Reason for the teaching project

• Support project GetUp_MeetUp_StartUp! with the aim of sensitizing students to the topic of business start-ups and entrepreneurship and supporting them in their start-up projects.
• The promotion of founders is a goal in the current and also in the future university development plan
• High unused potential in interdisciplinary cooperation

Goals

• Promotion of real start-up projects at HSNR
• Promotion of individual competencies in interdisciplinary collaboration
• Promotion of start-up competencies (entrepreneurial skills)

Concept and solutions of the teaching project

• Further development of the modules "My Social Startup" (FB06) and "Business Plans" (FB08).
• Students work in interdisciplinary teams over the semester on their startup project.
• Two-day think tank in the block for brainstorming and team building.
• Semester-long seminars related to start-ups (financing, law, marketing, etc.).
• Coaching of the teams throughout the semester by experienced start-up coaches from the project GetUp_MeetUp_StartUp!
• Monitoring of the learning effect via individual learning diaries as well as pitch presentations at the end of the semester.
• Further promotion of the start-up ideas within the framework of the start-up promotion.

Advantages of the teaching project
For own teaching education:

• Interdisciplinarity opens up students' solution horizons, sharpens conflict skills and increases connectivity for career entry (future skills).
• Stronger focus on "doing" than before: students work out prototypes for pitch presentation (instead of "only" PowerPoint slides)
• Raising awareness for start-ups

For teaching education at HSNR:

• Opening up teaching project idea to other faculties at HSNR planned for upcoming semesters

Project steps
Compilation of the lecturer and coaching team Allocation of tasks and responsibilities Compilation of a module description/module reader to communicate the teaching objectives internally and externally Advertising in the faculties Implementation of a think tank Conducting lectures and accompanying coaching Final examination Awarding grades Collection and evaluation of the learnings Transfer of the learnings into the module concept of the following year Opening for other faculties of the HSNR planned in coming semesters

Methods and media

• Lean StartUp think tank
• Pitch training
• Online lecture and coaching via Zoom
• Business Model Canvas
• Teambuilding methods
• Learning diaries
• Market research
• Persona method
• Customer survey
• Excel templates for financial planning

Evaluation

• Continuous evaluation through learning diaries
• Conventional teaching evaluation by The Hochschule Niederrhein

Stumbling blocks
For lecturers

• Different communication styles of lecturers
• Unclear division of responsibilities
• Contradictory statements by lecturers
• Insufficient advertising to students
• Insufficient communication within the team

For students

• Unclear contact persons
• Unclear topics
• Insufficient prior knowledge
• Independence

Recommendations

• Do not make concepts too complex
• Clear distribution of tasks in the teaching team
• Clear division of responsibilities in the teaching team

Involved
Mr. Prof. Dr. Timo Schwarzwälder
Mr. Prof. Dr. Christoph Pütz
Ms. M.A. Stefanie Kutsch
Mr. M.A. Steffen Pabst
Ms. Petra Worm