Resources for staff

The following principles invite a different approach to embedding entrepreneurial thinking in curricula across different disciplines. 

Think beyond start-ups and hi-tech   

Significant entrepreneurial thinking and behaviours occur within existing organisations or in everyday activities, and many innovations are developed in low-tech or no-tech environments. Stereotypes of entrepreneurship and innovation can hinder a broader adoption of entrepreneurial education and mindsets that encourage questioning, challenging of assumptions, problem identification and collaborating with others to create value. Creating a new venture, or ‘start-up’ business, is just one aspect of entrepreneurship that can provide entrepreneurial learning.    

Consider entrepreneurial learning outcomes  

Your learning outcomes may focus on developing an entrepreneurial mindset through generating and applying ideas, or on entrepreneurship by applying enterprising competencies in different contexts creating cultural, social or economic value.   

There are three teaching and learning strategies associated with supporting entrepreneurial learning outcomes:   

1. learning ‘about’ enterprise and entrepreneurship as an academic discipline 

2. learning ‘through’ activities which practice and develop entrepreneurial capabilities. This could include internships and industry placements. 

3. learning ‘for’ experiences which help students discover and prepare for entrepreneurial action; and  

(Advance HE et al., 2019)    

Apply to discipline-specific contexts  

Embedding entrepreneurial learning in a discipline-specific context should complement course content, extending curricula through an entrepreneurial ‘lens’. It can reinforce prior learning and deepen students' learning. Different disciplines draw on entrepreneurial education in different ways, as is appropriate to their subject matter. They may utilise a discipline-specific language, culture, and application of entrepreneurial education and this enhances the diverse community of entrepreneurial thinking and action at UQ.   

Make entrepreneurial learning explicit  

Increase understanding and awareness of entrepreneurial competencies and behaviours by explicitly articulating these in course descriptions, learning objectives, and throughout learning activities and assessments. Encourage students to reflect on and articulate entrepreneurial learning outcomes through learning activities and assessments.   

Scaffold through a program  

It may not be necessary or desirable for every course to feature entrepreneurial learning, and the pattern of scaffolding may vary between programs. Taking a programmatic approach that seeks to combine theory, concepts, and practical applications for students will build skills across a program. Activities early in a program might focus on an entrepreneurial mindset, with activities later in a program providing opportunities to deepen understanding, awareness and experiences and include more complex reflections on practice.   

Encourage students to learn through productive failure  

To experiment, fail, reflect and learn in order to try again is one way an entrepreneurial mindset is used in everyday life. Structuring learning activities and assessment around the process of learning how to learn through productive failure empowers students to reflect and learn from their mistakes, motivates learning and can enable stronger decision-making, innovative outcomes and tolerance for ambiguity. Providing a safe environment in which to fail, facilitates learning, and reframes failure as a necessary and even desirable, to allow true learning to occur. A balance between authentic formative and summative assessment provides a safe space for failing forward.   

Engage stakeholders  

People with an entrepreneurial mindset practice collaborative reasoning; they connect and engage with others, drawing on available resources and knowledge to achieve shared outcomes and priorities. Engaging students, industry, and wider community stakeholders in course design and learning activities, such as Work Integrated Learning and teamwork, can support the development of students’ entrepreneurial competencies and their practical application in authentic contexts.   

Connect to co-curricular opportunities  

Entrepreneurial learning occurs both in and outside of the curriculum. There is a large range of co- and extra-curricular entrepreneurial learning experiences for students at UQ, including but not limited to Ventures’ entrepreneurship programs and Employability experiences. Activity in the curriculum should be distinctive but may make strong connections to these opportunities for students who want to further explore their entrepreneurial pathways in different settings.    

Examine ethics for purposeful entrepreneurship  

Critical thinking on ethics in entrepreneurship is a learning opportunity that can be utilised to develop a deep understanding of entrepreneurship and objectivity about its purpose and impact. Gaining experience of entrepreneurship with a social or environmental purpose, either in practice or in a learning environment, provides students with the opportunity to understand ethical responsibility, the importance of sustainability, and the impact that social entrepreneurship can have.  

Utilise good practice in entrepreneurship teaching and learning  

There is strong evidence to support experiential learning as critical in developing the competencies and behaviours associated with an entrepreneurial mindset. As such, utilising good practice in teaching and learning and applying classroom learning to a professional environment by reflecting on Work Integrated Learning supports this development.  

