Enhance your curriculum by addressing the QAA Guidance on skills for your subject, and incorporating the QAA (2018) Guidance on Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.

QAA Benchmark Statement

  • Interpersonal skills, such as communication
  • Strategic thinking
  • Expectations and surprises addressed

Embedding Enterprise

The following ETC tools can help you to deliver these skills in the curriculum

How To Guides

These guides have been selected to build QAA (2018) enterprise skills in your teaching.


Communication Icebreaker Introduction (QAA 3,6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To engage learners in wider concepts of communication
  • To explore/appreciate their own judgement and decision making skills
  • To encourage learner to appreciate non-verbal communication and tools to engage with and understand each other
  • To act as an ice-breaker

Overview:

This short task is designed to build the foundations of effective initial communication within a group, by exploring the concept of instant judgement (against knowing more about an individual or situation). It uses non-verbal communication to draw out stereotypes and explore how communication extends beyond verbal to all aspects of presentation (of person, of situation etc).

Activity:

At the start of a session, explain that you would like to them join you in an icebreaker activity and invite them to work with people that they haven't met before and that there is one key instruction: that no one talks to each other (or uses other communication such as texting).

Split the large group onto smaller groups ( 2-4 people in each group) and request each participant to select 3 items that they are happy to show to others, from their bags, pockets, clothes or the room or wider area (leaf; research article; equipment etc). Invite them to place these items selected in the table in front of him/her in a small pile.

Now, within each group, each person writes on post-it what assumptions they have made about the person, and places them around the items (so they made public). These opinions should be formed based on the displayed items by the person. This attempt at "personality analysis" should be gathered from their ownership/possessions of items/belongings.

Once they have completed this task, the group should be invited to talk together and work through each pile of items and comments together. They should be left for a reasonable length of time to talk/explore their assumptions and get to know each other. This stage is important to allow enough time to work through their points and learn more about each other.

Finally conduct a whole group debrief regarding assumptions and non-verbal clues. Ask the group about how they felt undertaking the task, and to recognise their emotions (arriving to a new programme to meet new people) as part of the process.

Skill Development:

The skills developed within this ice-breaker related to confidence, non-verbal communication and assumptions. However they are also exploring their skills of analysis and ability to reach conclusions, together with inter-personal skills as they began their feedback. This required listening to others, acceptance and openness and emotions will have played a part throughout the process.

Resources:

Papers, pens, items owned by individuals

About the Author
This guide was produced by Enterprise Evolution.

Communication Icebreaker Decision Making (QAA 3,6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space, Carousel Tables (small working group), Outside

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objectives:

  • Energiser
  • Generate enthusiasm
  • Non-verbal communication

Overview:

This energiser can be done at any time when working with a group; however it is ideal to be at the start of a programme or straight after lunch to get everyone moving, communicating and thinking in a fun way. The larger the group the better. If outside space is available it's good to be in a different environment before sessions start again. This can be done with groups of any age, any level.

Activity : This activity will take no more than 5 minutes depending on the size of the group

Participants have to line up in order of their birthdates from 1st Jan to 31st December, without speaking or mouthing the words. They have to communicate by physical gestures with each person to understand each other's birthday and find their correct place in line. Once they are all in line, starting from the beginning each then shouts out their birthday in order to see if they got it right.

Skill Development:

This energetic task obviously focuses upon non-verbal communication but requires team work and the ability to work under time pressure. It often displays a degree of rule breaking or inventive behaviour to ensure that the decision making is effective, based on the understanding they have. The skill development of this task can be enhanced through reflection (See QAArelfectivelearningdiaryFINAL) when it forms part of a course or programme.

About the Author
This guide was produced by ARP CPed.

Teaching The Teachers (QAA 6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To expose students to working within a high pressure, novel, real-world environment.
  • To develop students presentation and communication skills.
  • To develop students teamwork and interpersonal skills.
  • To develop students ability to communicate information effectively to diverse audiences.

Overview:

The ability to work well as a team, to develop and manage effective relationships with a diverse range of audiences, and to be skilled in communication are essential for any student, irrespective of their programme of study, or future career aspirations.

This simple activity encourages students to develop these skills, by inviting them to become the teachers, working in teams to develop presentations, and delivering them to a given audience.

The activity requires minimal presentation, can be easily adapted to suit any group, with ample room to extension activities, and also serves as an effective revision activity for students.

Activity:

Pre-Activity

  • Set-up for this activity is minimal.
  • You may wish to gather any resources or props in advance of the session, available for students to use in delivering their presentations.
  • You may wish to invite in a particular individual or group, to serve as an audience to student presentations.
  • You may wish to set students preparatory work to do in advance of the session.

Part 1

  • Inform students that they are to prepare a presentation of a given length, on a given subject, for presentation to an audience.
  • Provide students with information regarding the subject matter which must be covered.
  • Provide students with information regarding the audience for their presentation – To enhance the 'real' element to this task, an external audience may be invited to receive these presentations. This could include students from other courses or year groups, school students, industry relevant professionals or otherwise.
  • Provide students with a deadline by which their presentations must be ready to deliver - To provide students with experience of working under pressure, with risk and uncertainly, this deadline could be very tight (i.e. a matter of minutes or hours), with no prior warning of the task. If depth of research and quality of presentation takes precedence, this activity could be spread across a number of sessions, or students provided with advance warning in order to prepare appropriately.

Part 2

  • Students organise themselves into teams.
  • Within teams, students delegate tasks, and research and prepare their presentations.
  • You may wish to allow students access to any appropriate props and resources, computers etc. to support them in this (as time and circumstance permits).
  • You may wish to set additional rules to groups (for example, every individual within the group must speak during the presentation).

