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Purpose Accessibility to entrepreneurial education can be very restrictive because of associated barriers (e.g. add-on course/credit cost and prolonged duration) that prevent students from gaining entry into learning experiences. This study aims to provide an approach to address the gap of inaccessibility. This study proposes the integration of entrepreneurially minded coursework into aviation coursework using information literacy (IL) exercises by incorporating readings, videos, student-centered online discussions and student-facilitated presentations. Design/methodology/approach Students participated in an intervention consisting of five entrepreneurially minded online discussions where they watched a video or read an article and then responded to a series of questions. Upon completion of the intervention, participants completed a survey related to student learning outcomes and satisfaction. Findings The results from this study provide insight into changes in student perceptions after engaging in IL exercises designed to develop the entrepreneurial mindset. There is evidence that online discussions, journal article critiques and student-facilitated presentations are effective ways to integrate IL into aviation courses to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students. Originality/value Several university-based approaches currently exist to help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, including majors and minors in entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship coursework and centers for entrepreneurship that offer extracurricular learning experiences. Although these approaches offer a great foundation, they are typically viewed as “extra” with high barriers to entry. The limited focus on integration into coursework (whereby everyone gets an opportunity) prevents equitable access to a larger contingent of students. Therefore, in this study, we propose one approach to integrating the entrepreneurial mindset into coursework.

CONTRIBUTION: This paper highlights one approach to fostering the entrepreneurial mindset in the engineering classroom. BACKGROUND: Entrepreneurship and innovation are currently trending topics in engineering education and will continue developing for the foreseeable future. INTENDED OUTCOMES: The guiding research question is: How can an entrepreneurial mindset focused learning experience improve student self-regulation, seeing value, and lifelong learning through metacognitive reflections? APPLICATION DESIGN: The study is implemented within a five-week module focused on developing the entrepreneurial mindset as part of a required course on supply chain management technology. The supporting pedagogical interventions include authentic learning, information literacy, a mix of low stakes and high stakes assessment, and parallel scaffold and collaborative learning. The module is assessed through a metacognitive reflection centered around self-regulated learning, seeing value, and lifelong learning. FINDINGS: First, the metacognitive reflections showed ~50% of participants would approach their work differently (e.g., make changes to management and scheduling, using credible sources, obtaining writing assistance through the university writing lab). Second, participants were able to articulate soft skill development and/or subject matter expertise as benefits as it relates to entering the workforce. Third, participants were able to express opportunities for extending their knowledge in the future.

PurposeThe National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs are traditionally delivered in-person and full-time (40 h per week) for 10 weeks during the summer. However, this type of format has the potential to limit broader student participation. This study aims to compare learning assessment data between a traditional NSF REU (10 weeks of summer, full-time, in-person) to an alternative NSF REU delivered virtually, part-time and over 10 months as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA retrospective pre-then-post survey was completed to assess perceived learning gains for each REU program. Three learning gains categories were assessed: entrepreneurial competencies, career goals and research skill development. T-tests were used to evaluate a difference in means between pre and post.FindingsFindings show the greatest quantity of learning gains within the alternative program delivery. Moreover, a larger quantity of learning gains was perceived within the first semester of the alternative program delivery compared to the second semester.Practical implicationsThe authors propose the NSF should be intentional about trying new approaches to REU programs delivery, including duration and format, as a way to broaden participation in engineering.Originality/valueThis study is original in that it is the first of its kind to assess an alternative REU program delivery (allowed only because of the COVID-19 pandemic) in comparison to traditional REU program delivery.

