Implementing Entrepreneurial Mindset Learning Activities in Several Engineering Courses

Simon Thomas Ghanat; Deirdre D Ragan

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Conference: 2024 South East Section Meeting
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Publication Date: March 10, 2024
Start Date: March 10, 2024
End Date: March 12, 2024
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--45534
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/45534
Download Count: 96

Paper Authors

biography

Simon Thomas Ghanat P.E. The Citadel

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Dr. Simon Ghanat is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Citadel (Charleston, S.C.). He received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Arizona State University. His research interests include Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Education.

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biography

Deirdre D Ragan The Citadel

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Deirdre Ragan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as well as the director of the Honors Program, at The Citadel. She holds a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Rice University as well as a M.S. and Ph.D. in Materials from the University of California Santa Barbara where she studied stresses in thin films. She previously developed nanoparticle-modified glass and automotive coatings (at PPG Industries, Inc.), conducted Raman spectroscopy of materials under static high pressure (at Los Alamos National Lab), studied the physics of electrochromic devices (at Uppsala University, Sweden), and taught science, math, and reading to 4-year-olds (at a Charleston preschool). Now she enjoys teaching upper-level undergraduate and graduate Materials courses and encouraging students. Her research interests include materials science, the neuroscience of learning, humanitarian engineering, and undergraduate research involvement.

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Abstract

The entrepreneurial mindset is characterized by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN)’s 3C’s, which are curiosity, connections, and creating value. Entrepreneurially Minded Learning (EML) activities are designed to inspire curiosity and teach students to integrate information from many sources to gain insight and encourage them to create value by identifying opportunities and working in a team. To foster an entrepreneurial mindset, At The Citadel, EML is incorporated in a first-year seminar course via several case studies and a project focusing on the redevelopment of a brownfield site. EML is integrated in a junior level Probability and Statistics course via problem-based learning. To promote deeper conceptual understanding and to develop statistical problem-solving, M&M candies are used to illustrate data collection, frequencies and proportions, probability functions, sampling distributions, chi-square goodness-of-fit statistics, hypothesis testing, correlation and linear regression, and one-way analysis of variance. EML is incorporated into junior and senior level Materials Science classes via a problem-solving studio approach, directing students to actively connect what information is given, what assumptions can be made, and what additional information is needed. This approach is applied to foundational concepts in materials science including atomic packing, material density, phase diagrams, and material processing. Additionally, EML is incorporated into upper level engineering design courses by emphasizing connections and creating value for the stakeholders in the development of a new product. This paper discusses the various EML activities employed in the above-listed courses.

Citation
Format

Ghanat, S. T., & Ragan, D. D. (2024, March), Implementing Entrepreneurial Mindset Learning Activities in Several Engineering Courses Paper presented at 2024 South East Section Meeting, Marietta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--45534