Part 3

  • Students deliver their presentations to one another, and their invited audience.
  • You may wish to allow the audience to ask questions to presenters and for students to assess one another as they present.
  • You may wish for presentation to be recorded.

Post Activity

  • Students can feedback on their experience of the activity (what did they enjoy? what did they find most challenging? what did the activity teach them?).
  • If filmed, recording of presentations may be watched and analysed, or made available to students as revision tools.

Skill Development:

  • Students will develop their team work and communication skills, be better equipped to work to tight deadlines and under pressure, and more adept at communicating information in an appropriate way for a given audience.
  • They will have had opportunities to reflect on their own abilities as communicators, and considers means by which they could improve.
  • They will have consolidated the knowledge they were set to present through the task.

Resources:

  • An appropriate audience for students to present to.
  • Assess to resources, for students use in preparing presentations.

Associated Case Studies

About the Author
This guide was produced by Mike Corcoran (www.macorcoran.com). If you would like to contact the author, please use this email address:- m.a.corcoran@outlook.com.

Run-around (QAA 3)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement

Objective:

  • To test subject-related knowledge and/or ability to make judgements, synthesize information and make decisions within a time-pressured environment.
  • To create a learning environment where learning from 'failure' is permissible (accepted and rewarded, as it can improve student outcomes (scores) if they are willing to adapt with new information or learn from observation / from the group decision making).

Overview:

Based on the 80's TV classic format "Runaround" this highly interactive task energises and tests the learner's ability to recall or synthesis information within a short time frame (15-30 seconds). This is an active "on-your-feet" activity, designed to get the whole group "running around" between potential answers for subject based quiz questions. It does require preparation (of quiz questions and answer "zone" markers such as A, B, C, D as well a consideration of the space/safety issues when working with a given number of students.

Activity

PREPARATION: As a tutor you will need to prepare a set of (subject based) multi-choice questions to ask the group as a whole. These can be factual or can draw upon their skills of synthesis and instinctive decision-making as you challenge students to apply knowledge and learning to new areas in order to answer the questions presented to them.

In addition you need to create 3 or 4 (depending upon the number of options of your multiple choice questions) letters (A-D) for the students to move towards. These can be chalked on the floor, but ideally are large letters stuck to the wall (rather than the floor to avoid slipping).

In addition a large visible timer can drama to each question, but you can use a watch or phone as a timer, or adjust time scales relating to the difficulty of the questions asked by just declaring "time up" as you judge the room to have "settled".

Task: as the tutor you will gather all the students into the middle of a large learning space and then invite them to move to the areas (A-D) in order to show their answer to the questions you are 'shouting out'* to them.

*Depending upon the room, and the learning support needs of the students it can be beneficial to have these questions and their answer-options on PowerPoint.

As the questions are asked, there is a short time for the individuals to decide which answer they support and move to the letter that represents their answer (so the students are "running around" to stand by the answer they feel is right). It is best conducted with 1 right option and the others being false, if close, answers.

Students must go to the area that they think is the correct answer – undertaking "the runaround". They are then given the chance to change their position if desired, in a further "runaround". The answer is then revealed with a full explanation. This active form of learning means that students are fully engaged in the learning process and increase what they remember due to the jeopardy and risk associated with this game. Emphasis is placed on engagement, not on “winning” and active revision takes place. A handout of the slides can be provided at the end of the session to promote further engagement and continue the learning, by promoting discussion and reflection after the task is completed.

By creating questions that might split the group or by releasing further information as they move, you build student confidence in their decision making (as they are allowed to move during the "decision time") and reducing the stress associated with risk of failure. It is also a way to support those who less confidence or understanding as they are not isolated within the group, but able to see the consensus of views and chose to follow the majority if they wish. It also allows those who appear to be' failing' to change their answer by moving to a different letter, if they see that the group members have selected a different answer.

FINAL NOTE: Of course the safety of students is paramount and this should only be done if it can be carried out safely with the number of students and if all students are in a position to actively engage or can be supported to do so.

Skill Development:

A key pedagogic note is that students feel quite happy about taking part because they get the chance to change their minds, without embarrassment whilst less confident students gain a sense of confidence in their own ability.

Confidence can be built by awarding team points rather than individual points as this encourages the group to invite those it fears as having the wrong answer to join them, within the time limit. However it is worth noting that individual marking option makes this particularly useful technique for revision or 'last class before the exam'.

Whilst this game is fast and furious it is designed to limit failing and support those who may expose a lack of understanding, as the majority response to the questions is always visible. It is therefore important to reflect upon this at the end of the task to ensure that the difficult (subject) questions are reviewed (especially those that the group got wrong) but also that the confidence in each other as knowing and supporting each other as team members.

Resources:

Preparation of multiple choice quiz questions

Large "answer zone" signs (A, B, C, D)

Optional: handout of questions and answers for post-activity individual reflection

References:

Inspiration: Runaround TV Show: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaround_(UK_game_show)

Opportunity Spotting Within a Narrative Journey (QAA 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Presentation Space, Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • The learner will discover that they have entrepreneurial abilities and potential
  • The learner will get an insight into the world of 'everyday' entrepreneurship
  • The learner will become more alert to opportunity recognition
  • This is a useful session for the reluctant entrepreneur – those who might think it's not for them, particularly arts students.

Overview:

Activity:

This is a two hour session and it will begin abruptly by creating a case study with the student group.

The idea is to pick on a student and announce in 5 years' time "Jane"(or John) will run a successful arts consultancy. This will raise some surprised gasps and giggles which will immediately engage students' attention. The narrative that unfolds will demonstrate: how Jane started out in one direction but discovered, and followed, opportunities elsewhere, how she took a few risks, showed resilience in the face of setbacks and how she turned to her networks (other students in the room who come into the story) to help her fill skills gaps and capacity problems.

