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-695325-800100 lllEntrepreneurs in Action! Terry Goodin, EdDMiddle Tennessee State University R. Wilburn Clouse, PhDWestern Kentucky University Developing theEntrepreneurial SpiritLearning in Action!A Cross-disciplinary Problem-Based Learning Environment for EntrepreneurshipUniversity CasesThe Phoenix(Cyber Café Case)Test Version 1.0(A Work in Progress)TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC \o "1-3" Introduction PAGEREF _Toc495388820 \h 3Learning Vignette -- The Phoenix PAGEREF _Toc495388821 \h 4The Challenge PAGEREF _Toc495388822 \h 5Core Concepts PAGEREF _Toc495388823 \h 5Learning Objectives PAGEREF _Toc495388824 \h 5Guiding Questions PAGEREF _Toc495388825 \h 6Resources PAGEREF _Toc495388826 \h 6Background PAGEREF _Toc495388827 \h 6Industry Analysis PAGEREF _Toc495388828 \h 6Technical Support Materials PAGEREF _Toc495388829 \h 8Book and Reports PAGEREF _Toc495388830 \h 8Business Support Materials PAGEREF _Toc495388832 \h 8Online Experts PAGEREF _Toc495388833 \h 10Implementation PAGEREF _Toc495388834 \h 10Introducing Cases PAGEREF _Toc495388835 \h 10Student Activities PAGEREF _Toc495388836 \h 11Products PAGEREF _Toc495388837 \h 11Phase One – Doing the Research PAGEREF _Toc495388838 \h 11Phase Two – Find a Solution PAGEREF _Toc495388839 \h 12Phase Three – Taking it Public PAGEREF _Toc495388840 \h 12Assessments PAGEREF _Toc495388841 \h 12Formative PAGEREF _Toc495388842 \h 12Summative PAGEREF _Toc495388843 \h 13REFERENCES PAGEREF _Toc495388844 \h 13-571500-457200The Phoenix(Cyber Café Case)IntroductionSince the beginning of time, people have enjoyed conversation with each other. Beginning with Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, and continuing through the electronic age of wireless technology, people have engaged in dialog. Discussions have taken place in many different venues, at many different places and at many different times. From cave paintings to discussions in the Roman Senate, from traders to travelers on the overland “spice routes,” from the coffee houses of the middle ages to the “bloggers” of today’s Internet environment, dialog has taken place. Over the years, the medium has changed from one to one using the human voice, to one to many with mass media, such as newspapers, radio and television, and even one to several with chat rooms and web logs on the Internet. Many people like to share ideas and to discuss issues. European nations have, for a long time, used the coffee house concept as a place to meet and to share ideas. The coffee-houses that sprang up across Europe, starting around 1650, functioned as information exchanges for writers, politicians, businessmen and scientists. Like today's websites, weblogs and discussion boards, coffee-houses were lively and often unreliable sources of information that typically specialized (sic) in a particular topic or political viewpoint. They were outlets for a stream of newsletters, pamphlets, advertising free-sheets and broadsides. Depending on the interests of their customers, some coffee-houses displayed commodity prices, share prices and shipping lists, whereas others provided foreign newsletters filled with coffee-house gossip from abroad (The Economist, 2003).Other countries have used the concept of local bars and pubs to do the same (Hargrave, 2003). A modern example is that of the long-running television program, “Cheers,” which is a story about a bar where friends would meet to discuss issues and to exchange ideas of the day. In the early years of the nineteenth century, especially in the south, people would meet at the public square in many small towns. Discussions would take place, organized around major regional and even world problems, and critical views were expressed. A common American image is of farmers in overalls seated around the outside of the county courthouse building on a sunny Saturday afternoon, whittling and talking about the issues that mattered to them. In contrast to the small town square meetings, university students oftentimes were meeting in dorm rooms, student centers, university lawns and other places on campus to discuss life and to dream about the future. Many of these discussions, which were naturally interdisciplinary in nature, took place over a cup of coffee and sometimes over a bottle of beer. Much of the critical learning at universities would take place in this learning environment, as opposed to the formal classroom setting. Students majoring in science would dream about careers in the space program or wireless technology, for example. Math students might debate how to solve problems in differential or integral calculus. English students might discuss a famous poem, parsing the poet’s phrases and extracting hidden meanings, or might share their own works of creative writing. Business students may have dreamed about new ventures and about becoming the “next Bill Gates.” History students might recreate the Civil War by discussing the major political issues related to that day and time. Political Science students may have argued about the pros and cons of an upcoming election. Sociology and Social Science students may have been interested in the population growth of the world, making projections about future problems related to that growth. Engineering students might discuss future power systems and new sources of transportation. A music student may have sat in the corner, playing a guitar and singing an original song. Art students may have been showing a recent work, or