2008 Occasional Papers - AUK

This type of training leads to enhanced productivitywithin the organization.Although experiential learning in entrepreneurshipmay take place in numerous academic settings, veryfew courses and programs have been documented andevaluated. An article by Shawn P. Daly documented,“Student-operated Internet business: True experientiallearning in entrepreneurship and retail-management,”where students carried out their own business plans,product development and marketing operations.It also includes feedback from students and observationsand recommendations concerning the success of thestudent-operated business. (Daly, 2001). Anotherexample is the University of Calgary’s MBA program thatdocumented a recent MBA course offered to studentswho “create and grow their own expertise or lead andsustain growth and development in an existing enterprise”(Nikiforuk, 1997). Documentation of experiential learningcourses like these provides valuable information andopportunity for schools and instructors to use as a guidelinefor their course initiatives. The feedback and suggestionsthat schools offer from their previous experienceprovide constructive insight and guidance on how toprovide students with the greatest learning experience.Another example close to the topic of this paper is theEntrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (ENVC)course at Mount Allison University for students whoare seeking to gain hands-on experience, while learningthe complexity of running a student-operated business.Information from all aspects of the course is compiled,and suggestions for improvement in particular areas,such as the student evaluation process, are provided.The dynamics of this experiential learning approachhave been successful as students build on their skills,such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving skills.Documentation of the student’s feedback from theirpersonal experience with the ENVC course at MountAllison also suggests improvements for the course infollowing years.The entrepreneurial venture of learning by experienceclearly has benefits in ways that students understandthe complexity of running their own organization.They employ a wider perspective within the businessworld, and learn the importance of networking within theircommunity. The everyday classroom learning is important,but does not provide the same type of skills that studentsdeveloped from these experiences. Experiential learningin entrepreneurship is successful in many educationalinstitutes that would agree to the importance of studentsengaging in such practices (Daly, 2001).In summary, Kolb (1978 & 1985) created the LearningStyles Inventory (LSI)) because he was not satisfiedwith the traditional methods of teaching managementprofessionals. His work helped people understand diverselearning processes and acknowledge that each personlearns in a different way. People felt the need for thistype of learning methodology because they understoodthe significance of integrated knowledge and experiencethat could be applied to real-life situations. Experientiallearning has been found to be friendly to the brain, mind,body, heart, and soul (Toncar & Cudmore, 2000; Wynd,1989; Gaidis & Andrews, 1990).Experiential pedagogy is a perfect match for theentrepreneurship model of interest in this paper. Thereview of the literature supports the ExperientialEntrepreneurship Model shown in Figure 1. Activitiesin the curriculum delivered through experiential learningapproaches lead to the integration of entrepreneurial skills,knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Course feedback andpeer evaluation provide opportunities for summativeand formative evaluation. Recognition of success isevident in student awards, and success in business plancompetitions, in business and in co-curricular activities,as well as in teaching awards, faculty engagement in theattendant experiential pedagogy, research, funding, andthe ability to attract entrepreneurial speakers.The University ContextThe mission statement of the university reads as follows:Mount Allison University is committed to the creation anddissemination of knowledge in a community of higher learning,centered on [2250] undergraduate students, in an intimate andharmonious environment. Our teaching, research and creativeenterprise are combined with extracurricular activities, in a liberaleducation tradition, that emphasizes development of the wholeperson. This integrated approach involves collaborative efforts amongall members of the University community and leads to superiorscholarship, cultural understanding and appreciation, personal andsocial maturation, leadership development and informed citizenship.(Academic Calendar, 2006-7, p. 1)Bachelor degrees are offered in Arts, Commerce, FineArts, Music, and Science. The University “shapes leaderswho are critical thinkers, problem solvers and creativeparticipants in society” (Academic Calendar, 2006-7, p. 1).35