The case study is pre prepared and can be tailored to the cohort. It should be approximately 10 mins long and the story should be plausible – not extraordinary – a case of everyday entrepreneurship. It will be fun as it draws the students into a fictional story.

Following this there is a 30 min breakout to discuss in groups of 3 or 4 to analyse Jane / John's journey: how did he do it, the key factors for success, would you have done it differently, could you have done the same journey, have you encountered any similar situations to John, if so what did you do? Students post thoughts on stickies.

The management of feedback here is important because the students, who are reluctant entrepreneurs, should be led to the explanation that this behaviour is entrepreneurial. The session is to not only identify the behaviour as entrepreneurial but to get the students to reflect on their experiences in similar situations and imagine how they would respond. The idea is for the students to see enterprise as tangible, every day (familiar even), as a series of minor steps and small scale risks and about trying things out to see what happens.

The upshot of the feedback session is that the students 'discover' the entrepreneurial mind-set for themselves – they have not listened to an expert talk about it for 50 mins – and that they identify with it as something they can do themselves.

Skill Development:

The session finishes with 10-15 mins reflection where students have to pledge to do something entrepreneurial that week. It could be something they had been thinking about for a while but had made excuses not to do it. Others may need a little help and guidance from peers about what they might do, so reflection and pledge setting should be discussed in groups. The follow up session (if appropriate) will be when more detailed reflections can emerge and when students can get a measure of where they might be regarding their own development in terms of entrepreneurship and the enterprising mind-set.

Resources:

  • Post-its or similar sticky pads
  • Pens
  • Flip chart

About the Author
This guide was produced by Dr Peter McLuskie, Coventry University. If you would like to contact the author, please use this email address:- Peter.McLukie@coventry.ac.uk.

Gather learners’ expectations and needs (using post-its) (QAA 1, 2)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation

Objectives:


• To allow learners to contribute to the agenda for large-group teaching sessions;
• To allow teachers to find out ‘where a group of learners is at’ at the start of a large-group session
• To gather details of ‘learning incomes’ for a group – what the learners can already do, what they already know, and what their potential problems may be.


Overview

This is a plenary activity using post-its in a large-group setting, for example in a lecture theatre, at the start of a lecture, or at the start of a series of lectures. Each learner is given a post-it, and asked to respond privately to a given starter-question. Learners are then asked to swap post-its, and a few volunteers are invited to read out what’s on the post-it they now have (in the comfort of relative anonymity). Then learners are asked to stick up all the post-its on one or more flipcharts, to serve as an exhibit for the rest of the lecture, and to be taken away by the teacher/lecturer at the end of the session for further exploration.


Activity


1. Show a slide indicating very broadly what the session is going to be about, or give a very short oral introduction to the session.
2. Issue post-its, one to everyone (rectangular ones are best for this)
3. Picking a main topic from what’s going to be addressed in the session, indicate the starter statement on a slide ‘Xxxx would be much better for me if only I ….’ and ask everyone to jot down, in good handwriting, quick completions of this starter on their post-its.
4. Ask everyone to swap post-its, till they’ve lost track who may have their own.
5. Find a volunteer to read out, loudly, whatever’s on the post-it they now have. Explain that there’s no risk, as if the post-it is ‘silly’ it’s not the fault of the person who now has it.
6. Ask the volunteer to pick any other learner (e.g. by what colour they’re wearing or any other way), and get them to read out what’s on their post-it.
7. Repeat till between 6 and 10 post-its have been read out.
8. Ask for the post-its all to be stuck onto a flipchart (or two) at the front of the room, e.g. ‘folk at the end of rows please bring them and stick them up’.
9. Look briefly at the exhibit, picking out trends, praising a couple of really good ‘if only’s, and reading out any amusing ones.
10. From time to time during the session, address things that were listed on the ‘if only’ post-its.
11. Peel off all the post-its and take them with you at the end of the session, and if you have time sort out what the most frequently occurring ones are, and start of your next session with the class by addressing one or two of these directly. From the whole collection, gain an idea of how much (or little) the group seems to already know about the topic (the ‘learning incomes’ – what they’re bringing to the topic).

Skill Development

This exercise helps teacher and students develop the following skills:
• Teacher: skill at finding out ‘where a group is at’ regarding a new topic, or an (important) subtopic.
• Teacher: a way of starting a lecture where it matters little if a few stragglers are still arriving during the activity.
• Teacher: a resource to re-visit before running a new session on the same topic with another group in future.
• Learners: the feeling that their views, fears, and ideas are being collected and addressed by the teacher.
• Learners: a quick, anonymous, safe way of admitting things they think will be difficult or challenging.
• Learners: the opportunity to think quickly around a new topic, and pick something they would like to get out of it being covered in the session.


Resources

• One or more pads of post-its.
• Something on which post-its can be stuck by learners towards the end of the activity; a flipchart is ideal, but doors, windows, whiteboards and walls can be used as necessary, testing them first to ensure post-its will actually stick to them.
• A few pens or pencils to give away to those learners who haven’t one with them. 


References:


Race, P. (2014) ‘Making Learning Happen: 3rd edition’, London: Sage.
https://iad4learnteach.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/making-learning-happen-the-power-of-the-post-it-note/
Race, P. (2015) ‘The Lecturer’s Toolkit; 4th edition’, Abingdon: Routledge.
http://phil-race.co.uk

 

About the Author
This guide was produced by Professor Phil Race.

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Case Examples

Enterprise Clubs: Guest Speakers In Practice (QAA 1,2,3,5,6)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Large Group

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills

Objective:

  • To provide learners with opportunities to network and learn from their peers.
  • To provide learners with opportunities to network with industry relevant experts.
  • To provide learners with opportunities to enhance their subject relevant skills and knowledge.
  • To provide learners with opportunities to reflect, and to plan.
  • To improve learners confidence and self-belief.
  • To support learners in setting up and growing their own Enterprises.

