Page 113 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

practical entrepreneurial training dimension has been embedded in the
curriculum for all science, engineering, humanities and social science students
(see Example 21). Entrepreneurial modules are compulsory for all students in
these courses; in 2010 alone 11 000 students studied at least one module on
entrepreneurship. As a result, in 2009, the Queen’s was named the
entrepreneurial university of the year by the National Council for Graduate
Entrepreneurship (NCGE), a national body which aims to raise the profile of
entrepreneurship and the option of starting-up new business as a career choice
among students and graduates.

4.2.4. Business simulations and games, and the role of new media
channels
New media channels and technologies are also used in some courses to aid
practical learning opportunities for students on entrepreneurship courses. In
Denmark, some HEIs use video lectures where successful entrepreneurs speak
on a certain topic, such as how to assess business ideas. Students are also
given access to a web-tool which they can use to evaluate their business idea. In
Luxembourg, HE students have the opportunity to create business plans with
face-to-face or online support from business coaches through a web portal
(www.businessplan.lu). Sogn og Fjordane University College in Norway has
developed the REAL tool to support entrepreneurial teaching in secondary and
higher education. The material contains exercises/activities emphasising
creativity and creative processes, teamwork and communication skills, and
understanding of the local community, economy, accounts and marketing/sales.
New technologies have also been used to develop virtual business games
for HE students. In generic terms, business simulations and games are used by
HEIs in Europe, however not necessarily to the same degree as in upper
secondary education. According to a survey of national experts on
entrepreneurship, such activities are available in HEIs in Belgium, France, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
and the United Kingdom. In Slovenia, the Gea College of Entrepreneurship uses
commercial games and decision-making simulations, business negotiation
simulation, and composition of different kinds of commercial reports as
pedagogical tools to guide students in entrepreneurship. It seems that such
activities are not available in Malta whereas in Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland and Portugal business simulations are only occasionally used by
HEIs. In some countries HEIs do not regard business simulation games as an
important pedagogical tool (e.g. Greece).

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