I still love IP: a spotlight on 10 years of designing the student experience

Topic There is a broad range of Intellectual property rights (IP) ; trademarks, patents, designs and copyright, designed to ensure that innovators are rewarded for their endeavours and to stimulate a competitive market (EPO/OHIM, 2013). The World Intellectual Property Office, observe that IP education should support learners to become IP creators, advocating that ‘their creativity should be developed, and they should be educated to respect the IP rights of others’ (OHIM, 2015, 11). Industries using Intellectual Property Rights intensively account for 1 in 3 jobs in Europe and seventy six per cent of Europeans feel that innovation and intellectual property go hand in hand (OHIM, 2014) and yet, in their UK study of HEI’s, Soetendorp et al (2016, 35) observe that less than a third of students surveyed had received any information about the topic whilst they were in school, college or University and moreover, that only 40% of students consider their current awareness of IP to be enough to support them in their future career (IPAN/IPO/NUS, 2012). Aim This study responds to calls within the entrepreneurship education literature, policy and guidance for students to have an understanding of intellectual property, to protect their own creativity and to avoid infringing the rights of others (QAA, 2012, Bacigalupo et al, 2016). The paper considers the evidence for integrating intellectual property into the entrepreneurial curriculum, addressing two specific questions, if entrepreneurship is seen as applied creativity (Rae, 2007), what are the implications of IP for educators? What approaches can be taken to incorporate IP in the enterprise educators’ toolkit, as an enabling strategy for developing the nexus between creativity and business? Method This is a single case study (Yin, 1994) using multiple sources of evidence to support a holistic investigation (Feagin et al, 1991) into the educational landscape in order to contribute to construct validity (Stake, 1995, Yin, 1994). The study was initiated by drivers and pedagogic approaches that were designed and developed 20 years ago by two educators, within a UK HEI, for raising awareness of Intellectual Property amongst students across all disciplines. Subsequently two of the papers authors have been advising UKIPO in a range of educational approaches and bring these insights to the debate. The evidence comprises; a review of entrepreneurship literature and policy for intellectual property to theoretically underpin the study, which are considered alongside anecdotal and observational contributions (Marshal and Rossman, 1989), from learners, graduates, educators and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on evidence collated within the past 10 years Contribution If IP is a key driver of innovation (Wang and Chang, 2005) and we accept the view that a sense of ownership is a critical factor in entrepreneurial success (Kirby, 2003, Gibb, 1993) a responsibility lies with those taking forward the entrepreneurship agenda to embed of awareness of IP within the curriculum. There are examples of good practice across the HE sector for integrating IP education, many of which are supported by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO, 2014, 2015) and Enterprise Educators UK (2017). However, the synergies between IP education and the enterprise educator have yet to be fully articulated. The study updates findings and discussions presented to the ISBE Conference in 2007, and then further contribute in terms of: • Evidencing the need for enterprise educators to raise awareness of intellectual property as a feature of their provision • Proposing potential ideas for intellectual property education, including considerations relating to adaption for educators’ own contexts

Value creation in entrepreneurial education: towards a unified approach

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a unified framework for understanding the development and distribution of value within and from enterprise and entrepreneurship education. In doing so, the authors trace the origins of value creation pedagogy back 100 years and reconnect this lost literature to contemporary thinking as to what constitutes value creation pedagogy. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper identifies specific temporal-specific problems with current thinking in enterprise and entrepreneurship education vis-à-vis who gains the value from value creation pedagogies. To address this identified anomaly, the authors seek to develop a spectrum of value-creating activities/processes applicable to enterprise and entrepreneurship education. The underlying aim of this approach is to provide clarity around who specifically benefits from value creation pedagogies, how and when. Findings – In developing a spectrum of value-creating activities/processes applicable to enterprise and entrepreneurship education, the authors have successfully located all major forms of value creation pedagogies in an iterative manner that caters to the authentic development of value for oneself and others. The proposed model assumes that the creation of authentic value for others should be preceded by the development of specific capabilities in the value creators. Practical implications – There are important implications that arise for all enterprise and entrepreneurship educators in the discussions presented here. Most importantly, value creation pedagogies should be fuelled by the ongoing development of purpose, agency and capability via cultivated reflection. Originality/value – This paper broadens the notion of what constitutes value creation pedagogy in enterprise and entrepreneurship education. In doing so, the authors elevate the importance of student creative competency development over value creation

