2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work-in-progress paper explores three different academic opportunities that introduce undergraduate students to innovation and engineering entrepreneurship. Courses focused on the explicit teaching of knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with innovation and entrepreneurship are inherently able to include learning objectives that align with many of the ABET student outcomes, including how to: understand the context in which an engineering design will be implemented, effectively communicate ideas, work in multidisciplinary teams, and participate in ethical decision making. The three academic opportunities offered at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign which are discussed in this paper include: 1) a semester-long introductory course in innovation, leadership, and engineering entrepreneurship that is open to students of all majors and levels; 2) a year-long innovation course designed for first-year students who must apply and be accepted into this academic program; and 3) a semester-long introduction to innovation course that is available exclusively to students living in a certain residential living-learning program for first- and second-year students. The first two courses have typical enrollments of 40 students or less while the third course enrolls between 100-150 students when it is offered each fall. This exploration will discuss the importance of formally introducing students to innovation and entrepreneurship early in their academic careers, specific curriculum and student assessment mechanisms in each of these programs, and in what ways participating students stay engaged in the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem after completing one of these three introductory courses.