Without student cooperation and participation, learning does not occur. A consistent challenge in university education is motivating the traditional aged student to take on personal responsibility for learning in courses that are not considered to be “easy.” This is particularly the case in such courses that are found in the freshman and sophomore years – the time during which students are still getting acclimated to the college life. There is extra pressure on departmental outcomes from the university which relies to a certain extent upon its reputation. The university’s reputation is based in part on the retention of students and the four to six year graduation rate. One way to motivate students to retain knowledge and stay at a particular university is to provide learning contexts which meet their preferences.
The paper reviews the qualities and characteristics of millennial students. An overview of their attitudes about different types of pedagogy, as well as, some unintended consequences of those pedagogies is presented. Areas of interest to such students are reviewed and topics that could be used as attractive themes are derived. With the popularity of “The Shark Tank”, entrepreneurship is such theme.
The set of courses in the freshman and sophomore year that are traditionally considered obstacles for students are identified. One such course, the decision analysis course, is chosen for closer examination. Decision Analysis concepts include: spreadsheet modeling, optimization modeling, network models, project scheduling, PERT/CPM, inventory models, forecasting, decision analysis, regression and forecasting models, and, finally, creativity and decision making. The Entrepreneurial cycle Includes: determining an opportunity, testing an opportunity, discovering the customer, designing a product solution, testing the product solution in the target market, Deciding whether or not to proceed, validating the customer via focus groups, validating the customer via pilot sales, position the product and company, forecasting early growth, making the final go-no go decision. A mapping of these two sets of concepts and how decision analysis might be taught within a theme of a traditional business start-up is provided.
The development of a sample learning unit complete with student learning objectives, instructor scripts, exercises, and answer keys is shown. Specifically, we argue that a unit that includes entrepreneurial activities is best tied to the course. The demonstration will include how the unit meets the need of the decision analysis course. Second, it will show how it supports future analysis needed by entrepreneurs as they pursue an idea. Finally, it will show how it meets the motivational and desired learning pedagogies of the millennial student. We draw the conclusion that an entrepreneurial thread can easily be woven into a decision analysis course as well as others and that the entrepreneurial learning techniques are beneficial to all students.
WEAVING_THE_THREAD_OF_ENTREPRENEURSHIP_THROUGH_A_CORE_BUSINESS_CURRICULUM.pdf 