Design Sprints: A New Tool for Social Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract

AbstractThe subject of social entrepreneurship has considerably gained traction in recent years. There is significant debate about the optimal teaching concepts for this subject, providing sufficient structure to students, supporting collaborative group work, and encouraging the students to follow up their respective projects after the course or even after graduation.This study analyzes how the method “design sprint” can positively impact social entrepreneurship education. Design sprints combine several design thinking and lean start-up practices into a structured multiday format. For this study the authors created a university course in the field of social entrepreneurship. To evaluate the impact of the course, a variety of qualitative data sources was collected, ranging from learning diaries to surveys, interviews, and observations. Results indicate that design sprints provide much-needed structure to students, especially if supported by the right digital tools. They also support collaborative group work by reducing free-riding behavior and providing valuable practical skills to students.