Curriculum Development and Practices

Research Focus: Developing enterprise theories, models and tools have evolved as quickly as technology has; the rise of mobile phones, internet, palm-held devices and the like have seen knowledge sharing, social media and technological businesses grow and in turn education has had to keep up. Education now needs to change the way it supports budding innovators.
Research Description: This paper proposes to share the concepts of entrepreneurship and enterprise in the context of ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ and the way that mindset can, and needs to be taught within learning institutions. From a historical and cultural perspective, many of these concepts, knowledge and understandings are not new – navigators, inspirational leaders, innovators, engineers and scientists have had a long history of entrepreneurial mindset concepts. This presentation will also cover the methods of curriculum development and how to embed concepts to ensure that the learning is meaningful and relevant.
I propose to share the examination of the Entrepreneurial Mindset through the development of an Entrepreneurial Mindset 10 week Programme. There are four key development methods that have been utilised in the development of the programme:
1. Organisation of Content (Timetabling, planning, resources)
2. Curriculum Requirements
3. Learning Pedagogy (Project based learning)
4. Teaching Methods and Input (Reading, writing, speaking, designing).
This presentation aims to showcase methods that have meant that content is successfully taught, the requirements of the curriculum are embedded, teachers are well planned and supported.
The methodology used in this project is an inquiry based learning approach. The research is based on the implementation of a uniquely developed programme to a group of students and the findings and developments are reviewed and analysed. The research is student-focused with the students being the participants.
This presentation will conclude by sharing the findings of the research project, the tools to curriculum design and information on the Entrepreneurial Mindset.
 

The challenges and opportunities of globalisation, changing market needs, and technological development have led to more emphasis on innovation & enterprise as the skills needed to survive and succeed in the twenty-first century. This triggers the questions of how school can deliver curricula that will best develop these competencies and skills in an individual. In this paper, we propose a five-step student-led, learning-centred approach to curriculum design that aims to empower students to lead in educational activities and cultivate meta-cognitive competencies. Using the proposed five-step approach (IEREC – Ignite, Engage, Review, Explore, Collaborate), we engage students through teamwork and experiential learning to review innovations and identify unique values in existing products, services and projects. Students’ knowledge are first scaffolded with concepts of design thinking, critical and data analysis. Students are then motivated to apply and discover the knowledge they already possess through experiential learning. Through the application of “student-led” and “learning-centred” principles, students can reflect on their ideas, hone their analytical skills, sharpen their critical thinking capabilities, and demonstrate initiatives to explore beyond the module content. To evaluate the effectiveness of the five-step approach, we re-designed and re-developed a 30-hour year 2 module based on the proposed approach. A pilot study on 43 engineering students was completed. Results using the tool Entheo Six ‘I’s® of Innovation, at the start and end of the module, shows significant increase in 4 out of 6 innovative skills indicators. This paper shares the outcomes after 463 Engineering students participated in this study. Findings from the latter study shows consistent on improvement of innovative skills indicator with significant increase in 5 out of the 6 indicators. Students in both studies demonstrated clearer idea on the meaning of innovation and enterprise through active participation and sharing in class. Furthermore, students were able to provide critical reviews on real-life projects, products, and services and propose enhancements. Improved student performance driven by the effectiveness of the five-step approach provides educators with means to design innovation and enterprise curriculum for students.