Teaching Entrepreneurship to University Students through Experiential Learning

Abstract

The view that entrepreneurship education should be based on experiential approaches to learning is gaining ground. However, there is both little discussion in the literature on what form experiential education should take and a paucity of examples of experiential approaches to learning. This paper helps to fill these gaps. It provides a case study of an experiential learning assignment that formed an important part of a first-year entrepreneurship course in a Scottish university. It describes how the assignment was designed, what activities were undertaken by students and, using their learning reflections for evidence, identifies the learning outcomes and the effect on entrepreneurial intent, motivations and capabilities. The evidence suggests that the assignment was an effective learning experience for the students, complementing and reinforcing prior classroom learning through application. It facilitated learning about the real world of the entrepreneur, something which would otherwise not have been possible, and had a positive impact on entrepreneurial intentions.