Final Redesign
​Welcome to the final redesign of the "Entrepreneurship & Impact'' honor's course! On this page, you will find the culmination of our efforts to create a more empowering and impactful educational experience for students interested in starting their own businesses. Through market analysis and research, we have tailored the syllabus to the needs and motivations of our prospective students, and have included a wide range of topics and activities to better equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking to turn your ideas into a reality, or simply want to learn more about how to make a positive impact in the world, we hope that this redesign will provide you with the resources and inspiration you need to take the next step on your entrepreneurial journey.
The Final Redesign - Analysis
Based on our analysis, the main educational challenge in our final redesign of the entrepreneurship and impact course is the lack of practical, hands-on experience and resources for students interested in starting their own businesses. Through observations and interviews with stakeholders, including current and prospective students, entrepreneurs, and industry experts, we have identified several key issues:
1. Limited access to industry knowledge and connections: Many students report feeling isolated from the business world and lacking access to industry knowledge and connections that could help them validate and grow their business ideas.
2. Lack of practical skills and resources: While students may have theoretical knowledge about entrepreneurship, they often lack the practical skills and resources needed to turn their ideas into reality. This includes everything from understanding the legal and regulatory requirements of starting a business, to developing and testing prototypes, to building a financial model.
3. Fear of failure and uncertainty: Many students express fear of failure and uncertainty about their ability to start and run a successful business, particularly in the face of challenges such as funding and scaling.
To address these challenges, our final redesign includes a range of field activities, such as customer interviews, company visits, and networking events, as well as practical skills training, such as financial modeling and pitch preparation. We have also incorporated mentorship and support from entrepreneurs and industry experts to provide students with access to real-world knowledge and connections. Our goal is to empower students with the confidence and resources they need to overcome fear and uncertainty and turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality.
Final Redesign - Redesign
Our proposed solution to tackle the educational challenge described in the entrepreneurship and impact course is to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that provides students with practical, hands-on experience and resources for starting their own businesses.
The MVP would include the following key features:
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Practical skills training: Students would have access to a range of practical skills training, such as financial modeling, pitch preparation, and product development, to help them turn their ideas into tangible products or services.
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Industry knowledge and connections: Students would have access to industry knowledge and connections through mentorship and support from entrepreneurs and industry experts, as well as company visits and networking events.
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Social impact projects: Students would have the opportunity to work on social impact projects, such as developing solutions to local or global challenges, or volunteering with a nonprofit organization, to help them understand the role of entrepreneurship in creating positive social and environmental impact.
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Final project presentations: Students would have the opportunity to present their final project, such as a business plan, pitch deck, or prototype, to external stakeholders, such as investors, entrepreneurs, or industry experts, for feedback and mentorship.
Overall, our MVP aims to provide students with the practical skills, knowledge, and resources they need to overcome fear and uncertainty and turn their entrepreneurial dreams into a reality.
1. Education psychology: Research in education psychology suggests that hands-on, experiential learning can be more effective than traditional classroom instruction in helping students retain and apply knowledge (Kolb, 1984). By incorporating field activities, such as customer interviews, company visits, and social impact projects, into the course, students can gain practical experience and apply their learning to real-world situations.
2. Social learning theory: According to social learning theory, people learn through observation and imitation of others (Bandura, 1977). By providing students with access to mentors and industry experts, and opportunities to observe and learn from successful entrepreneurs, we can help students model and replicate successful behaviors and strategies.
3. Self-determination theory: Self-determination theory proposes that people are more motivated and engaged when they feel competent and autonomous in their learning (Deci and Ryan, 1985). By providing students with practical skills training and the opportunity to work on their own business ideas, we can help them feel more confident and empowered in their learning.
4. Constructivism: Constructivism suggests that people learn best when they are actively involved in constructing their own knowledge and understanding (Piaget, 1952). By incorporating field activities that challenge students to think critically and creatively, and work on real-world problems, we can help them construct their own understanding of entrepreneurship and impact.
5. Humanistic psychology: Humanistic psychology emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-actualization in learning (Maslow, 1943). By providing students with the opportunity to work on their own business ideas and create positive social and environmental impact, we can help them fulfill their potential and achieve a sense of purpose and meaning in their learning.
6. Positive psychology: Positive psychology focuses on the study of positive emotions, well-being, and flourishing (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). By providing students with a supportive and positive learning environment
7. Cognitive psychology: Cognitive psychology focuses on how people process, store, and retrieve information (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974). By incorporating field activities, such as customer interviews and industry research, that challenge students to gather and analyze information from a variety of sources, we can help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
8. Educational neuroscience: Educational neuroscience studies the neural basis of learning and education (Kosslyn and Thompson, 2003). Research in this field suggests that experiential learning and hands-on activities can be more effective in engaging the brain and promoting learning than traditional classroom instruction (Sousa, 2011). By incorporating field activities into the course, we can help students activate multiple brain regions and promote deeper learning and retention.
9. Motivational psychology: Motivational psychology focuses on the factors that influence people's goals, interests, and engagement in learning (Ryan and Deci, 2000). By providing students with the opportunity to work on their own business ideas and create positive social and environmental impact, we can tap into their intrinsic motivation and help them feel more engaged and invested in their learning.
10. Organizational psychology: Organizational psychology studies how people and groups behave and interact in organizational settings (Den Hartog, Koopman, and Thierry, 1996). By incorporating team building exercises and group projects into the course, we can help students develop important teamwork and communication skills, which are essential for success in business and leadership roles.