Introduction:

In north east Wales a number of criminology students (along with peers from a variety of degree programmes) develop their enterprise skills by engaging with expert guest speakers, facilitated by the Business Entrepreneurship Network.

The Business Entrepreneurship Network for Wrexham and Flintshire is a network of businesses, business support organisations, entrepreneurs and education institutions with a shared interest in supporting individuals (especially young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds), in developing their confidence, aspirations and abilities, and supporting them through the process of starting up their own businesses.

The network was established by Askar Sheibani, CEO of Comtek Network Systems LTD, and an appointed 'Entrepreneurship Champion' to Welsh Government. In 2014, having been successfully developed in Flintshire, the Network's provision was extended to Wrexham. Speaking at the launch of the Wrexham Network, Mr Sheibani said, "The aim is to increase the number of business start-ups in Wales and this trial in Wrexham will give us a better ideaof how the Flintshire model can be improved and applied in other regions. The Wrexham trial is supported by the Welsh Government and we are confident that the model – which was developed within the community at a grass roots level - will prove to be a practical and innovative way to increase the level of entrepreneurship and business start-ups in Wales."

Amongst the ways in which the Business Entrepreneurship Network supports entrepreneurs, is via fortnightly 'Enterprise Clubs.' These clubs are coordinated in Wrexham by NE Wales based further education institution Coleg Cambria, and feature presentations by invited guest speakers, followed by informal networking.

The use of guest speakers at enterprise clubs has been of tremendous value to learners. The clubs are held at Wrexham Library, a centrally located and publicly accessible venue, and are open to students, graduates and members of the public free of charge.

A number of regular attendees are current NE Wales based undergraduate students, from a wide-variety of degree programmes. Attendees range from those setting up their own businesses, to students looking to develop their networks and skills for employment, to those simply wishing to develop their confidence and find out more.

Activity:

Planning Guest Speaker Sessions

There is no budget to facilitate guest speakers to the Enterprise Club. As such, appropriate speakers are identified from a variety of sources, including;

  • Contacts from the professional networks for the Business Entrepreneurship Network and its supporters.
  • Representatives from a variety of business support organisations (who are able to cover their costs from their own funds).
  • Funded schemes, for examples, the Welsh Government funded 'Big Ideas Wales Role Model' network.
  • Experts from further and higher education (able to offer their time in kind).

Club members are invited to suggest the topics and themes they would like the club to cover in the coming weeks and months, and speakers are sourced to meet these specific needs, ensuring sessions are always relevant to their audience. Speakers are generally confirmed two weeks prior to a club meeting, allowing for the sessions to be promoted through a club mailing list, through professional networks, through general press release, and through social media.

Facilitating Guest Speaker Sessions

Enterprise Club

Figure 1. Attendees discussing ideas at the BEN Enterprise Club

Enterprise Club sessions last for 2 hours. The general running order is as follows;

  • The club’s facilitator (Lynn Williams, Business Lecturer at Coleg Cambria) welcomes attendees.
  • The speaker is introduced to the group.
  • The speaker delivers a talk / workshop for approximately 1 hour. AV presentation facilities are provided for speakers who require them. (The majority of guest speakers deliver sessions inclusive of amble discussion points and break away activities).
  • The facilitator invites Q and A from the group at the end of the talk.
  • For the second hour of the session, refreshments are provided, and guest speakers and club members are invited to stay, discuss the content covered in the session, and informally discuss problems, achievements and ideas.
  • The facilitator thanks for guest speaker and group for their attendance, and the group are invited to suggest topics they would like to visit at the club in the weeks and months ahead.
  • The details of the following club presentation are promoted to the group, and the club is brought to a close.

Impact:

The guest speaker sessions have made a huge impact on the club attendees. The first hand, up-to-date, and relevant knowledge and expertise which speakers have passed on to club members, is directly applicable to the groups of needs and endeavours, and the opportunity to network with speakers and fellow club attendees has led to numerous mentoring relationships and collaborative projects, and allowed members of the group to identify bespoke solutions to their own specific problems.

Approximately 100 unique individuals have participated in the guest speaker sessions to date, with average attendances of 10 participants at each club meeting, and with many new enterprises being launched by club members.

Learner outcome:

Comments from regular club attendees have included;

"The staff, the entrepreneurs and the members have helped me out a lot and not just with my business. They have boosted my confidence and made me feel like I could really achieve my dreams."

"BEN has helped me a great deal with starting up my business and I have been given so much positive feedback from both mentors and fellow members."

"The BEN Club has allowed me to work with a great mentor and meet great people with passion for business."

Resources:

  • An appropriate meeting venue.
  • A network from which guest speakers can be provided.
  • For a How-To Guide and utilising guest speakers, see 'Guest Speaker Guidance.'

References:

Author:

www.macorcoran.com

With thanks to Lynn Williams, Coleg Cambria – lynn.williams@cambria.ac.uk

About the Author
This guide was produced by Mike Corcoran. If you would like to contact the author, please use this email address:- m.a.corcoran@outlook.com.

How To Speak In Public (Media Communications) (QAA 5,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

5Reflection and Action 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • To give media and communications students an insight into the importance and relevance of public speaking, presentation, and communication skills to their subject area.
  • To equip students with insights, strategies and skills to become more effective communicators.
  • To allow students to reflect on the diverse environments in which they will require public speaking skills in the future, and to reflect on the most effective strategies to employ in each instance. 
  • To provide students with a practical opportunity to nurture and develop their communication skills.

