E-Learning for Interdisciplinary Enterprise Education: Making Ideas Happen

1. Learning & Teaching Conference 2012E-learning for interdisciplinary enterprise education:Making Ideas Happen Monday 9 January 2012 www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

2. Welcome Elena Rodriguez-FalconDirector of Enterprise Education, University of Sheffield Board Member, EEUK Current ‘Making Ideas Happen’ module leader www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

3. Today’s session Making Ideas Happen: an overview • An introduction to the ‘Making Ideas Happen’ Module • An alternative model of delivery Could aspects of this model work for you? • Social projects • Online Learning • Multi disciplinary • Peer assessment www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

4. Making Ideas Happen: an overview Sara PatesEnterprise Business Manager,University of Sheffield www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

5. Making Ideas Happen (MIH) • New 20-credit interdisciplinary, multi-level module in enterprise and innovation • Available at Levels 2 and 3 in either Autumn or Spring • Delivered predominantly online • Interdisciplinary group projects • Group work is peer assessed • External/community engagement www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

6. MIH pilot: Spring 2011 • 37 students • 10 academic departments • 6 different faculties • 4 students based in Thessaloniki, Greece www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

7. Social Projects • Opportunity to develop social enterprise solutions to ‘real’ problems in Sheffield. • Solutions must be constrained by real limitations. • Engagement with the local community engenders a sense of civic responsibility. • Feedback on business ideas from external organisations and businesspeople www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

8. Social Projects • Shiregreen Neighbourhood Challenge • Community café, Community shop, Community newspaper • Energy 2 B • Energy efficiency • New and renewable energy resources • Energy efficiency in transport • Sheffield CC Good Neighbours • Bins & household waste, To Let signage, Urban gardens, Security www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

9. Why e-learning? • Timetabling • Opens up learning to potentially more diverse cohort of students • Multiple geographical locations • Online communication: a vital enterprise skill. Many organisations work with clients, colleagues and contacts all around the world - students will too! • Learning materials – build up extensive body of teaching content that can be adapted and re-used

10. MOLE (My Online Learning Environment) • Weekly learning module topics • an ‘alternative ‘to face-to-face lectures • selective release: each topic only made available to students following completion of previous learning module and a formative weekly quiz • Weekly online journal • blog format (must be included in final portfolio) • time management: completed each week • feeds into final reflective report • Discussion and chat areas • Resources and external links www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

11. Face-to-face sessions • Week 1: individual lecture • Week 3: business idea development session • Week 11: summary lecture and poster event • On-going: supported group work www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

12. Whyinterdisciplinarity? • Outside comfort zone • Working in a mixed group requires strength and confidence in one’s own discipline – what can you bring to the table? • Brings new perspectives to work done in student’s core subject discipline • Meet new people and make new friends • Transferrable skills • In the ‘real world’, you never work only with those of the same background as you – good preparation for working life, whether employed or self-employed • Different fields have different working cultures – a chance to learn from others

13. Assessment • Individual portfolio (50% weighting): • Compilation of weekly blog journal • Reflective report • Summary skills statement • Group business plan (30% weighting) • Group poster presentation (20% weighting) www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

14. Peer assessment • Group work is anonymously peer assessed based solely on an individual’s contribution relative to their group. • Each group member scores each other group member between -3 and 3 with a net total score of 0 across the group www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

15. Peer assessment For example: Joe Bloggs scores his group as follows • Jane Doe 2 • John Smith 0 • Sarah Brown 1 • Robert Jones -3 So in a group where all members contribute equally, all members would score 0. www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

16. Peer assessment +3 =mark substantially higher (a whole degree class +2 = mark significantly higher (around a half a degree class) +1 = mark a few points higher 0 = mark equal to the overall group mark -1 = mark a few percentage points lower -2 =a mark significantly lower (around a half a degree class) -3 = a mark substantially lower (at least a whole degree class) www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise

17. In groups: • What are the barriers or enablers for you to deliver (support delivery of) ‘learning’ content online? • What is the value of online delivery? • What are the considerations you would need to make to run a social project and engage external people? • Would this be a right choice for you? • How could you implement peer assessment in your practice or the practice you support? • Would this assessment be right for your discipline? • What are the barriers and enablers to develop interdisciplinary work in your practice? • Would this bring added value to you and your students

18. What now? University of Sheffield Enterprise are here to help all staff to embed enterprise learning in the curriculum though support with: • Curriculum development and design • Extensive network of external contacts • Small pots of funding for new innovations in enterprise • Invaluable case studies • Linking you with relevant academics, modules and projects

19. Any questions? www.sheffield.ac.uk/enterprise