The Promise of Andragogy, Heutagogy and Academagogy to Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education Pedagogy

Purpose – This paper addresses the recent development of heutagogy in the domain of enterprise and entrepreneurship education. Responding to recent thinking within our domain of education, this paper discusses the origins of heutagogy, its adoption within enterprise and entrepreneurship education and offers suggestions as to the further development of such thinking in this domain

A methodology for closing the gap between the competences of students and recent graduates and labour market needs. The case of the Republic of North Macedonia

The youth unemployment is one of the most pressing problems for every economy. For addressing this issue in the Republic of North Macedonia, numerous project initiatives and activities are in the phase of planning and implementation. Part of these is the implemented project: ‘Building capacities for better employability’. Through the project activities, it was proposed to be institutionalized the stakeholder cooperation for matching education curricula according to labour market needs. In order to increase the employability of students and graduates, the main aim which is also the goal of this study, was developing a methodology for closing the gap between the skills of students and graduates and the Labour market needs, by enhancing the entrepreneurial education dominance in high education curricula. Through advanced understanding of the entrepreneurial mind-set, new opportunities in teaching and learning can enhance the University provision. For that purpose, case studies for the best UK practices in employability were developed and a survey for investigating the needs and requirements of the Macedonian high-educational sector was conducted. The research findings comprised rich informative set of recommendations that was a base for developing the methodology for closing the skills gap. The methodology was organised in four main levels with a number of institutions (actors) and activities (measures) related to them. The application of this methodology resulted with an outline of a stakeholder plan that offers insights into other areas of study and research possibilities. The contribution of this study is twofold. It adds on the literature for high-sector education and employability, but also it has practical implications for all stakeholders responsible in coping with the unemployment issue. The proposed methodology assists in monitoring the labour market changes and addressing them with improvements in the university curricula accordingly. It could be a powerful tool in the hands of the stakeholders for better employability of the students/graduates and can facilitate whole process. Overall, it will support the Republic of North Macedonia’s future strategies at Government, University and Faculty level in their strides toward creating more skilful and employable youth

In search of entrepreneurial competencies: Peripheral vision and multidisciplinary inspiration

This paper returns to the question of whether business schools alone can meet the challenges of enhancing creativity and innovation in entrepreneurial education. Policy makers have side-stepped definitional argumentation in order to embrace a more nuanced potential for entrepreneurial competency development, using multidisciplinary practice in learning and assessment that can be found beyond business and management discourse. Insights from other disciplines can be missed as different terminologies and definitions apply. Design education is inherently multidisciplinary and has been instrumental in facilitating significant policy-level changes. To delve more deeply into this phenomenon, the authors illustrate what actually happens in a classroom in which business and design intersect. Neuroscience research into the learning brain informs learning, teaching and assessment related to creativity, visioning and dealing with ambiguity – through the progressive development of flexibility and adaptability. The authors introduce the Crit, a common feature of Art and Design courses, as a tool of assessment, concluding that, before we dig deeper into business and management discourses, sideways glances into design education will continue to offer benefits

Developing entrepreneurial education in national school curricula: lessons from North Macedonia and Wales

In 2016, Eurydice reported that no country in Europe had fully integrated entrepreneurial education in schools and that teacher training was fragmented. However, supported by the World Bank, North Macedonia introduced a compulsory and progressively evaluated Entrepreneurship and Innovation curriculum in 2016, following policy decisions made in 2014. Teacher training initiatives from Wales informed progress. The Welsh Government decided to integrate an entrepreneurial culture within curriculum and assessment arrangements in schools which built upon prior work including education within Initial Teacher Training. This included funding to pilot training for teachers at all levels, from schools to universities and across all subject specialisms—to develop entrepreneurial education. Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) commenced in 2004 within the Ministry for Business and Transport (now Business Economy and Innovation), and since 2015, has been supported by the Ministry of Education and Skills. The sector now has 10 years of experience in entrepreneurial teacher training and has developed Doctoral-level study for educational leaders. In February 2020, the theme of ‘creative enterprising contributors’ was formally positioned as one of the four overarching ‘purposes’ of school education in Wales. This article provides reflective insights of knowledge exchange through the lens of the International Institute for Creative Entrepreneurial Development, in both a Macedonian and Welsh context, and will be of interest to those who wish to advance national policies and entrepreneurial educator development

When did you last predict a good idea? Exploring the case of assessing creativity through learning outcomes