may even have used the time to sketch out a new idea. All of this shows that the university coffee house, the student dorm room and the student center may well have been the first places on campus where cross-disciplinary activities could have occurred. Learning Vignette -- The PhoenixTennessee Wesleyan College, located in Athens, Tennessee, is a very well respected and historically significant college located in the hills of eastern Tennessee. This small, traditional college is interested in developing a creative learning environment in which students can interact with each other across disciplines and with the world at large via the Internet. The college is interested in the development of a learning environment where students can dream about the future, discuss major issues of the day, develop creative thinking skills, demonstrate talents such as debate, music, art and creativity, develop economic and social models and invent new business ventures related to their in-class interests. Furthermore, the college wants to infuse creativity and entrepreneurship into the total curriculum, and is interested in developing ways to revive downtown Athens.Two Tennessee Wesleyan College professors have developed a vision for such a creative learning environment. They have been considering the building of a cyber café, where students could meet in an environment that would provide students the opportunity to start new enterprises involving cross-disciplinary learning. The professors, John Carroll, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, and Dick Pelley, Professor of Psychology, have had this vision for several months and have secured a building in the downtown Athens area. The building is a part of the historical district, and once housed a print shop. Located across the street from the college, this building, though in need of considerable remodeling, could be a nearly perfect example of the “Phoenix,” as students from Tennessee Wesleyan College start and operate a new business from the “ashes” of businesses long gone.The ChallengeEntrepreneurs in Action! cases are written to be open-ended, flexible learning experiences for students. The case provides an introduction and a learning vignette to set the stage for the students. The student groups should carefully read the introduction and the learning vignette. After reading these areas, students should discuss the major issues outlined in the introduction and learning vignette. The students are then faced with the opportunity to develop possible solutions to the problems and opportunities outlined in the case. In most cases, students will find it necessary to seek information from some of the resources listed in the case and are to contact Online Experts early in the opportunity identification process. There are no right or wrong answers in these exercises and it is expected that multiple solutions will be developed by different groups. It is also suggested that students not only look at the political, economic and social issues, but to dream about future inventions and/or business opportunities that can derive from the case. The challenge begins with the following questions:What do you think? What solutions would you recommend if you were a member of this student team? What new business ventures can be developed from this case?After raising these questions, the students are free to begin deliberations on possible solutions to the case.Core ConceptsCommunication theorySocial groupingCity planningApplied engineering (electrical, mechanical, etc.)DemographicsCultureBusiness planning fundamentalsLearning ObjectivesStudents will display knowledge of communications theory as it applies to human culture and community development.Students will understand the idea of social grouping and the role that it plays in social cohesion. Students will display practical problem solving abilities in the area of applied engineering, i. e., mechanical and/or electrical design principles.Students will display understanding of demographics regarding community surveys and statistical analyses of those surveys.Students will gain in understanding of the entrepreneurial process as it relates to taking new products and services from the “idea” stage to the “market” stage.Students will display an understanding of the business planning model, including market research, product or service development, industry analysis, organizational mission and vision, financial, and entrepreneurial thinking.Guiding QuestionsCan a “Phoenix” rise out of the ashes of the print shop?What entrepreneurship skills can be developed from this project?What cross-discipline activities involving the arts, sciences and humanities can be developed?What entrepreneurial activities can be encouraged that will help to rebuild downtown Athens?What can be done to make the learning environment into a new start-up business? ResourcesThe following resources are listed to help student groups as they develop possible solutions to the Phoenix case. These resources are designed to help the students understand the case and to provide information about the issues. No solutions will be given in these references. Students should use these references and references from their own research to formulate solutions to the issues. These references are listed by categories in order to provide the students with resources that will provide a quick overview of some of the issues. Other resources maybe added during the case development. On-line experts are available to the student groups