JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

Student Partnerships for Innovation in Engineering Entrepreneurship

Development (SPIEED): Developing Entrepreneurial

Competencies in Twenty-First Century Engineers

Author(s): Olukemi O. Sawyerr, Winny Dong, Sandra Emerson

Citation: Olukemi O. Sawyerr, Winny Dong, Sandra Emerson, (2012) "Student Partnerships for Innovation in Engineering Entrepreneurship Development (SPIEED): Developing Entrepreneurial Competencies in Twenty-First Century Engineers," Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol.12, Iss. 4, pp. 24 - 43

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

In Student Partnerships for Innovation in Engineering Entrepreneurship Development (SPIEED) engineering and business students partner to fully commercialize a new technology. In this paper we examine three research questions: What do students learn?How do students learn? Is there net new learning between planning and executing the commercialization of a new technology? We present evidence from student reflection papers that the program enables participants to develop the full range of entrepreneurial competencies. However, the competencies developed in the planning and execution stages appear to differ suggesting the presence of incremental learning. We conclude with the implications of the results.