PurposeUpon graduating from university, many engineers will work in new product development and/or technology adoption for continuous improvement and production optimization. These jobs require employees to be cognizant of ethical practices and implications for design. However, little engineering coursework, outside the traditional ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) required Engineering Ethics course, accounts for the role of ethics within this process. Because of this, engineering students have few learning opportunities to practice and reflect on ethical decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis paper highlights one approach to integrating ethics into an engineering course (outside of engineering ethics). Specifically, the study is implemented within a five-week module with a focus on big data ethics, as part of a Supply Chain Management Technology course (required for Industrial Engineering Technology majors), using metacognition as the core assessment.FindingsFour main themes were identified through the qualitative data analysis of the metacognitive reflections: (1) overreliance on content knowledge, (2) time management skills, (3) career connections and (4) knowledge extensions.Originality/valueThree notable points emerged which contribute to the literature. First, this study showcased one example of how an ethics module can be integrated into an engineering course (other than Engineering Ethics). Second, this study demonstrated how metacognitive reflections can be used to reinforce student self-awareness of the learning process and connections to big data ethics in the workplace. Finally, this study exhibited how metacognitive reflection assignments can be deployed as a teaching and learning assessment tool, providing an opportunity for the instructor to make immediate changes as needed.

The development of the entrepreneurial mindset is not only important for engineering graduates who desire to start a new company, but also important for graduates who desire to get a job within a company. Multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary engineering graduates can use their entrepreneurial mindset to create optimal designs and bring value to a company, but future employers only pay attention when that value is communicated efficiently. The purpose of this study is to showcase one approach for growing the entrepreneurial mindset and using visual literacy to effectively communicate the value proposition in an engineering classroom using the pedagogical ‘learning by evaluation’ approach of adaptive comparative judgment. The findings show a positive response from student participants. Furthermore, the findings justify actively engaging in and practicing career development techniques throughout the undergraduate engineering learning journey.

The purpose of this study is to communicate lessons learned and benefits (which go beyond assessing commercial viability) from faculty principal investigator participation in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Customer Discovery National Teams Program. The NSF I-Corps Customer Discovery National Teams Program markets itself as a program that "prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory and accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic-research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization." However, there is so much more to be gained by program participants. Unfortunately, researchers wouldn't know this unless they personally participated in the program or received insights from someone who has completed the program. This study aims to respond to the following research question: How does participation in the NSF I-Corps Customer Discovery Program benefit faculty principal investigators? This study integrates both secondary data, using VentureWell's data file and code book, which was developed as an assessment tool for the NSF I-Corps National Teams Program, and autoethnography, whereby the authors use a qualitative research approach to self-reflect upon their own experiences conducting customer discovery on energy-focused technologies. Findings show there is much to be gained by program participants, including improvements in overall career success attributes, such as learning, mentoring, and research capabilities. In addition, the results show faculty researchers how they can recreate the process on their own.

In an attempt to overcome barriers faced by engineering students, a strengths-based approach to an Introduction to Engineering course was developed and deployed at a minority-serving institution in the US Midwest. This course-based research experience provided an environment that allowed students to learn about various engineering disciplines and improve their communication skills while engaging in a constructivist-grounded process. Students were asked to construct their knowledge and make meaning of the engineering disciplines through the creation of a children’s book that introduced young readers to engineering. Although book creation in an engineering course may seem unconventional to many, this course produced students with sound communication skills and a fundamental understanding of engineering that has laid the foundation for their academic careers.

The main purpose of this study was to explore pre-service STEM teacher perceptions, or misperceptions, about manufacturing, and to identify potential practices for how the K-12 system can better inform students, parents, teachers, and society on education and career paths in manufacturing. The research design and methodology were grounded in participatory action research to qualitatively investigate pre-service teacher perceptions of manufacturing. Data collection was done through photovoice, in which participants took pictures and wrote a narrative related to their perceptions of manufacturing, and photo-elicitation, in which participants completed a focus group session to further elicit and dig deeper into their perceptions. The preliminary findings identified four themes related to the pre-service teacher societal perceptions of manufacturing, including (1) manufacturing is a black box; (2) manufacturing has poor working conditions; (3) the media has a large influence on manufacturing perceptions; and (4) teachers and educational institutions have great potential to influence manufacturing perceptions. Recommendations for educational practice and implications for future research are provided. In particular, the study should be extended to pre-service teachers across concentrations to gain a more holistic understanding of perceptions related to all K-12 teachers entering the workforce, not just teachers with a focus on engineering/technology.

