Fostering the Entrepreneurial Mindset Through the Development of Multidisciplinary Learning Modules Based on the "Quantified Self" Social Movement

Eric G Meyer; Mansoor Nasir

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Seattle, Washington
Publication Date: June 14, 2015
Start Date: June 14, 2015
End Date: June 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50180-1
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division – Tactical Approaches to Entrepreneurship Education
Tagged Division: Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation
Page Count: 17
Page Numbers: 26.794.1 - 26.794.17
DOI: 10.18260/p.24131
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/24131
Download Count: 780

Paper Authors

biography

Eric G Meyer Lawrence Technological University

visit author page

Dr. Meyer directs the Experimental Biomechanics Laboratory (EBL) at LTU with the goal to advance experimental biomechanics understanding. Dr. Meyer teaches Introduction to Biomechanics, Tissue Mechanics, Engineering Applications in Orthopedics and Cellular and Molecular Mechanobiology. He has been an active member of the engineering faculty committee that has redesigned the Foundations of Engineering Design Projects course that is required for all freshman in the College of Engineering at LTU. This committee is currently designing a new sophomore-level Engineering Entrepreneurship Studio that will also be required for all students as a continuation of the “Foundations studio”. He has published 33 peer-reviewed journal and conference proceeding articles. At LTU, Meyer offers a number of outreach programs for high school students and advises many projects for undergraduate students.

visit author page

biography

Mansoor Nasir Lawrence Technological University

visit author page

Dr. Mansoor Nasir received his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati and Ph.D.in Bioengineering from University of California-Berkeley. He worked as a research scientist at US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC before joining Biomedical Engineering department at Lawrence Technological University. He has several publications in the areas of microfluidics, chemical and biological sensors and MEMS technology. He is also passionate about engineering pedagogy and has attended several workshops on using techniques that make the classroom instruction more engaging and effective

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Fostering the entrepreneurial mindset through the development of multidisciplinary learning modules based on the “Quantified Self” social movement Traditional engineering curriculum and coursework lacks entrepreneurial experiences forstudents as related to opportunity recognition and communications. But recently, networks ofengineering colleges supported by the Kern Family Foundation, VentureWell (formerly NCIIA),Coleman Foundation and NSF among others have promoted the idea that “Entrepreneurship is aMindset” and that the entrepreneurship process can be formalized in engineering education [1].In this project we set out to modify courses across the curriculum to promote Entrepreneurial-Minded Learning (EML) with the aim of training students to stop thinking only like anengineer/scientist and start thinking like a product developer. The method was to develop coursemodules that focus on EML using real world problems and current trends [2]. The modules weredistributed broadly across disciplines; Biomedical, Mechanical, Electrical and RoboticsEngineering and Life Sciences and at various levels of the curriculum. The theme for these EMLmodules was the “Quantified Self” (QS) social movement, an exciting real-world trend that isaccessible and can be used to motivate a variety of academic topics. QS is experiencingtremendous growth through the interest of large consumer electronics companies and newdigital health startups centered around wearable technology. This explosive growth has beenmade possible by the convergence of technologies such as sensors, computer miniaturization,big data and widespread participation in social networks that allow sharing of personalinformation, such as fitness activities and diet tracking. (Figure 1). In order to understand what and where emphasis was formerly dedicated towards EMLin engineering and science programs, other faculty and students were surveyed about theirexperiences and perceptions. Next, the Biomedical Engineering program at XXXXXXXXXUniversity was targeted for course modifications across the curriculum by introducing modulesfocused on EML. While broader efforts at XXXXXXXX have dedicated significant attention towardsEML in freshman and sophomore design studios and senior projects, QS modules wereimplemented in four additional courses at the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior levels.Direct and indirect assessment was used to gauge the modules’ effectiveness at changingstudents’ perceptions and improving their entrepreneurial capabilities. Finally, these resourceswere shared with faculty from four additional disciplines at three different institutions to developand implement additional EML modules across a broad range of engineering and science topics. The EML modules that were developed were multi-week assignments that wereorganized following Problem Based Learning pedagogical techniques. Each module combinedseveral open-ended tasks that built sequentially following previously completed work and thetopics that were covered in class. They included smaller in-class Active, Cooperative Learningactivities with individual or group homework assignments. Multiple modules covered each of thespecific entrepreneurship skills that were targeted (Table 1). Highlights of modules in each of thecourses will be described and results of student assessment of EML will be documented. The EMLmodules were important for students to gain some understanding and experience withopportunity recognition and communications. These skills are particularly important for studentduring their senior project. Table 1. Entrepreneurship Skills coverage in course modules. Program BME BME BME BME BME ME Biology Robotics Level Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Freshman Sophomore Sophomore Junior BME Best Medical Device Fund. of Physiology Unified Course Intro. to BME Practices Design Orthopedics Biomedical Eng. Statics Laboratory Robotics III Opportunity Recognition X X X X X X Market Investigation X X X X X X Create a Preliminary Model X X X X X Communicate solutions in terms of X X X economic benefits Communicate solutions in terms of X X X X X societal benefits Examine technical feasibility, X X X X X economic drivers, societal and Intellectual Property Protection X Regulatory Issues X X X Collaborate in a team setting X X X X X X[1] Kriewall T, Mekemson K. Instilling the entrepreneurial mindset into engineering undergraduates, J Engineering Entrepreneurship, 2010, 1, 5-19.[2] Gerhart AL, Carpenter DD. Campus-wide Course Modification Program to Implement Active & Collaborative Learning and Problem-based Learning to Address the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Proc. ASEE Annual Conference, 2013, Atlanta, GA.

