The engineering entrepreneurs program (EEP) Portal: A new tool for improving entrepreneurship pedagogy

Abstract

The Engineering Entrepreneurs Program Portal (EEP Portal) is a web-based tool designed for use by students who are participating in the EEP to manage their E-Teams. For background, the EEP is an undergraduate program centered in the College of Engineering, but open to students from all academic disciplines. The program's methodology provides students a more in-depth exposure to entrepreneurship and new product development. E-Teams are lead by engineering seniors who are fulfilling their senior capstone design project requirements. They organize E-Teams comprised of undergraduates and run these teams as virtual start-up companies. Underclassmen serve as virtual employees of these E-Teams and participate for either 1-credit or 3-credits. Topics covered in the EEP include leadership, management, project planning, marketing, sales, operations, organizational behavior, financiais, corporate formation, business planning, and intellectual property. The EEP Portal provides the students a structured, yet flexible, mechanism to manage their teams and the product development process. In addition, the EEP Portal allows faculty to observe the E-Team's progress in real-time and to monitor the program's pedagogical effectiveness. This paper discusses the impetus in developing the EEP Portal, its actual design and implementation, and provides a qualitative discussion of the results to date. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.