Introduction:

For students of BA Broadcasting, Journalism, and Media Communications at Glyndwr University, skills in public speaking, presenting and communication are absolutely essential. Throughout their academic life students will be required to present work in a wide variety of ways, and in their professional life they will encounter many environments were public speaking is unavoidable. To that end, students studying towards this degree programme are given as many opportunities as possible to develop these skills, in a mixture of real-world and simulated environments.

A two hour session was run for a small group of second year students on the above programme, on the theme of ‘How to Speak in Public.’ The group were of mixed ability and experience, with some working in media jobs (entailing regular presentation and communication) as alongside their study, and other with who’s only experience had come from school, college and University presentations. 

The session was delivered by the University’s ZONE Enterprise Hub Manager, on the invitation of the course tutor.

Activity:

The session followed the format which can be found in the ‘Workshop - How to Speak in Public’ How to Guide.

The students began the session with an introduction to the themes which would be covered, namely; how to structure a presentation, how to use tools effectively; how to present clearly; how to control and manage nerves, and how to deal with questions.

A brief dialogue initiated the session, where students discussed how they felt the subject was relevant to them, their studies and their careers. As the group size was small, it was possible to ask each individual about their own experience, feelings toward public speaking, and careers ambitions at this stage. This entailed that the session was tailored directly to the needs of the individuals there after. 

At each stage in the workshop, examples were chosen which were appropriate to the audience in hand, and as the session extended over two hours, it was possible to go into a greater degree of depth at each of the practical activity and discussion opportunities. For example, in discussing the use of appropriate language, each member of the group wrote a short paragraph, communicating the same piece of information for three separate audiences, and then the group each presented these mini-presentations to one another. An in discussing the appropriate use of tone, we used a real world example from one of the audience, who broadcasts her own show on a community radio station. 

Again taking advantage of the small group size, the session was informal and conversational in nature, and questions were answered, points of contention debated, and tangents explored wherever appropriate as we progressed.

At the end of the one session, the key themes covered were re-capped, and students were offered the opportunity to ask additional questions, and directed to further support, links and reading if they wished to explore the issues further.

Impact:

The session had a strong, positive impact on the individuals who participated. For those in the group with some prior experience of presenting, they were able to consolidate what they knew, focus on the finer details of the content, and offer valuable feedback and contributions to the group conversation. For those with limited or no previous experience, it served as a solid foundation to the topic on which to build going forward. 

Indeed, following the session, the group sought further support from the enterprise service at the University, in organising and hosting their own contemporary science debate evening, putting many of the skills covered into practice.

Learner outcome: 

Learners reported that the session left them with greater confidence and understanding, and all were keen to put the skills discussed into practice going forward. Feedback from participating students included;

“Really supportive and helpful! Made it interesting.”

”Good dynamic talk with great points and useful information.”

“Enthusiastic presentation which was clear and understandable. Very good!”

“Very good presentation – clear, informative and interesting.”

“Good talk containing a lot of useful and relevant information.”

“Excellent presentation. Really useful.”

Resources: 

References:

  • BBC - The Speaker - Improve your public speaking. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/speaker/improve/ . [Accessed 28 July 2015].  
  • Corcoran, Mike. How to Speak in Public - YouTube. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMnh02odBNA.  [Accessed 29 July 2015].
  • McCarthy, Patsy, 2002. Presentation Skills: The Essential Guide for Students (Study Skills). Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd (pp70-106 & 219-236). 
  • Shephard, Kerry, 2005. Presenting at Conferences, Seminars and Meetings. 1 Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd (pp1-18 & 138-148).
  • Van Emden, Joan, 2010. Presentation Skills for Students (Palgrave Study Skills). 2 Edition. Palgrave Macmillan (pp1-61).
  • Zone Enterprise Hub, Topic: ZONE Resources. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: https://moodle.glyndwr.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=37§ion=11. [Accessed 28 July 2015].

About the Author
This guide was produced by Mike Corcoran. If you would like to contact the author, please use this email address:- m.a.corcoran@outlook.com.

Venture Matrix (QAA 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Special

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 5Reflection and Action 6Interpersonal Skills 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

Through working on this learning opportunity the students developed; 

  • Communication skills 
  • Presentation skills 
  • Creativity
  • Time management skills

Introduction:

The Venture Matrix model has been used across multiple disciplines and across all levels (from first year right up to postgraduate level) to develop enterprise and employability skills within the curriculum at Sheffield Hallam University. 

All Venture Matrix activities are done within curriculum as part of a subject specific module, and students gain academic credits for their activities. This allows the students to put their latest academic theory into practice, in a live but supported setting, allowing them to develop those all-important enterprise and employability skills. 

We are now finding that some of our students are making the leap from doing a Venture Matrix project to setting up their own business. 

Examples of the diversity of the disciplines involve include, but are not limited to; Art, Biomedical Sciences, Business and Enterprise, Business Studies, Computing, Education, Engineering, English, Events Management, Film, Geography , History, Journalism, Law, Marketing ,Mathematics, Media, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Public Relations.

The case example discussed here is taken from psychology.

Activity:

A group of psychology students were tasked with creating a series of team building and assertiveness workshops for Sheffield high schools, as part of then Big Challenge.

The Big Challenge is a competition delivered by Sheffield City Council open to all Sheffield schools and colleges. The teams receive £25 at the start of the competition and during the period of the Big Challenge all teams seek to increase their investment by as much as possible. There are several prizes to bewon. It was recognised that not all pupil teams participating were going through to the competition stage due to a lack of confidence, where they had to do a Dragon's Den type pitch.

The students met with Sheffield City Council and school staff to ensure that the workshops that they were creating would be suitable for the pupils that they were delivering them to. The students decided to focus the Big Challenge workshops on managing team relations. Many of the Big Challenge teams would be made up of friends, and this would help them manage their team relationships and any problems and disputes that they may encounter. They also discussed the theory for the workshops with their academic tutor - ensuring that the workshops were accurate and that the attendees would benefit from them in a positive way and develop in confidence.

