The aim of this training is to bring a pedagogical dimension to the entrepreneurs’ experiences, pre-determined by FREE, and therefore enable a more proactive sharing experience with the students. With the help of testimonies, the students can acquire local economy, look at the best way to deal with problems encountered by the entrepreneur, and are encouraged to think how their should behave in a similar situation. Through case studies, the students undertake written assignments, which are uploaded onto the FREE e-toolbox.
The aim of this approach is to give students a realistic and concrete approach from real entrepreneurs, which complements the theoretical approach of the professors, in order to prepare them more effectively in managing a business and to experience running their own business.
Another aim of this training is to fill the gap in higher education and bring more pedagogical support to professors in entrepreneurship to match the following recommendations of : "The Oslo Agenda for Entrepreneurship Education":
(1) Bring entrepreneurs into the classroom in higher education and involve students directly in enterprise projects.
(2) Increase the production of European case studies to be used in the classroom in higher education.
Approach and tools
FREE undertakes the selection of the entrepreneurs, their training and an assessment of the action in order to fine-tune it if needed. FREE informs schools of Education of this opportunity via a secured web based solution, providing a descriptive list of all the entrepreneurs on the ‘Entrepreneurs FREE at the University’ files, which include the entrepreneurs’ contact details, their scope of action, their availability and geographical coverage. Whenever a Teacher wants the cooperation of an entrepreneur, they contact the entrepreneur and agree the action with the entrepreneur.
1. Training of FREE entrepreneurs at the University.
1.1 Position Opening announcement.
FREE announces a position opening to entrepreneurs who have set up or taken over a business in Belgium and asks the candidates to submit their application (entrepreneurs are aware that they will have to contribute 30 hours per year for a duration of 3 years free of charge in return for training offered by FREE and an official recognition from the Foundation).
The applications received are considered by the chartering committee of Higher Education of FREE, which is constituted by representatives of universities and high schools from the French Community of Belgium.
The committee selects about 20 entrepreneurs based on criteria including: the professional experience of the entrepreneur, the proposed themes, the regional coverage, the diversity (gender, age), variety in their line of business, motivation to share experiences with young people, motivation to cooperate with professors, and their availability.
1.2 Training
The training for the entrepreneurs comprises:
• Schedule: The domiciliary training lasts one and a half days (Friday noon until Saturday 5.30pm).
• Content :
o Entrepreneurship : a scientific discipline
This introduction is intended to present the big concepts to be explored by professors and entrepreneurs in their classes. The aim is to present entrepreneurs with the various themes that a teacher is likely to introduce, so that they are able to link with the experience they will bring to the classes. This workshop, led by academic professors teaching entrepreneurship, also presents the content of the course promoted by FREE at the university and high schools.
o Speech of an entrepreneur in pedagogical reasoning
This workshop, led by a professor/entrepreneur duo that is already cooperating in Entrepreneurship Education, highlights the benefits of entrepreneurs’ testimonies in this field of education.
o Pedagogy: Body of Knowledge
The objective of this workshop, led by an educationalist who simulates real life case studies with the entrepreneurs, is to introduce the essential notions of pedagogy adapted to entrepreneurs’ presentations.
o Presentations: Body of Knowledge
This workshop, led by professionals in group dynamics and group-work, is dedicated to some essential aspects of presentations in a classroom. Three distinct approaches would be covered:
A. The technique of presentations
a. Preparation of the course
b. Time management
c. Use of the course support material
B. Student Motivation; explaining how a professor can act upon the motivational potential of youth, including a focus on effort rather than on the intellect
C. Group dynamics within a classroom
o Ways to deliver the presentation
This workshop helps the entrepreneur to deliver his presentation to a class of entrepreneurship students:
- The testimonies
- The cases studies.
The workshop addresses the “do’s and don’ts” of the different ways of delivering the presentation. Special importance is given to the cases studies with the use of an example enriched by some educational support device.
o Teaching put into practice
This session, led by a teacher used to “clinical” approaches, is about enacting case studies with the participants. The aim is to give them an opportunity to test themselves and to collect feedback to improve presentation delivery. This session is filmed and will be followed by a debriefing.
2. Presentations by FREE Entrepreneurs at the University
2.1 The testimony
A professor who wish to ask for a FREE entrepreneur to testify on a specific theme simply searches the list provided on the FREE website and agrees with him on the terms of the presentation (date, theme, duration, goals, preparation, visual aids,… ) and the way to make the students participate (time for Q&A, critical review,…). This type of presentation is up to the professor/entrepreneur duo to agree on and arrange.
2.2 The case study
As above, it is up to the professor and the entrepreneur to choose from the multiple case study options. Each professor, with the Entrepreneur FREE, can set up the framework of the animation and the kind of work asked of the students, either individually or collectively. Student input can be, for example, about the critical review of the solution brought by the entrepreneur and/or about alternative solutions. The result can also become a pedagogical support intended to be used by other professors; in this case the case study and the pedagogical minutes will be given to FREE to be publish on the secured area of the website.
3. Advantages of this training
These are many:
• It brings professors and entrepreneurs working very closely together.
• It is subject to a fair and objective selection model.
• It promotes and shares good pedagogical approaches.
• It promotes cooperation between institutions.
• It professionalises a practice used in some institutions by organising teaching formations for entrepreneurs.
• It makes it easier for the entrepreneurs to be present in the areas of Entrepreneurship Education, which is highly recommended by all specialists.
• It brings many FREE ambassadors on field, promoting the entrepreneurship spirit and being “role models” for young people.
• It creates an esprit de corps between professors and entrepreneurs.
This process is clearly win-win for both entrepreneur and professors.
Benefits for the entrepreneurs
o Their investment in the field of Education if officially valued by an acknowledged foundation.
o They take part in an initiative that has a good professional framework: the charter committee of the Foundation where all university entities are represented.
o They are allowed to bear the title of FREE entrepreneur at the Faculty.
o They take advantage of training in for classroom presentations.
Benefits for the professors
o Their teaching skills benefit from support from entrepreneurs sensitised to learning-teaching problems.
o They offer their students the views and approaches of people working in the field, which often makes them credible, pertinent and inspiring to students.
o They enrich the equipment and devices set up by the Foundation to develop courses in entrepreneurship in Faculties and High Education Colleges.
Students who have experienced Entrepreneur FREE input have been enthused and motivated by the contacts with professionals in entrepreneurship, who provide inspiration and credibility.
This approach gives more meaning to the theoretical learning process. Moreover, the entrepreneurs’ experience can boost some who need more motivation to undertake their personal project. The professors and entrepreneurs enjoy working together and show great enthusiasm; they witness youth creativity which many did not anticipate. Some entrepreneurs, however, regret that they haven’t been asked more often to be involved in the classroom.
Some testimonials from entrepreneurs at the stage of evaluating the practice:
“I keep finding this concept relevant and I am interested by contacts with young students”.
“It is exciting”.
“The method has convinced me”.
“I regret not being requested more often”.
“I wish I had had the same opportunities during my studies. Here is concrete action. Congrats”.
“Promoting entrepreneurship is very important for our region. This is a citizenship duty for me…
and a pleasure”.
One entrepreneur commented about the preparation with the teacher, stating that it was “Outstanding and efficient”. |