Innovative teaching to engage and challenge twenty-first century entrepreneurship students: An interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

Students born into the digital age differ from students reared in earlier times, and from their professors. Because of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reconfigure throughout life in response to environmental influences, interaction with electronic devices affects brain structure and function. This paper explains how effective classroom teaching can accommodate changes in student learning styles and values. Students have a need-to-know, short-term, goal-oriented world view that contrasts with professors' value of life-long learning for learning's sake. Classroom processes developed for entrepreneurship classes that quickly engage and challenge students are effective and fun. Such processes are presented and examined here in the context of a workshop developed for faculty at the authors' university.