Goals
1. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship curriculum aims to
- Provide students with the foundation knowledge and understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship
- Foster in students an innovative spirit whereby they would embrace change and understand that innovation is part of the process towards excellence
- Inculcate in students an entrepreneurial mindset of seeking and seizing opportunities through change and being resourceful in their strive for success in their enterprise endeavours
- Equip them with the relevant innovation and entrepreneurial skills to practise innovation and entrepreneurship
Heart of the Discipline
2. Most people’s understanding of entrepreneurship is that of running a business but in actual fact an entrepreneur does not necessarily start or own a small business. An entrepreneur is always on the lookout for change, responds to it and exploits it as an opportunity and this is done through the process of innovation. In other words, innovation is a tool of entrepreneurship. Contrary to common beliefs, innovation involves a protocol. The essence of SST innovation and entrepreneurship education is really the innovative and entrepreneurial spirits and mindsets and developing their capacity to capitalize on change to enhance quality for the people. In a way, entrepreneurship could be perceived as a form of social responsibility.
3. The impact of globalization has created a new world order with consequences such as a global talent pool, shorter product life cycles, greater complexity in problems and decision-making etc. Innovation and entrepreneurship have the potential not just to gain competitive advantage but also to solve difficult and complex problems.
4. SST believes that from an early age, school education should foster the innovative and entrepreneurial spirits and mindsets. This would help them to be more innovative, entrepreneurial and confident in their endeavours. In addition, it also serves to stimulate young people’s awareness and interest in entrepreneurship as one of the career options for their future.
5. To scaffold the learning experience, students would first build their knowledge and understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship before being equipped with the relevant skills. Over the four years, they would have acquired knowledge and skills like ideation techniques and innovation protocol, financial literacy, business planning and marketing. These would give them the confidence to embark on their innovative and enterprising endeavours.
6. Students would also have the opportunity to hone their skills by participating in Innovation and Entrepreneurship related competitions, events, projects and activities with Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Nanyang Technological University.
Assessment
7. The modes of assessment would be project works, performance tasks and students’ personal reflections. The assessment criteria would focus more on the process than the product and would involve self, peers and teachers assessments.
8. Although in each module, there would be performance tasks for the students to complete, there would only be one major project in each year. All these would be evaluated with the intent that the feedback would be developmental rather than judgmental. This would heighten the students’ awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses and serve as an impetus for them to improve.
Pedagogical Approaches
9. Applied learning would be the main pedagogical approach in the delivery of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship curriculum. Students would learn by and from doing. The learning resources would be authentic to reflect real world context. The class organization would mostly be workshop style whereby students work in small groups. In such a set-up, students would have plenty of opportunities to build their structure of knowledge and develop their collaborative and communication skills.
10. To inspire the students, SST would initiate an Entrepreneurship Speaker Series inviting distinguished innovators and entrepreneurs to speak on a variety of innovation and entrepreneurship related topics.
11. Lastly, SST would foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship by encouraging students to come forth with their ideas and the school would evaluate these ideas together with the students to explore the possibility of implementing them.
References
Drucker, P.F. (2007). [The Classic Drucker Collection] Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Great Britain: Elsevier
Green, B. Conversation with Kauffman Foundation [Video File]. Retrieved from Kauffman Foundation Website: http://video.kauffman.org/services/player/bcpid1811456713?bclid=1612710415&bctid=8710202001
Printable version
