Assessing the effectiveness of entrepreneurial education programs from a multi-level multi-dimensional perspective with mental models

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education programs typically include a large range of student outcomes including knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as outcomes that go beyond the classroom. Because of the extent of inclusions and the broad range of effects, assessing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs is frequently challenged. Based upon Block and Stumpf [1]'s idea of "hierarchy of criteria" for evaluation, the main purpose of this research is to provide a multi-level multi-dimensional perspective that systematically investigates factors related to the success of entrepreneurship education programs. Such programs, in turn, can stimulate and bring success to new enterprises and entire communities. The authors propose a multi-level multi-dimensional perspective for assessing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education programs while introducing a measurement model as a critical component. The effectiveness of entrepreneurial education programs is difficult to measure precisely, particularly in a shorter time, due to the nature of entrepreneurship education program outcomes which researchers need to wait years before students graduate and then contribute to the creation of innovation or new venture in their later carrier. According to Rouse and Morris [2], mental models are the mechanisms whereby humans generate descriptions of system purpose and form, explanations of system functioning and observed system states, and predictions of future system states. Consequently, a mental model plays a major role in entrepreneurship mindset because mental models profoundly influence one's beliefs, intentions, and behaviors. In this paper, first, the authors introduce three major problems associated with assessment of entrepreneurship education programs. Second, the entrepreneurship education program at the small engineering school is presented. Third, the authors provide a more comprehensive assessment model of entrepreneurship education programs to inform and direct stakeholders of entrepreneurship education programs. We suggest that the multi-level multi-dimensional perspective would be more empirically testable for interactions between the students, his/her teachers, relationships within the institution, and the society and economy, by adding the shared mental model construct into the research model. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.