Integration of Entrepreneurial-minded Learning

Introduction
In collaboration with KEEN, a network of thousands of engineering faculty working to unleash undergraduate engineers so that they can create personal, economic, and societal value through the entrepreneurial mindset, The Ohio State University added multiple entrepreneurial minded learning (EML) elements to an existing first-year course. This paper represents the assessment findings from the spring 2019 implementation of the new curriculum.

Methods
A mixed methods quasi-experimental investigation was used to assess student learning and EML competencies. Students self-selected enrollment (72 capacity) in either one of 8 sections of the Integrated Transportation System (ITS) course or one of 8 sections of the Advanced Energy Vehicle (AEV) course (control group). The ITS sections were the EML integrated curricula while the AEV sections were the traditional sections. Quantitative data included pre- and post-collection of Kashdans’ Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale, which measures students’ curiosity in the following areas: joyous exploration, deprivation sensitivity, stress tolerance, social curiosity, and thrill seeking [4]. Assessment of EML skillset related to creating value and creating connections, defined as the ability to integrate information from many sources to gain insight, were measured using students’ grades for project assignments. Technical learning was assessed using four common engineering graphics exams and one lab proficiency quiz.

Results
With IRB approval, we conducted the consent process with 1,072 students in 16 sections (8 AEV and 8 ITS). We received and documented consent for participation in the assessment study from 857 students.

Of these 857 students, a total of 767 students participated in the pre-data collection and 634 participated in the post-data collection. For the AEV group, the average score for stress tolerance decreased from 4.51 in the pre-survey to 4.35 in the post-survey (p<.05), which indicates that students were less tolerant to stress after taking the traditional version of the course. However, no significant difference was found in stress tolerance for the ITS students before and after taking the EML version of the course. In the ITS group, the average score for social curiosity increased from 4.72 to 5.00 (p<.001) after taking the course, indicating that students were more curious about the social world around them after taking the EML version of the course. In comparison, no significant difference was found for students in the AEV group between the pre- and post-surveys. With respect to creating connections, the ITS students demonstrated proficiency (score of 80% or higher) in all but 6 of 41 course learning objectives. All learning objectives for creating value were met with a score of 80% or higher. ITS students performed significantly better than AEV students on 3 of 4 graphics exams, and significantly better on the lab proficiency quiz.

Conclusions
The integration of EML concepts into a first-year engineering course significantly improved student performance with respect to technical learning objectives, increased likelihood of taking risks, and increased social curiosity – all while creating aptitude in EML-related competencies of creating connections and creating value.