The psychology students delivered a series of interactive workshops to Big Challenge pupils. The workshops consisted of a range of tasks and activities to promote trust and develop teamwork and build confidence. This directly linked to their module learning outcomes. Through working on this learning opportunity the students have developed their communication skills, presentation skills, creativity and time management skills.

Impact:

“Taking part in the Venture Matrix certainly gives our students a head start when it comes to setting up their own business. The experience they gain is invaluable and means that they are much more likely to be successful and to survive in the commercial world.”

Sheila Quairney, Business and Enterprise Manager, Sheffield Hallam University’s Enterprise Centre.

Learner Outcome:

"After completing my Venture Matrix project I graduated with a BSc in Psychology and went onto study an MSc in Occupational Psychology. In 2013, I returned to the Venture Matrix as a Graduate Researcher. My main project was to conduct employability research and I supervised the psychology students with their projects, and I also delivered some staff training. This journey has vastly developed my academic and employability skills, and has inspired me to set up my own business delivering business psychology services, specialising in training and development."

Simon Kilpatrick, Business Psychologist, Intrinsic Links

The examples of curriculum development for enterprise related outcomes were originally outlined by Neil Coles at the International Enterprise Educators Conference under the heading 'From Archaeology to Zoology; an A-Z of enterprise in the curriculum'. For his work in contextualising enterprise for any subject, Neil won the 2013 National Enterprise Educator Award.

Resources:

N/A

References:

  • Venture Matrix. Sheffield Hallam University. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.shu.ac.uk/employability/course/venture-matrix/#. [Accessed 18 August 2015]. 

Author/Contact Details:

  • Neil Coles, Senior Enterprise Learning Officer, Cardiff University (enterprise@cardiff.ac.uk)
  • With thanks to Charmaine Myers, Project Director, Venture Matrix scheme, Sheffield Hallam University (C.E.Myers@shu.ac.uk)
Your Example Here

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Embedding Entrepreneurship

If you or your students are interested in developing a business idea, becoming self-employed/freelance or creating a business here are some tools to help and also some links to business start-up support.

How To Guides

These guides have been selected to build QAA (2018) entrepreneurship skills in your teaching.


Preparing a Sales Forecast (QAA3,4)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management

Objective:

  • Understand the factors to consider when producing a sales forecast for their business
  • Understand the implications of variations from forecasts, particularly in terms of receiving payments

Overview: 

This activity is designed to provide an opportunity for the entrepreneur / small business owner to develop their forecasting skills and consider different scenarios of their business performance, specifically in terms of potential sales. 

Activity:

To consider and collate information to produce informed sale forecasts, gather the relevant information:


The Sales Forecast Checklist

  1. Details of any orders secured
  2. List all customers you expect to sell to over the forecast period, and how much you expect to sell to each.
  3. Market research data to support or verify these forecasts. What information have you gathered from potential customers?
  4. Supporting information such as examples from other similar ventures started recently, and drawing from company accounts and other sources.

Using this information prepare a sales forecast by value and volume for each major product group (e.g. for a hotel: bedrooms, restaurant) throughout the period of the business plan – at least 12 months.

 Month 1Month 2Month 3TotalNotes & Assumptions
Product 1          
Unit price          
No. of units sold        0  
Sales income (a) - - - -  
Product 1          
Unit price          
No. of units sold        0  
Sales income (b) - - - -  
Product 1           
Unit price          
No. of units sold        0  
Sales income (c) - - - -  
Total sales (a + b + c) - - - -  

Skill Development: 

This breaks down some of the key thinking and skills of the entrepreneur and allows the students to work through their assumptions.  This can be conducted in groups, or as individuals, allowing students to focus on start-up.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Alison Price.

Competitor Analysis: SWOT Analysis (QAA2,3,4)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Individual Task

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Any

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management

Objective:

To create a clear understanding of their competitors, using SW analysis.

Overview: 

A SWOT analysis is a useful tool for analysis, when actions and conclusions are drawn from it.  

Activity: 

Instructions

Invite the entrepreneur / small business owner to identify their key competitors (at least 3), and list the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Examples of strengths and weaknesses for a bicycle manufacturing business,

Strengths 

  • Reliable products
  • Well respected brand 
  • Competitively priced
  • Focussed on specialist market 

Weaknesses

  • Limited capacity to produce 
  • Outdated methods of production
  • Lack of marketing expertise
  • Low profit margin

Consideration should then be given to each of the competitors, and compared with the entrepreneur or small business owners’ view of their own business.

  • What can be learnt from the competitors’ strengths?  
  • What can be done better than the competition?
  • Are there any weaknesses that can be exploited?

This analysis can then inform what approach the entrepreneur / small business owner takes to developing their own business and to understand how they can best create or sustain a competitive advantage.

The key to using SWOT is now determine a course of action from this analysis.

Students can be invited to present their work and comment to provide constructive criticism, which is future focused.  

Skill Development:

By placing a clear focus on future action, rather than analysis, this will build skills of evaluation, decision making and judgement which lend themselves to action.  

About the Author
This guide was produced by Lisa McMullan.

Workshop: Business Planning (QAA 1,2,5)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Any

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 2Opportunity recognition‚ creation and evaluation 5Reflection and Action

Objective:

  • To provide students with an opportunity to identify and reflect on their own skills.
  • To provide students with an opportunity to generate business ideas, and identify opportunities.
  • To provide students with knowledge and understanding of how to write and structure a business plan.
  • To provide students with an understanding of how to use a business plan effectively.
  • To provide students with an awareness of the advice, resources and support available to them.

Overview:

A well-structured, well-research and well-written business plan is an invaluable asset to any new enterprise. Yet many students considering starting up report difficulty in developing business plans and in particular, plans which actively work for them and their business.

