with the general field of entrepreneurship. Other schools may offer one or two more courses to further enhance the student's understanding of entrepreneurship. Still other colleges and universities offer a complete four-year degree program and/or masters or doctorate. Still, the vast majority of schools offer little or nothing to teach students about self-employment, creative thinking, and the process of generating new and creative ideas for opportunity development. (Clouse, R. W., 2002).

There are at least two general underlying assumptions about entrepreneurship education. Some schools assume that entrepreneurship cannot be taught. To them, it is an

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Clouse, W. (2005, June), Entrepreneurs In Action!: A Problem Based Learning Environment For Engineering Entrepreneurship Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15466