and can be used to help identify issues as well as other resources. BackgroundIndustry AnalysisBusiness Franchise (April 2003). That café brings you the best of two worlds. Author, April, 2003, p40.Coleman, A. (December, 2002). Networking with the surfers at that café: That café is building a franchise network on a proven formula that takes the old internet café concept and updates it with a new range of services, revenue enhancements, pricing concepts and regard for aesthetics. Business Franchise, December 2002, p24.Cooke, M. (September, 2003). How to set up a cyber café. Meetings and Conventions, 38(10).De Marco, D. (February 28, 1997). Downtown café puts internet on menu. Baltimore Business Journal, 14(42).Economist (US), (March 29, 2003). Hotspots and fries; Internet access. (Wireless accessto the internet may soon be coming to a McDonald’s near you). Author, 366(8317).Economist (US) (December 20, 2003). The internet in a cup: Coffee-houses (Coffee-houses, old and new. Author, 369(8355).Hargrave, S. (June 19, 2003). Public access: The urban/rural divide in internet access terms has left a large proportion of the public disconnected. A scheme to put PCs in pubs could be the answer. New Media Age.Jain, A. (June 30, 2003). 2 seek to perk up internet cafés; Expand in NY with different models. Crain’s New York Business, 19(26). Malone, M. (June 15, 2003). Wire act: Another crowd of operators is trying in-house internet access for customers. Yet even brand-new technology still can’t answer an old question: Is it worth it? Restaurant Business, 102(11).Powell, W. (January, 2003). Tall latte, with wi-fi? T & D, 57(1).Rose, K. (June, 2003). Network, rest and play: Offering your customers wireless internet access may mean that they spend more time, and money, in your venue. Leisure Report, 1(8).Verma, M. (July 22, 2003). Getting wi-fied: Wireless access arrives in B. R., a latte while you work the net. Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, 21(24).Wilby, D. (August 2003). Extreme internet: Just how important is internet access to you? Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure they’re never disconnected. Internet Magazine, August, 2003, p54.Technical Support MaterialsTo be added later.Book and ReportsTo be added later.Business Support MaterialsThese sources are non-technical and will provide the student with information about how to build a business plan around their ideas for case solutions. - of the most comprehensive sites on the Web for small and growing businesses, this site offers over 2000 articles, “how-to’s,” forms, agreements, questions-and-answers, solutions, and services useful to those starting a new business venture. - of the leading sites for breaking financial news, investor tools and data, gives access to business information, including the latest data and analytical tools. - offers a large collection of free sample business plans online and helpful tools and know-how for managing a business. The site includes practical advice on planning, interactive tools, and a panel of experts available to answer specific questions.The Business Forum Online - service springs from a weekly newspaper column addressing issues and questions of specific interest to entrepreneurs and emerging businesses. Each column focuses on the immediate consequences?of the issue to the owner/manager of the emerging business. - , a comprehensive resource for small businesses, contains tips, articles, ideas, templates, worksheets, sample business plans, tools, financial benchmarks, sample contracts, and websites.These business sites may offer some ideas and provide some review articles. Some sites may require a fee. Or you may wish to use the Library for paper copies of current and past articles.Wall Street Journal - The leading daily business newspaper.Fortune - A leading business journal.Harvard Business Review - A leading cutting-edge business journal. - Patent and Trademark OfficeExcellent source for technical information.ADVO/stats - SBA Office of Advocacy---Economic Statistics and Research - SBA Small Business Administration---SBA Support in starting, financing and managing a - Small and Home Based Business LinksProvides support services for home-based companies.sbaer.uca.edu - Small Business Advancement National Center---Resources include newsletters, archives, SBA and other Government sites and related affiliates. - Strategic Business Planning Co.---The mission of the Strategic Business Planning Co. is to help organizations define their mission and achieve their objectives by developing business and strategic plans and by periodically conducting a comprehensive review of the environment in which they operate. - U.S. Business Advisor---U.S. Business Advisor – a one-stop electronic link to the information and services government provides for the business community—Laws and regulations, forms and support services. - U.S. Census Bureau---Resources include population census, economic data, Business surveys, and other related Bureau statistics. - Dow Jones – Latest financial information about stock market performance. - The Entrepreneur's MindThe Entrepreneur's Mind is a Web-based resource that presents an array of real-life stories and advice from successful entrepreneurs and industry experts on the many different facets of entrepreneurship and emerging business. - Entrepreneur Magazine--- Provides solutions for growing businesses - Engineering projectsProvides information about new products and ideas (some student developed).Online Experts These