Business Planning is a workshop serving as an introduction to the subject, inclusive of opportunities to reflect on skills and generate ideas, and information regarding how to build a strong and cohesive plan around those ideas, and advice regarding using that plan, to turn those ideas into successful businesses.
 
The activity is designed to fit within a typical one hour lecture session, but inclusive of ample opportunities for extension, through practical activity, group discussion or independent research, and could easily form the basis of a more comprehensive scheme of work on the subject. It is designed to be appropriate for students of any level or programme of study. It was originally developed through the HEFCW funded pan-Wales Enterprise Support Programme.

Lesson plans and AV presentations for use in the delivery of the workshop can be downloaded via the link to the ‘ZONE Enterprise Hub’ webpages listed in ‘References’ and ‘Resources.’

Activity:

The activity follows the structure outlined in the ‘Business Planning’ PowerPoint presentation, inclusive of all links and examples.

  

Figure 1. PowerPoint presentation which accompanies this activity.

Pre-Activity

Students are not required to prepare anything in advance of this workshop. For workshop leaders, preparation is minimal, other than ensuring supporting AV resources are displaying correctly.

Introduction

  • Students are welcomed and introduced to the themes that will be covered during the workshop.
  • The group may be invited to share their own business experience or business ideas.

Why Bother?

  • Students are asked to discuss and share where they see their ideas and business endeavours 10 years from now.
  • Students are provided with a basic definition of a business plan.
  • Students discuss the purpose of a business plan. Points are suggested and debated.

What to think about?

  • Students are asked to reflect on the skills which they possess.
  • Students are asked to explore and identify the products and services they can offer, supported by their skill set.
  • Students explore how, by reflecting on a particular product or service, they can consider pricing, branding, marketing and sales.
  • An indicative example is offered within the PowerPoint presentation to illustrate this. If desired, you may wish to reinforce this by working through a real example offered by a member of the audience.
  • (An activity allowing students to identify their skills, and explore opportunities in a greater degree of depth can be found in How To Guide ‘Workshop: Breaking Problems Down and Putting Solutions Together.’)

What to write down?

  • The key elements of a basic business plan are covered step by step, with class discussion of the key points at each stage. Namely, the elements covered are; The Executive Summary, The Business Vision, Marketing, Running the Business, Finance.
  • Students are introduced to SWOT analysis. If desired, a member of the audience may be invited to offer their own business idea as an example, which a SWOT analysis can be worked through for collectively.
  • Students are introduced to cash flow forecast. Again if desired, an indicative example may be offered to demonstrate how the forecast works.

Help and support

Students are provided with links and information regarding the support, advice and assistance available to them as they develop their business plans.

Conclusion

The key themes covered in the workshop are re-capped, and students are invited to ask any outstanding questions which they may have.

Post-Activity

This workshop is intended only as an introduction to the subject of Business Planning. Following the activity, students may utilise the information provided to research and develop their plans independently, or each element of the workshop may be revisited and explored in more depth by the group.

Skill Development:

Students will leave the workshop with greater confidence in their ability, with a better understanding of their skills, and how these skills will support the development of their endeavours. They will have a better knowledge and understanding of business plans and how to develop them, and a greater awareness of how to use business plans to effectively support them in their endeavours.

Resources:

PowerPoint Slides accompanying this activity can be downloaded here > Business Planning [PDF]

References:

Zone Enterprise Hub, Topic: ZONE Resources. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at: https://moodle.glyndwr.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=37§ion=11 . [Accessed 05 August 2015].

About the Author
This guide was produced by Mike Corcoran .

Consensus Building through Business Planning – Costs and Benefits (QAA 3,7)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Lecture Theatre, Presentation Space

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

3Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement 7Communication and Strategy

Objective:

  • Develop an understanding of the benefits of producing a business plan, for them and  their business
  • Develop an understanding of the costs and resource implications of producing a business plan to them and their business 
  • Alleviate concerns and promote their ownership of the business plan 
  • To evidence the power of group work as ideas and issues are considered from different perspectives and shared through small group work

Overview:

This activity is designed to provide an opportunity for students to develop their understanding of the purpose and benefits of producing a business plan as well as expressing any concerns or issues relating to the process.  

Activity:

As an individual task – invite each student to consider the opposing statement below (that preparing a business plan is ‘a waste of time’ and ‘a valuable exercise’ and to make a list of the reasons why someone may agree with each of the statements. 

Each point can then be researched, discussed in small groups, and challenged within the small group situation to create a consensus for presentation.

The activity should be concluded by asking the group to agree where they would rank themselves on the continuum and make their position to the wider group.

This will create a range of presentations, which will draw out of range of concerns and issues, that can then be discussed and explored across the wider group.

Preparing a Business Plan

A waste of time ......................................  A valuable exercise
0                                                                          10

This can also be repeated, following business planning work, to provide a useful reflection tool at the end of the business planning process, when students are invited to consider the statements again having completed the business plan.  This can provide an indication of any change in the entrepreneur / small business owner’s view.

Skill Development:

The decision making within this task is both individual and within a group and therefore develops consensus building through discussion and debate.  The discussion will build deeper understanding of the business planning process and build confidence around this area, whilst the presentation skills to the wider group will build confidence in public speaking and debate.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Alison Price.

Teaching Entrepreneurship A Practice Based Approach Exercise Business Model Canvas Game (QAA 1,5)

Group Size ? 1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any

Small group (teams of 4-6)

Learning Environment ? 1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special

Carousel Tables (small working group)

QAA Enterprise Theme(s) ? 1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
8.) Digital and Data Skills

1Creativity and Innovation 5Reflection and Action

Objective:

  • Reflect on the meaning and importance of the nine business model components. 
  • Demonstrate how the ordering on the canvas categorizes components as generating value or creating efficiency to deliver value. 
  • Discuss and debate the ordering proposed by Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010).

