Global Impact

IN SEPTEMBER, Sara Herald was invited to speak at the International Social Innovation Research Conference hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. The abstract she presented, “Making Entrepreneurs: Does Engagement with Innovation & Entrepreneurship Increase Confidence and Self-efficacy Among College Students?”, is a research collaboration between the Dingman Center and Associate Professor David Kirsch.

The idea for the topic stems from a desire to determine if the university’s expansion of courses and programs in innovation and entrepreneurship has led to an increase in entrepreneurial attitudes among UMD students.

Using data from an entry and exit survey conducted by the University’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment in 2016 and 2019, the researchers proposed the logic model below:

INFERENCE/ LOGIC MODEL

Aware of Resources Not Aware of Resources Used Resources

Pro-entrepreneurship

Treatment Group Didn't Use Resources

No interest or no need

Control

INITIAL FINDINGS

No change in perceptions of innovation and entrepreneurship

Increase in confidence in design thinking ability Male confidence > Female confidence

Sara and David remain interested in the topic of effectiveness of entrepreneurship education, particularly among different demographics, and are involved in other efforts to determine how we might close the gender gap in entrepreneurial attitudes and outcomes.

Sara Herald after presenting the research at the conference in Glasgow, Scotland.