Course Outline 2016
INNOVENT 203G: THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET
(15 POINTS)
Semester 1
Course Prescription
Stimulates new ways of thinking about enterprising behaviour in a multidisciplinary manner relevant to understanding and addressing real world
challenges of today. Using a variety of learning methods including experiential
activities, working on a multi-disciplinary team challenge, reflection and
engagement with entrepreneurs, the course introduces skills needed to identify
and assess opportunities, solve problems creatively, communicate persuasively,
work effectively in teams, and understand individual and organisational impact.
Programme and Course Advice
INNOVENT 203G. Prerequisite: 90 points
INNOVENT 203. Note: Business students should enrol in INNOVENT 203 not
INNOVENT 203G. Restriction: BUS 101 and BUS 102
Goals of the Course
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to foundational knowledge,
concepts, and examples of an entrepreneurial mindset in a variety of different
contexts. Throughout the course examples of entrepreneurial mindsets “in
practice” will be available through the modules content along with attendance at
the speakers’ series (the SPARK Vision to Business education events). Students
will have the opportunity to reflect on their own entrepreneurial mindset and
explore how entrepreneurial mindset characteristics and skills can be applied to
a real world challenge.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course it is expected that the student will be able to:
1. Describe key characteristics and skills of the entrepreneurial mindset and
consider their relevance to complex and uncertain situations and a variety
of contexts
2. Understand better their entrepreneurial mindset and consider current
strengths, identify gaps and development strategies.
3. Reflect on the characteristics of entrepreneurial mindsets in others – their
skills, values, behaviors, and the contexts in which they operate
4. Work within a multi-disciplinary team to collaboratively generate ideas and
explore opportunities to address a pre-defined challenge
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5. Apply concepts, tools and frameworks of entrepreneurial thinking to assess
opportunities, consider solutions and address complex problems
6. Demonstrate effective communication skills.
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Outline
The course is comprised of three components. There are six content modules to
be completed online and these are assessed by two online tests. There is a
speaker series and this involves attendance at five Vision to Business education
events run by Spark. These are assessed by two reflections (to be submitted
online). Finally, the team Challenge requires completion of four Challenge Steps
to be completed online. The team assessment outputs are a 1-minute pitch
video, a 10-slide PowerPoint slide deck (including a summary slide). There is
also an individual reflection on the Challenge.
Week
Date
Activity
Mode
1
1March
Online
2
8 March
Module 1: The entrepreneurial mindset
- new ways of thinking
Module 2: Exploring enterprising
contexts
Module 3: Opportunity identification
and assessment
Online test: Modules 1, 2 & 3
Challenge step 1: meet your team
In person
Online
Assessment
Online
Online
3
15 March
Online
Online
4
22 March
Vision to Business Event 1: Ideation
Challenge step 2: “Define” stage
29 March
Easter
5
5 April
Vision to Business Event 2: Market
and competitors
In person
6
12 April
Vision to Business Event 3: Business
models
Challenge step 3: “Discover” stage
In person
Online
19 April
Mid-semester break
7
26 April
Vision to Business Event 4: Teams
Challenge assessment: Milestone
report
In person
Online
8
3 May
9
10 May
Vision to Business Event 5: Funding
Challenge step 4: “Determine” stage
Module 4: Creative problem solving
In person
Online
Online
10
17 May
Online
Online
11
24 May
Module 5: Effective communication
Module 6: Understanding individual and
organisational impact
Online test: Modules 4, 5 & 6
12
31 May
Challenge assessment: Challenge
event
In person
13
7 June
Study break
Online
Online
Online test 1, 69pm 15th March
(15%)
Reflective
exercise 1, due
by 11pm 11th
April (10%)
Challenge
milestone
report, due by
11pm 29th April
(10%)
Reflective
exercise 2, due
by 11pm 13th
May (15%)
Online test 2, 69pm 24th May
(15%)
Challenge video
and PPT due by
9am 30th May
(20%)
Reflective
exercise 3 due
by 11pm 10th
June (15%)
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Learning and Teaching
This is a hybrid course consisting of both online modules and assessment and
attendance at face-to-face speaker series events. In 2016 these are the Five
Spark Vision to Business (V2B) events. These V2B events are scheduled on
Tuesday evenings 6 – 9.00pm (including Spark activities which follow some of
the V2B sessions) in OGGB/B3 (Building 260-0B3).
For information on the upcoming V2B events plus the Spark business and social
enterprise competitions that may be of interest, see the Spark website. There
are also additional useful resources available in the resources folder of the
Education Events menu: http://www.spark.auckland.ac.nz/
See also The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) website for
further information about innovation and entrepreneurship, additional courses of
study and other relevant material: http://www.gsm.auckland.ac.nz/cie/
Teaching Staff
Rod McNaughton
Office: 461, Owen G. Glenn Building
E-mail: r.mcnaughton@auckland.ac.nz
Learning Resources
All course content will be provided online through the University’s learning
management system called “Canvas”.
Assessment
Assessment item
Due in
Weeks
Weight
Online tests (2)
Reflective exercises (3)
“Challenge” project
3, 11
6, 9, 13
7, 12
30%
40%
30%
Individual or
group
Individual
Individual
Group
Assessing
Learning
outcomes
L1, L3, L5,
L1, L2, L3, L6
L4, L5, L6
Inclusive Learning
Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements
face- to-face and/or in written form with the course lecturer.
Student Feedback
This is the first year this course has been offered. At the end of the course
students will be asked to complete a course evaluation to provide feedback for
ongoing development of this paper.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland regards cheating as a serious academic offence.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. In coursework assignments submitted for
marking, plagiarism can occur if you use the work and ideas of others without
explicit acknowledgment. Work can be plagiarised from many sources, including
books, journal articles, the internet, and other students’ assignments. A
student’s assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material
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using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students
may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised
review.
The way of avoiding plagiarism is to reference your work properly. If you are in
doubt about how to reference properly, ask someone – your lecturers, tutors and
the Student Learning Centre are good places to start. Please refer to the
following website for further information about academic referencing:
www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/
The document Guidelines: Conduct of Coursework provides further advice on
how to avoid plagiarism. It can be found at:
www.business.auckland.ac.nz/conductcoursework
The penalties for plagiarism can be severe, including losing some or all of the
marks for the assignment. Major offences can be sent to the University’s
Discipline Committee, where further penalties can be imposed.
Third party assistance with coursework: You are encouraged to improve your
coursework writing skills and are permitted to seek assistance from third parties.
However, you are advised that there are important limits on the amount and
type of assistance that can be given to you in completing your assignments,
including group work. Third parties include fellow students, reading groups,
friends, parents, SLC tutors, and paid-for professional editing services.
There is a set of guidelines which clearly indicates the type of advice and
assistance that can be given. If you are seeking the assistance of any third
party, you are required to give a copy of the guidelines to the person prior to
them helping or assisting you.
You are also required to only seek and accept help using a printed version of
your work, not an electronic version. You must keep a copy of this printed
version and produce it if required. A copy of the guidelines is available at:
www.business.auckland.ac.nz/thirdpartyassistance
Help with academic referencing: Acknowledgement of sources is an important
aspect of academic writing. The University’s Referencite website provides
students with a one-stop online resource for academic referencing needs.
Referencite explains the essentials of referencing and how to avoid plagiarism. It
also includes practical tools to help students’ reference correctly, use references
effectively in writing, and gives fast access
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