Overview:

The Business Model Canvas (http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/ canvas) has become a popular teaching tool in entrepreneurship classrooms. It is not my intention here to introduce the canvas or illustrate how it works. Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010) do a magnificent job explaining the canvas, articulating the theory behind the canvas, and offering many ways to use the canvas. This exercise is a quick game to help students reflect on the nature and ordering of the nine business model components found on the canvas as proposed by Osterwalder and Pigneur.

Usage Suggestions

This exercise works well for both undergraduate and graduate audiences. The exercise is best used in a course or class session where the Business Model Canvas is first being introduced.

Activity:

Pre- Work Required by Students - None.

Time Plan (30 minutes)

The Game Setup 0:00–0:05 (5 minutes) 

Before introducing the canvas, simply introduce that there are nine components of a business model. I typically show a PowerPoint slide with the nine components listed in random order. Tell the students that there is a particular order to the components, but they need to figure out what the order is. In other words, they need to determine which of the components should be considered first, second, and so on. What’s most important to start with and what’s least important? Separate students into teams of five (maximum).

The Game 0:05–0:15 (10 minutes) 

Give each team a deck of cards (see resources) and ask them to place them in order from one to nine (10 minutes). After 10 minutes, give each team a long piece of masking tape and have them tape the order of their cards to the wall or board, so everyone can see the differences across the team.

The Discussion 0:15–0:30 (15 minutes) 

Now it is time to introduce the ordering that Osterwalder and Pigneur use. Their book (see Theoretical Foundations) is quite helpful if you are not familiar with the canvas. I typically give out a copy of the Business Model Canvas to each student prior to disclosing the order. The ordering of the components is: 

  1. Customer segments
  2. Value proposition
  3. Channels
  4. Customer relationships
  5. Revenue streams
  6. Key resources
  7. Key activities
  8. Key partners
  9. Cost structure

Usually student teams will have either customer segments or value propositions first and this creates a wonderful debate in the class. Introduce the order of the components one by one while also explaining what each component is. After walking through the components and discussing the differences in order created by each team I end the exercise with a brief discussion summarizing the order. At the end of the day, the ordering really does not matter because the canvas is meant to be an iterative, working document that will continuously change as you learn new information from every action taken or experiment conducted. What is most interesting about the design of the canvas and its ordering is found when you fold the canvas in half (left to right). 

According to Osterwalder and Pigneur, the right side of the canvas is concerned with creating and generating value. The left side of the canvas is concerned with generating efficiencies to deliver that value. As such, an entrepreneur needs to first determine or create the value and then develop the approach to deliver that value. Innovation, novelty, creativity, and competitive advantage are most often found in the value creation. So, start on the right!

Teaching Tips

The most important reason that I do this exercise is to get the students thinking about each component on their own in teams rather than just “telling” them about each component. Expect raging debates about customer segments versus value propositions as being first in the order. It is always a great conversation to have.

Skill Development: 

Key Takeaways

  • It is important to think about the ordering of the components but not be wedded to one particular ordering. 
  • A business model is about value creation, delivery, and capture – but start with creation and think about cost last. 
  • Focusing too soon on cost structure and resources can diminish the innovativeness of new ideas. This can happen when we start on the left side of the canvas.

Resources: 

Materials List

Instructors will need to create decks of “business model component cards.” One deck is needed per team in the class. Each deck is comprised of nine index cards. On each card should be one of the nine business model components: customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partners, cost structure. Given that this is the actual order recommended by Osterwalder & Pigneur, it is important that the cards in the deck are not in this order. You may also want to have copies of the Business Model Canvas to distribute as well, but after the game. A copy of the canvas can be obtained at http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas.

The full text ‘Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach’ can be purchased here > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-Entrepreneurship-A-Practice-Based-Approach/dp/1782540695 

References:

This exercise is taken from;

•Heidi M. Neck, Patricia G. Greene and Candida G. Brush, 2014. Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach (pp.136 – 138). Edition. Edward Elgar Pub.

Theoretical Foundations

•Osterwalder, A., and Pigneur, Y. 2010. Business Model Generation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

About the Author
This guide was produced by Heidi M. Neck.

Your How To Guide Here

If you would like to have your How to Guide featured, please download the template and email the completed version to hello@etctoolkit.org.uk.

We have produced a guidance sheet which will assist you in completing the How to Guide.

If you have any questions regarding completing the template, please Contact Us.

Case Examples

Your Example Here

If you would like to have your Case Study featured, please download the template and email the completed version to hello@etctoolkit.org.uk.

We have produced a guidance sheet which will assist you in completing the Case Study.

If you have any questions regarding completing the template, please Contact Us.

Additional Resources

Cases Studies of Good Practice

can be found in Higher Education Academy booklet (2014) Enhancing Employability through Enterprise Education Case Studies and includes several examples from university-wide modules as well as the Business Schools at Edinburgh Napier, Buckingham and Glasgow Caledonian Universities.

Business Start-Up Resources

BOSS stands for the Business Online Support Service, provided by Business Wales. This service provides online learning courses to help people who are thinking about, or actually, starting a business, already running a business or looking to grow their business.

Big Ideas Wales The Big Ideas Wales campaign is part of the Business Wales service, designed to support the next generation of young entrepreneurs in Wales.

Nesta Creative Enterprise Toolkit
Our enterprise resource toolkit contains tried and tested methods for teaching enterprise skills to creative individuals who are thinking about setting up a business.  Available for purchase - with access to resources here http://www.nesta.org.uk/sites/default/files/cet_worksheets_case_studies_and_tutor_notes.pdf