University Of Aberdeen - Culturing Enterprise Skills In The Lifesciences

This example features in 'Bath Spa University Careers - Embedding Enterprise and Employability in the Curriculum' - Download the full document HERE.

Introduction:

The workshop is based around the ‘Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) Ideas Lab’™ in which students are set a real-life challenge rooted in a real social and community problem.

In this case, the challenge is to explore how society can deal with the growing number of dementia sufferers and how they can play a more active part in everyday life. Using some of the key processes of design thinking, students are asked to identify the true extent of the problems faced by dementia sufferers, and to put themselves in their shoes and in the shoes of their carers.

Activity:

Working in small groups, students develop a solution to one of the problems they have identified within this scenario and develop their idea into a possible pitch.

The workshop finishes with a period of reflection which encourages students to think about how they approached the problem and how they communicated and worked within their small groups. It aims to support students at an early stage in their degree programme to start developing core behaviours for enterprise through bespoke learning activities.

Impact:

This approach enhances students’ employability as it helps them to understand how they are learning and improves their general skills for study and career management. After an Ideas Lab™, some students have also approached staff for assistance with the development of a business idea.

Learner outcomes:

(For learner outcomes see references for ‘Culturing Enterprise Skills in Life Science Students’, in ‘HEA - Enhancing employability through enterprise education: Examples of good practice in higher education).

References:

Author / Attribution

This guide was produced by David Jarman (Bath Spa University).