The Innovation-Corps™ (I-Corps) program was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2011 to help translate NSF-funded academic research to market. Working with coordi- nating partner VentureWell, the NSF offers select participants from U. S. academic laboratories the opportunity to immerse themselves in a process to test and explore the opportunities and value of their ideas in the marketplace. Participants talk to potential customers, partners, and competitors to refine their research ideas into viable products using an entrepreneurial approach to meet the challenges and uncertainty of creating successful innovations. This paper summarizes panel content that was planned for the NAI Ninth Annual Meeting, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions. The purpose of the panel was to provide a range of uniquely different perspectives; thus, we have opted to maintain the question and answer format. The panelists first examine the real and perceived, or intended and unintended, outputs of I-Corps projects and then discuss the I-Corps process as the catalyst for refining and/or scaling promising research idea into a product to meet a customer need. The panelists then describe the importance of customer discovery as relevant to invention and to culturally conscious entrepreneurship and how this first step can aid basic research. The panelists highlight the opportunities and challenges of teaching a customer discovery approach in an academic setting by charging learners to ask open-ended questions to acquire a 360-degree perspective of a technological innovation. Lastly, the panelists provide a viewpoint on the execution of academic customer discovery during the current COVID-19 challenges and the potential for economic development.

Solar generation has increased rapidly worldwide in recent years and it is projected to continue to grow exponentially. A problem exists in that the increase in solar energy generation will increase the probability of grid disturbances. This study focuses on analyzing the grid disturbances caused by the massive integration to the transmission line of utility-scale solar energy loaded to the balancing authority high-voltage transmission lines in four regions of the United States electrical system: (1) California, (2) Southwest, (3) New England, and (4) New York. Statistical analysis of equality of means was carried out to detect changes in the energy balance and peak power. Results show that when comparing the difference between hourly net generation and demand, energy imbalance occurs in the regions with the highest solar generation: California and Southwest. No significant difference was found in any of the four regions in relation to the energy peaks. The results imply that regions with greater utility-level solar energy adoption must conduct greater energy exchanges with other regions to reduce potential disturbances to the grid. It is essential to bear in mind that as the installed solar generation capacity increases, the potential energy imbalances created in the grid increase.

Purpose Investing in Industry 4.0 is an important consideration for manufacturing firms who strive to remain competitive in this global economy, but the uncertainty and complexity of where to focus technology investments is a problem facing many manufacturers. The purpose of this paper is to highlight a region of manufacturing firms in the Midwest USA to investigate the role of firm size, access to funds and industry type on decision to invest in and deploy various Industry 4.0 technologies. Design/methodology/approach A survey was developed, piloted, and deployed to manufacturing companies located in the Midwest USA, specifically, Indiana, USA. A total of 138 manufacturing firms completed the full survey. The survey participants were requested to rank order the various technology categories with respect to previous historical spending, workforce capabilities and anticipated return on investment. The survey was supplemented with publically available data. Due to the use of rank-order data to identify Industry 4.0 priorities, a non-parametric analysis was completed using the Kruskall Wallis test. Findings The findings suggest that manufacturers with less than 20 employees and/or less access to funds (sales less than $10m) prioritize digital factory floor technologies (e.g. technology directly impacting productivity, quality and safety of manufacturing processes). Larger manufacturers with 20 or more employees and/or access to more funds (sales greater than or equal to $10m) prioritize enterprise support operations technologies. Originality/value Research studies and reports tend to lump manufacturing’s perspective of Industry 4.0 into one homogenous group, and rarely acknowledge the limited participation of “smaller” Small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for the far majority of manufacturing firms in the USA. The value of this study is on the “novelty of approach,” in that the data collection and analysis focuses on heterogeneity of manufacturing firms with respect to size, access to funds and industry type. The findings and recommendations are beneficial and relevant to organizations supporting Industry 4.0 efforts through workforce development and economic development initiatives.

