2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Nexus of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Engineering Education: Unlocking Engineers’ Potential through Learning Experiences that Cultivate Self-Efficacy in Embracing New Ideas

Presented at Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT) Technical Session 6

In the dynamic realm of engineering, the blend of analytical prowess and practical ingenuity is increasingly vital. There is also a growing demand for engineers to exhibit creativity alongside business acumen and management skills. Reflecting this shift, higher education emphasizes the importance of engineering students learning innovation and entrepreneurship basics. This paper delves into pedagogical features that enhance engineering students’ innovative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, focusing on the skill-overlap known as “Embracing New Ideas” (ENI). We extend previous work by exploring how formal courses and on-the-job learning promote Embracing New Ideas Self-Efficacy (ENI-SE).

Drawing on insights from 25 years of engineering alumni at Stanford University, our research question focuses on enhancing ENI-SE. Surveys identified 39 individuals with high ENI-SE, whom we interviewed about their learning experiences in the project-based design course ME310 and beyond. Four essential learning areas for ENI-SE emerged: Mastery by Doing, Real-world Connectivity, Interdisciplinary Exposure, and Supportive Learning Environment.

We discuss how these areas were realized in ME310 and provide examples from other engineering courses. Furthermore, we hypothesize how features of these four areas might be adapted or adopted more broadly in the engineering curriculum. These findings not only highlight the overlap between entrepreneurship and innovation in engineering education but also offer a blueprint for integrating these key pedagogical practices into existing curricular designs, equipping students to become creators, drivers, and forerunners of novel ideas and change.

Keywords: Embracing New Ideas, Self-Efficacy, Pedagogies for Engagement, Mixed-Methods Research, Entrepreneurship, Intrapreneurship, Educational Impact, Project-Based Learning, Innovation Management

Authors

Ms. Nada Elfiki Stanford University [biography]

Nada Elfiki was a Visiting Student Researcher in the Design Education Lab in Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University from February 2020 to February 2021. Her research interests bridge innovative and entrepreneurial behavior with insights from psychology, focusing on neuroplasticty and mindset in educational development.

Nada holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Management and Technology from the Technical University of Munich, with specializations in Mechanical Engineering, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Finance. She is also an alumna scholar of the entrepreneurial qualification program at Munich’s Center for Innovation and Business Creation (UnternehmerTUM).

Professionally, Nada currently works as a Senior Corporate Strategy Manager at a SaaS company. Her student practical experiences include roles as venture capital investment analyst, startup strategy consultant and entrepreneurial coach, alongside being team lead for innovation projects in the automotive industry.
Dr. Helen L. Chen http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6415-7814 Stanford University [biography]

Helen L. Chen is a Research Scientist in the Designing Education Lab in Mechanical Engineering and co-founder of the Integrative Learning Portfolio Lab in Career Education at Stanford University. She earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her PhD in Communication with a minor in Psychology from Stanford. Her scholarship is focused on engineering and entrepreneurship education, portfolio pedagogy, reflective practices, non-degree credentials, and reimagining how learners represent themselves through their professional online presence.
Prof. George Toye [biography]

Ph.D., P.E., is adjunct professor in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. While engaged in teaching project based engineering design thinking and innovations at the graduate level, he also contributes to research in engineering education, effect
Dr. Micah Lande http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-4964-5654 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology [biography]

Micah Lande, PhD is an Assistant Professor and E.R. Stensaas Chair for Engineering Education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. Dr. Lande directs the Holistic Engineering Lab & Observatory. He teaches human-centered engineering design, design thinking, and design innovation courses. Dr. Lande researches how technical and non-technical people learn and apply design thinking and making processes to their work. He is interested in the intersection of designerly epistemic identities and vocational pathways. Dr. Lande received his B.S. in Engineering (Product Design), M.A. in Education (Learning, Design and Technology) and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Design Education) from Stanford University.
Mr. Felix Kempf King's College London [biography]

Felix Kempf is a PhD Researcher at King's Business School, King's College London (United Kingdom) and an Assistant Researcher in the Designing Education Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University.

Felix holds a Bachelor and
Lauren Marie Aquino Shluzas Stanford University
Dr. Sheri Sheppard Stanford University [biography]

Sheri D. Sheppard teaches both undergraduate and graduate design-related classes, conducts research on fracture mechanics and finite element analysis, and on how people become engineers. From 1999 to 2008, she was a Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, leading its engineering study. Sheppard has contributed to significant educational projects, including the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education and the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter). Her industry experience spans Detroit’s Big Three: Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. At Stanford, she has served as faculty senate chair, associate vice provost for graduate education, founder of and adviser to MEwomen, and leads the Designing Education Lab (DEL), which aims to revolutionize engineering education. Her achievements have earned her numerous honors, such as Stanford’s Walter J. Gores Award and the American Society for Engineering Education’s Chester F. Carlson and Ralph Coats Roe Awards. She earned her PhD from the University of Michigan.

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