It has been noted elsewhere that an idea is acknowledged to be creative if it is novel, or surprising and adaptive. So how does that fit with education's desire to measure student performance against fixed, consistent and predicted learning outcomes? This study explores practical measures and theoretical constructs that address the dearth of teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enhance creative capacity in enterprise and entrepreneurship education. It is argued that inappropriate assessment strategies can be significant inhibitors of the creativity of students and teachers. Referring to the broader discipline of 'design', as defined by Bruce and Besant (2002) – the application of human creativity to a purpose – both broad employer satisfaction with education and fast growing economic success are found (DCMS, 2014). As predictable assessment outcomes equal predictable students, these understandings can inform educators who wish to map and develop enhanced creative endeavours such as opportunity recognition, communication and innovation

The changing nature of enterprise: Addressing the challenge of Vesper and Gartner

During the course of the past 30 years, a challenge made to entrepreneurship educators has gone unaddressed. While acknowledging that there has never been a more exciting time to be an enterprise educator, we suggest that there has also never been a more challenging time. On the one hand, the changing nature of employment landscapes globally is forcing a freelancer world on us all. In this new world, our students must increasingly be capable of developing an enterprising career, regardless of any additional start-up aspirations. Conversely, the legitimacy of our teaching practice remains challenged at a level slightly above the student–educator interface. These concerns tend to question our collective purpose and relevance. This article seeks to offer a holistic framework through which enterprise and entrepreneurship educators can act in greater unison. In doing so, it also aims to move us collectively on from the current focus of our scholarly writings to analyse more deeply how we promote and define our purpose and relevance as enterprise and entrepreneurship educators. Our observations inform us that the greater challenge lies not in finding a starting point for new ideas in enterprise education, but rather in engaging all key stakeholders and developing an inclusive scholarship of teaching. At a time when higher education stands accused of failing graduates, we offer leadership on addressing long-running challenges in our field of education

Claiming the future of enterprise education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of enterprise educators working collectively to develop a unique scholarship of teaching. The authors argue that the time is right for educators in this domain to secure the future of enterprise education. Acknowledging the debate between "entrepreneurship education" and "enterprise education," the authors set out to develop a unification model through which educators can act collectively to demonstrate the leadership required to secure the autonomy of the domain. Design/methodology/approach The authors bring several pertinent ideas (pedagogical content knowledge, heutagogy and academagogy) to the attention of academics/researchers involved in the design, development and delivery of enterprise education. The innovative approach to combine these ideas with prevailing thinking in this domain has facilitated a model for collective action. Findings It is at the level of the shared philosophical positions that the authors can best cooperate to shape the future direction of enterprise education. The authors argue against dwelling upon how the authors differ in terms of context and process issues. Such matters can only fragment the theory and practice of enterprise education. The authors need to develop greater appreciation of shared philosophical positions and leverage this understanding into a unique scholarship of teaching, specific to enterprise education. Practical implications – As enterprise education becomes more global, it is also likely to become more attractive to business schools that long for a new positioning tool in the increasingly overcrowded markets that they compete in. Originality/value This paper encourages enterprise educators to reflect upon the knowledge they hold of their own practice, and that of other enterprise educators

Moving beyond the business plan in enterprise education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to approach the debate surrounding the role of business plans in enterprise/entrepreneurship education from a different perspective; that of the student. The paper argues that much of the consternation within this stubborn debate derives from a lack of appreciation of the context actually occurring in the lives of our students. The paper aims to explore several arguments directly related to these contexts. Design/methodology/approach The approach is to build around a combining of cycles of reflective practice via the authors' iterative consultation with each other. The paper seeks to explore the world of the student via an enfolding of the literature, but ultimately we do not claim to have hidden our personal biases. Findings It is important to separate enterprise education (EE) from entrepreneurship education when discussing the role of the business plan. While the business plan has a place in the latter, it makes little sense for it to be a focal learning activity in the former. In addition, we see this outcome as a positive outcome for our field with little point in continuing on with what has become a fairly pointless debate. Practical implications: The paper concludes that once EE is viewed as being distinctly different from entrepreneurship education it is free to be considered with more precision what learning needs exist. Focusing on learning needs changes the direction of the discussion, with the business plan only up for discussion if it contributes a learning activity related to pre-determined learning outcomes. Originality/value The paper offers a constructive way forward from a debate that has been beset with extreme vested interests for too long