Solar energy penetration levels have been increasing steadily in recent years, becoming a significant factor in the energy system in the United States and the world. The increase in photovoltaic generation leads to a potential increase in grid disturbances. This study analyzes the relationship between solar energy generation and error (difference between the demand and the forecast energy demand) in seven subregions of the United States. Three types of errors were calculated mean error (ME), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean squared error (MSE). Correlation analysis was performed between solar energy generation and the three types of errors. Furthermore, graphical comparisons were made between the percentage of energy generated and the three types of errors for each of the seven subregions. As a result, negative correlations were found between the generation of solar energy and ME in five analyzed subregions. When analyzing the correlation between solar energy generation with MAE and MSE, a correlation was found in all the subregions. Besides, ME, MAE, and MSE values decrease in the subregions with the highest solar energy generation percentage. The results indicate that the generation of solar energy impacts the demand forecast. Also, Balancing Authorities (BAs) with a high percentage of solar energy consider the solar generation's effects on demand forecasting. Due to these results, even BAs with low solar generation should consider solar energy as a relevant factor to improve the demand forecast accuracy. Additionally, it is necessary to incorporate methodological standards across all BAs that consider solar generation effects in demand forecasting.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Teaching Blueprint offers a standardized approach for integrating the entrepreneurial mindset into existing curriculum across campus. The blueprint comprises four essential curriculum design aspects: the first three design attributes (entrepreneurial integration, professional skill development, and mindset cultivation) are central to the vision, as they directly relate to the entrepreneurial mindset, and the last design attribute (teaching with intention) directly connects to the teaching and learning, playing more of a supporting role but important nonetheless. As the blueprint is a curriculum planning tool for instructors to make the course design or redesign more efficient and effective, it is one of many tools and resources that can be placed in the entrepreneurial educator’s toolbox. The blueprint offers a wealth of autonomy. The user-friendly and flexible format can be adapted and used across many content areas, from general education to computer science to political science courses. Moreover, the blueprint can be used across age levels; although this book highlights the use of the blueprint in higher education, where instructors have a bit more freedom to modify the curriculum, the blueprint can be just as useful in the K–12 space. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how the Entrepreneurial Mindset Teaching Blueprint can be used and understand how the blueprint is applied using an example of introduction statistics.

While the current approaches in higher education to teaching the entrepreneurial mindset provide an excellent foundation, there is a notable gap: Only a small percentage of the student population is being reached. In most universities, entrepreneurial education is positioned as a choice. Students can choose to pursue a major, minor, certificate, or some other academic degree related to entrepreneurship. Likewise, students can choose to take advantage of cocurricular opportunities held within entrepreneurship centers or other areas of the university. For those students who partake in these choices, there are remarkable opportunities, and we often hear success stories being shared on social media or university web pages. The purpose of this chapter is to explain how limited access is the major gap in current entrepreneurial mindset education, recognize the reasons why there is limited access to entrepreneurial mindset education, and describe how an “across the curriculum” approach can increase student access to entrepreneurial mindset education.

When incorporating the entrepreneurial mindset into existing courses throughout the university, there are four curriculum design essentials. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the fourth and final design essential: Teaching with Intention. Best practices for teaching with intention should be grounded within student motivation to learn. The three key factors influencing student motivation to learn are self-efficacy, seeing value, and a supportive environment. Self-efficacy refers to a student’s belief they will be successful. Seeing value—connecting the theoretical topics to the real world—can be obtained through integration of intrinsic value, attainment value, and instrumental value. A supportive environment can be achieved through differentiated learning with a focus on readiness, interest, and learning profile. Backward course design promotes an objective approach to student learning, which uses intentionally designed assessments to offer evidence that the course goals have been obtained by the student. The first step is to identify the final course outcomes (e.g., goals) and then articulate the learning objectives, activities, and assessments used to support the intended course outcomes. This chapter expresses how best teaching practices connect to and support development of the entrepreneurial mindset, explains the three primary factors influencing student motivation to learn, describes the backward course design approach to curriculum development, and highlights multiple pedagogical approaches for applying best teaching practices within the classroom.