Citation
Format

Meyer, E. G., & Nasir, M. (2015, June), Fostering the Entrepreneurial Mindset Through the Development of Multidisciplinary Learning Modules Based on the "Quantified Self" Social Movement Paper presented at 2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/p.24131

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -       Fostering the entrepreneurial mindset through the  development of multidisciplinary learning modules based on            the “Quantified Self” social movement        Traditional engineering curriculum and coursework lacks entrepreneurial experiences forstudents as related to opportunity recognition and communications. But recently, networks ofengineering colleges supported by the Kern Family Foundation, VentureWell (formerly NCIIA),Coleman Foundation and NSF among others have promoted the idea that “Entrepreneurship is aMindset” and that the entrepreneurship process can be formalized in engineering education [1].In this project we set out to modify courses across the curriculum to promote Entrepreneurial-Minded Learning (EML) with the aim of training students to stop thinking only like anengineer/scientist and start thinking like a product developer. The method was to develop coursemodules that focus on EML using real world problems and current trends [2]. The modules weredistributed broadly across disciplines; Biomedical, Mechanical, Electrical and RoboticsEngineering and Life Sciences and at various levels of the curriculum. The theme for these EMLmodules was the “Quantified Self” (QS) social movement, an exciting real-world trend that isaccessible and can be used to motivate a variety of academic topics. QS is experiencingtremendous growth through the interest of large consumer electronics companies and newdigital health startups centered around wearable technology. This explosive growth has beenmade possible by the convergence of technologies such as sensors, computer miniaturization,big data and widespread participation in social networks that allow sharing of personalinformation, such as fitness activities and diet tracking. (Figure 1).       In order to understand what and where emphasis was formerly dedicated towards EMLin engineering and science programs, other faculty and students were surveyed about theirexperiences and perceptions. Next, the Biomedical Engineering program at XXXXXXXXXUniversity was targeted for course modifications across the curriculum by introducing modulesfocused on EML. While broader efforts at XXXXXXXX have dedicated significant attention towardsEML in freshman and sophomore design studios and senior projects, QS modules wereimplemented in four additional courses at the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior levels.Direct and indirect assessment was used to gauge the modules’ effectiveness at changingstudents’ perceptions and improving their entrepreneurial capabilities. Finally, these resourceswere shared with faculty from four additional disciplines at three different institutions to developand implement additional EML modules across a broad range of engineering and science topics.       The EML modules that were developed were multi-week assignments that wereorganized following Problem Based Learning pedagogical techniques. Each module combinedseveral open-ended tasks that built sequentially following previously completed work and thetopics that were covered in class. They included smaller in-class Active, Cooperative Learningactivities with individual or group homework assignments. Multiple modules covered each of thespecific entrepreneurship skills that were targeted (Table 1). Highlights of modules in each of thecourses will be described and results of student assessment of EML will be documented. The EMLmodules were important for students to gain some understanding and experience withopportunity recognition and communications. These skills are particularly important for studentduring their senior project.                                   Table 1. Entrepreneurship Skills coverage in course modules.             Program                       BME           BME            BME            BME             BME             ME        Biology      Robotics               Level                    Freshman       Sophomore       Junior         Senior        Freshman        Sophomore   Sophomore      Junior                                                       BME Best    Medical Device                    Fund. of                   Physiology    Unified             Course                    Intro. to BME                                                       Practices       Design                                                                                    Orthopedics                                                                                                  Biomedical Eng.                                                                                                                     Statics                                                                                                                                Laboratory   Robotics III      Opportunity Recognition               X                            X                              X              X            X             X        Market Investigation                X              X             X              X                              X                          X    Create a Preliminary Model              X                                           X               X              X                          X Communicate solutions in terms of                                            X              X                                                                                      X       economic benefits Communicate solutions in terms of                                            X              X             X                              X                                         X        societal benefits   Examine technical feasibility,                                                                         X              X               X                           X             X  economic drivers, societal and  Intellectual Property Protection                         X         Regulatory Issues                                 X             X              X   Collaborate in a team setting            X              X                                            X              X            X             X[1] Kriewall T, Mekemson K. Instilling the entrepreneurial mindset into engineering undergraduates, J Engineering    Entrepreneurship, 2010, 1, 5-19.[2] Gerhart AL, Carpenter DD. Campus-wide Course Modification Program to Implement Active &amp; Collaborative    Learning and Problem-based Learning to Address the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Proc. ASEE Annual Conference,    2013, Atlanta, GA.
AU  - Eric G Meyer
AU  - Mansoor Nasir
CY  - Seattle, Washington
DA  - 2015/06/14
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Fostering the Entrepreneurial Mindset Through the Development of Multidisciplinary Learning Modules Based on the "Quantified Self" Social Movement
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/24131
DO  - 10.18260/p.24131
ER  -