Further, Crittendon and Babson College explain that “entrepreneurship needs to be practiced in order to be learned” (p. 54-56), and proffer five practices which can “develop the entrepreneurial thinking and acting abilities of students” (p. 56). These include: 

Download a copy of these Entrepreneurial education guiding principles. (PDF, 132.6 KB)

References  

Advance HE, EEUK, IOEE, ISBE, SFEDI & QAA (2019). Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education Framework. Advance HE. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/guidance/teaching-and-learning/enterprise-andentrepreneurship (Accessed: 06/11/2019).  

Crittenden, V. L., & Babson College. Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching. (2015). Evolving entrepreneurial education: innovation in the Babson classroom. (V. L. Crittenden, Ed.; First edition.). Emerald Insight. 

Entrepreneurial learning can be applied across a wide range of disciplines and pedagogies. The educator’s aim is to help develop students’ core behaviours, attributes, and competencies, leading towards entrepreneurial effectiveness. 

Opportunities can be provided for these competencies to be practiced across a wide range of situations, helping the student to develop confidence. Building from low-stakes assignments provides opportunities for exploration and development and can lead to high-stakes activities and assessments through a scaffolded approach.  

The delivery and learning outcomes below are suggestions and not intended to be prescriptive or limiting, as these can be added to and tailored as required. These have been grouped into themes for clarity; each theme is interconnected and should be approached holistically.  

Download a copy of Articulating entrepreneurial learning outcomes. (PDF, 109.5 KB)

Creativity and innovation 

Ideas led by an entrepreneurial approach are founded on the ability to think and act creatively and innovatively.  

Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation 

At the heart of the entrepreneurial process is the recognition of real opportunities from a spectrum of possible ideas. Where possible, educators should engage with industry to provide relevant, up-to-date working materials.  

Decision making supported by critical analysis, synthesis and judgement 

Entrepreneurs and ‘intrapreneurs’ (entrepreneurship within an existing organisation) rely on the ability to combine new and emerging insights to make decisions, even when these are based on limited or unclear data or on emotional considerations such as well-being. Decisions to act are made within a context of uncertainty and through iterative processes.  

Implementation of ideas through leadership and management 

Successful enterprise and entrepreneurship depend upon the ability to take action, and implement decisions through social processes. 

Action and reflection 

Individuals successful in enterprise or entrepreneurship often have heightened self-awareness, developed through reflecting on and continually learning from their actions; they use failure to inform their progress. 

Communication and strategy skills 

As well as working within teams, entrepreneurial processes involve the ability to build effective relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Interpersonal skills become well-developed through communication and interaction with others. Effective and adaptive planning is key to developing and implementing strategies.  

Digital and data skills 

Big data coupled with analytical methods such as advanced analytics and AI can inform decision making throughout the innovation process. The development of digital literacy and competencies can inform successful entrepreneurial activities, enhance the ability to identify opportunities, and devise new ways to create value. 

This material in this section has been adapted from Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education: Guidance for UK Higher Education Providers (2018) QAA Created by Eleanor Browne, Associate Lecturer Enterprise and Innovation Education, Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation © The University of Queensland 2020.

The following tables map entrepreneurship education to the UQ Graduate Attributes. This mapping can be contextualised for specific programs and courses.  

This section provides a curated collection of course based learning activities and design resources to support the development of entrepreneurial capabilities across disciplines. Each activity is accompanied by a structured lesson plan outlining its purpose, learning outcomes, pedagogical method, required resources, AI related considerations, and assessment options.  

The collection draws on a diverse set of methodologies including problem-based, case-based, inquiry-based, and scenario-based learning, as well as design thinking, innovation sprints, reflective practice, and industry engaged experiences, to enable flexible integration into new or existing courses. These resources can be adopted directly or adapted to suit disciplinary context, cohort needs, and program level learning goals.  

These approaches and activities require active facilitation and intentional integration within course design to achieve entrepreneurship and innovation learning outcomes. 

Case-based learning (CBL) presents students with a case or dilemma situated in an authentic context, which they are required to solve. Students are provided with background, situation and supporting data. They can work individually or as a group. The course coordinator takes on a facilitator’s role to guide learning rather than dictate answers.  

Most effective cases: 

• are developed in line with defined learning objectives 

• have an educational purpose 

• are authentic and relevant 

• draw on common/typical scenarios 

• consider dilemmas to promote decision-making 

• add supporting data where necessary, and 

• have relatable characters, and some include the voice of characters (e.g., patients) to add drama and realism. 

In facilitating case-based learning: 

1. Give students ample time to read and think about the case. You can provide the case before class. 

2. Introduce the case briefly and provide some guidelines for how to approach it. 

3. Create groups (ideally 3–6 students) and monitor them to ensure everyone is involved. 

4. Have groups present their solutions/reasoning. 

5. Ask questions for clarification and to move discussions to another level. 

6. Synthesise issues raised. Be sure to bring the various strands of the discussion back together at the end. Ask groups to summarise their findings and compare group responses. Help the whole class interpret and understand the implications of their solutions. 

