The EICAA Pilot Round implementation within the University of Hohenheim

The University of Hohenheim is a key player in the EICAA project, where we lead the coordination and data analysis of the Pilot Round and also contribute to various other aspects of the project. The University has a lot of experience teaching innovation and entrepreneurship courses and supports the development of the Competence Development Kit (CDK). We also test the interventions in our bachelor’s and master’s programs.

Planning The Pilot Round

To plan the pilot round, we had two options: either pilot the entire institution without direct student involvement or select specific courses to gather meaningful data and adapt the lessons accordingly. We chose the latter option and selected one master’s course and three bachelor’s courses for the pilot. A total of 202 students participated in the Competence Monitor (CM) used between January and April 2023.

Implementation

We implemented the EICAA Competence Monitor in one of the undergraduate courses called “International Business and Innovation”. The course included lectures and tutorials where students worked on innovation challenges. They were tasked with developing a sustainable innovation related to a self-selected issue. Before the tutorial, students were asked to reflect on the competences they considered important for successful innovation. The most commonly cited competences were “Creativity”, “Working with Others”, and “Learning through Experience”.

The University of Hohenheim implemented the EICAA Competence Monitor in one of the undergraduate courses called “International Business and Innovation”.

Using the assessment results, the University of Hohenheim used interventions to enhance student competences by incorporating exercises from the EICAA Competence Development Kit into the next tutorial session.

Surprisingly, the students did not identify “Enterprising Literacy” as a core strength, which was puzzling as it is an important part of the curriculum.

The EICAA project was introduced to the students, and the Competence Monitor was conducted in class. The student cohort consisted of 23 students with diverse educational backgrounds, including international exchange students from France, Spain, and the US. The students were divided into groups of three to four, ensuring gender and ethnic diversity. Most students were female and had prior work experience. While the majority had a business administration background, some exchange students were studying life sciences.

Results

To facilitate the Competence Assessment, students could access it through a QR code using their smartphones or tablets. The course received an overall score of 3.12 out of 5, indicating an intermediate level of entrepreneurial competence in the group. The highest-scoring competence area was “Into Action”, followed by “Ideas and Opportunities”, while “Resources” scored the lowest. The assessment revealed strengths in competences like “Taking the Initiative”, “Spotting Opportunities”, and “Process Management”, but weaknesses in competences such as “Valuing Ideas” and “Self-awareness and Self-efficacy”.

Surprisingly, the students did not identify “Enterprising Literacy” as a core strength, which was puzzling as it is an important part of the curriculum. The diverse educational backgrounds of the students might explain this result, as different universities may prioritize different competences in their business administration programs (at different times).

Exploitation Of The Assessment Results

Based on the assessment results, we used interventions to enhance student competences. We incorporated exercises from the

EICAA CDK into the next tutorial session. Weaker competences like “Valuing Ideas” and “Self-awareness and Self-efficacy” were specifically targeted in a dedicated 90-minute session.

Overall, the interventions were successful for the student cohort. The students were actively involved and showed great interest. The customized nature of the session, tailored to their specific needs, enhanced their motivation and engagement.