Following is an example of a Design Thinking case-based learning plan.

Case-based learning plan (PDF, 117.1 KB)

Scenario-based learning offers an effective pedagogical strategy for advancing inclusive education by creating learning experiences that are interactive, motivating, and grounded in realworld practice. By situating learning within purposeful narrative scenarios, this approach supports learners in tackling complex problems while fostering the development of transferable skills through active engagement (Volpe 2024).  

When designing a scenario: 

1. Identify the learning outcomes. It is important to identify what you want students to achieve on completing the scenario and then work backwards from the learning outcomes to create the situation that will lead to this learning.  

2. Decide on your format. Is your scenario delivered in face-to-face or online environments? What media (photographs, audio, video) and other resources will you need? If you use an online scenario, will you provide other supporting activities, such as wikis, discussion forums, etc.? 

3. Choose a topic. Remember that non-routine tasks lend themselves to scenario-based learning. Consider using ‘critical incidents’ and challenging situations that have occurred in your subject area. 

4. Identify the trigger event or situation. This will be the starting point of your scenario. As you create the scenario, identify decision points and key areas for feedback and student reflection. Creating a storyboard is an effective way to do this. 

5. Peer review your scenario. Ask colleagues to work through the scenario to ensure it flows as you expect and achieves the outcomes you intended. 

The following scenario-based activity plan example focuses on research commercialisation. Change the scenario to fit your context and course learning outcomes.  

Scenario-based learning (PDF, 134.9 KB)

Problem-based learning (PBL) supports learning through an enquiry-guided method for students to solve a real-life problem. Students use ‘triggers’ derived from the problem to define their own learning outcomes/objectives. There is a specific, guided methodology for implementing PBL. 

There are various ways to plan, design and implement PBL in your classroom. The following resources may suit your context: 

• Wood (2007) identified a structure for incorporating PBL into the curriculum and emphasises that PBL will only be successful if the problems developed are of high quality. 

• Ganareo and Lyons (2015) outline key steps to design, implement and assess PBL to help develop twenty-first-century skills such as teamwork, digital literacy and problem-solving. 

• The ‘Seven Jump’ method (Gijselaers, 1995) used at Maastricht describes the key steps students go through to resolve a problem during PBL tutorial sessions. 

The following scenario-based activity plan example focuses ideation. Change the scenario to fit your context and course learning outcomes.  

Problem-based learning. 

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) encourages students to explore material, ask questions, and share ideas in small groups with guided learning. It uses a constructivist approach, with the goal of having students make meaning, guided by the Course Coordinators. 

Heick identified four phases of Inquiry-Based Learning: 

(Retrieved 09/01/26 from https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy-posts/phases-inquiry-learning ) 

The phases of inquiry describe shifts in student thinking and corresponding instructional emphasis. They are not fixed steps and may recur or overlap as understanding develops. 

The following inquiry-based learning example focuses on the process of research commercialisation, generally. Edit for your context.

Inquiry-based learning (PDF, 151.9 KB)

This activity supports students in strengthening their critical‑thinking, analytical, and problem‑solving capabilities by examining examples of failed commercialisation attempts, business ideas, or entrepreneurial pitches. Through guided critique, students identify where assumptions, strategy, design, ethics, or evidence were insufficient, and then work collaboratively to propose remedies or alternative pathways. This activity helps learners develop the judgement required to evaluate opportunities, anticipate risks, and redesign ventures for more viable, responsible and sustainable outcomes. 

Critical Thinking activity (PDF, 152.5 KB)

This activity introduces students to design thinking through an entrepreneurship-focused, real-world sustainability challenge. Working in fast-paced teams, students use human-centred methods to understand stakeholder needs, ideate potential solutions, and rapidly prototype an environmentally oriented entrepreneurial concept. The activity builds creative confidence, problem framing ability, and earlys tage venture thinking within a one hour session. 

Design thinking activity (PDF, 206.8 KB)

A ‘Scavenger Hunt’ style activity immerses students in the real-world landscape of innovation and entrepreneurship by challenging them to seek out and analyse authentic examples in their environment. Through this interactive experience, students identify entrepreneurial opportunities, observe how design thinking principles manifest in practice, and connect theory to tangible applications. This activity promotes curiosity, critical observation, and creative problem-solving, making it an engaging way to build entrepreneurial awareness and applied innovation skills. 

Scavenger hunt for entrepreneurship (PDF, 173.4 KB)

This activity invites students to reflect critically on their personal engagement with entrepreneurship, innovation, or research commercialisation. Through guided prompts, students explore how their experiences, values, skills, and assumptions shape their identity as emerging innovators. The reflection supports students in identifying growth areas, recognising their developing entrepreneurial mindset, and articulating how they might contribute to innovation within their discipline or future career. This activity can be completed individually or incorporated as part of a portfolio or capstone. 

Personal reflection project for entrepreneurship (PDF, 156.1 KB)

An Innovation Sprint is a 3-to-5-day intensive, interdisciplinary workshop where students collaborate to solve realworld challenges sourced from industry, community, or research partners. Using a structured designthinking framework, teams rapidly move from problem understanding to idea generation, prototyping, testing, and final pitch. This immersive sprint builds capability in innovation, teamwork, usercentred design, communication, and applied entrepreneurial thinking while providing authentic experience with industry-defined problems. 

An innovation sprint is related to a design sprint. A design sprint is a specific, usercentred methodology for rapidly prototyping and testing solutions, whereas an innovation sprint is a broader term for any timeboxed activity designed to accelerate innovation. Design sprints are one possible format within an innovation sprint, but innovation sprints may also draw on lean startup, entrepreneurial experimentation, or business model validation approaches. 

The following innovation sprint structure allows for flexibility in methodology, into which design sprints could be embedded.

Innovation sprint activity (PDF, 150.5 KB)

Both Lean Launchpad and Startup Launchpad are related methodologies, yet differ in the way the experience is sequenced.  

Lean LaunchPad is a specific, well‑defined methodology and course model developed by Steve Blank. It is grounded in the Lean Startup approach and customer discovery, and follows a structured sequence: testing hypotheses, getting out of the building (getting to know your customers in their own environment), iterating business models, and using tools like the Business Model Canvas. Lean LaunchPad methodology is a disciplined, evidence‑driven process. 

A startup launchpad, by contrast, is a broader, more flexible term. It typically refers to an activity, program, or learning experience designed to help early‑stage ventures “get off the ground.” A startup launchpad may include Lean LaunchPad principles (customer discovery, experiments, iteration), but it often blends them with other elements such as pitching, mentoring, ideation, effectuation, team formation, or venture acceleration. The structure, duration, and theoretical grounding can vary widely. 

In practice 

• Lean LaunchPad = a specific method with a clear lineage, process, and learning goals 

• Startup launchpad = an umbrella label for early-stage venture development activities, which may or may not be lean 

Why the distinction matters in education 

In an entrepreneurship education context, calling an activity Lean LaunchPad implies a commitment to customer discovery, experimentation, and evidence-based iteration. Calling it a startup launchpad signals preparatory or catalytic intent, but not necessarily a lean or customer-driven pedagogy unless explicitly stated. 

Startup launchpad 

Startup Launchpad is an intensive three-day, team-based innovation experience where students collaborate to develop early-stage startup concepts. Through rapid opportunity exploration, customer discovery, experimentation, and venture shaping, students learn to transform problems into viable entrepreneurial ideas. This intensive model encourages creative risk taking, evidence guided decision making, and cross-disciplinary teamwork, giving students a hands-on introduction to startup development in a safe, supportive, and fast paced environment.

Startup launchpad activities (PDF, 183.5 KB)

Lean Launchpad 

This plan follows a 6-to-8-week sequence, and follows the elements of Steve Blank’s Lean launchpad methodology. Note that this works best as a flipped classroom model. Students should engage with core class content before workshops; class time is for Lessons Learned discussion and critique. Make pre-class video/viewing a requirement each week. 

Lean launchpad activities (PDF, 200.1 KB)

Innovative entrepreneurs: Guests 

Inviting a founder or executive into the classroom provides students with authentic insights into the entrepreneurial mindset, decision-making under uncertainty, and the realities of venture creation. This activity leverages lived experience to deepen understanding of theory, spark curiosity, and foster critical reflection on the skills and attitudes required for innovation. Through structured interaction, students connect classroom concepts to real-world practice and explore how entrepreneurial thinking can be applied in diverse contexts. 

Innovative entrepreneurs activity (PDF, 150.5 KB)

Coaching 

This activity introduces students to entrepreneurial coaching as a developmental tool for building self-awareness, confidence, and strategic thinking. Through structured coaching conversations, students learn to articulate goals, explore challenges, and identify actionable steps for advancing their entrepreneurial ideas or mindset. Coaching fosters autonomy, resilience, and reflective practice, which are key attributes for successful innovators.

Coaching activities for entrepreneurship (PDF, 128.1 KB)