online experts have agreed to be available for providing information, ideas and other support while the case is in progress. Students should e-mail questions to the appropriate person. They will respond, usually within one working day.ImplementationUsually the class is divided up into teams of 4-5 people, who are given an opportunity to review the Entrepreneurs in Action! exercise and to develop strategies for solving the situation or to see new ventures. Thus, students work together in small groups and learn a wide variety of skills related to teamwork development, problem identification, resource analysis and synthesis, product or process identification, potential market development, the application of cross-disciplinary thinking, product and process cost analysis, and written and verbal presentation skills. In this model, the case presents the students with an unresolved issue, provides some resources and permits the students to take charge of their own learning and to develop a new business venture out of the given situation.Introducing CasesSeveral methods may be used to introduce the Entrepreneurs in Action! cases to the class, as follows: Divide the class into groups and to present the case to each group and permit limited discussions between groups. Permit a selected number of students to role-play the scenario as a way of introducing the case.Fishbowl. A small group of students may be requested to sit in the middle of the room and to discuss topics related to the case. The other students would observe and would synthesize the events afterwards.Students may also be shown selected video clips to start the entrepreneurial thinking process. Some video clips are “The Triumph of the Nerds” series, the “Apprentice” TV show, the “October Sky” movie, “Pirates of Silicon Valley” movie, the “Seabiscuit” movie, or the Public TV version.Student ActivitiesStudents are expected to participate actively in their groups and to contribute to developing creative ideas for possible business ventures. In doing so, students may be required to learn through reflections. Students are required to keep a journal of the activities of each group meeting and to record his or her thoughts and comments about the process. Students may also use concept mapping to study the issues and track progress development. IHMConcept Map Software is available free at final products to the cases are usually a written business plan and a final oral presentation. The final oral presentation can be given to different groups, such as the local Chamber of Commerce, other business and civic groups, a panel of Online Experts and/or to the class. A rubric is used to judge the creative and entrepreneurial ventures and grades are assigned based on the rubric evaluation. The development of the final product usually follows the outline below.Phase One – Doing the ResearchWrite a paper on the topic of human community and communication. Relate the effects of the growth of coffee houses in Europe to other similar social phenomena. Identify the reasons why you think people tend to gravitate to such forms of interaction. Identify a segment of the issue that is of interest to you and relate your interest to the idea of building a cyber café in downtown Athens.Phase Two – Find a SolutionWorking in groups, brainstorm the development of a range of products, services and policies that would contribute to the success of the cyber café. Include the areas of the arts and the culture of the surrounding region in your solution. Your group should then choose one idea for further development as a contributor to the overall solution. Fully expand upon the idea as a product or service, explaining in detail its rationale, creation and implementation. Keep in mind that the overall cyber café project must be marketable and must be financially self-sustaining. Develop your group’s business plan and presentation format.Phase Three – Taking it PublicPresent your group’s solution to a team of peers, educators and experts in the field. You will submit to their evaluation, just as you would do so in the actual practice. You should employ a variety of presentation techniques, including a written business plan, handouts, and computer-based presentation.AssessmentsFormative1. Weekly logsStudents will submit a summary of their activities on a regular basis, the frequency of which will be decided by the instructor. The students should include a concise description of the activities and an analysis of their effectiveness. It is suggested that the summary of activities be part of a computer managed instructional program such as Prometheus, Blackboard or others. This allows the instructor and student groups to monitor their weekly progress.2. In-class observationsInstructors will observe group work and interact in the role of facilitator as needed.3. Position PaperThe paper required in Phase One will be graded for critical thinking and analytical substance. Instructors will also use the papers to assist in forming like student groups.4. Teams of peers and visiting experts will evaluate the final presentation for content and appearance of the final product.Summative1. Business Plan EvaluationsInstructors will evaluate the completed business plans for accuracy, content, breadth, depth, and professional appearance. 2. Presentation EvaluationInstructors will assess the professionalism of the final presentation, taking into account the content and appearance of the final product. ReferencesEconomist (US) (December 20, 2003). The internet in a cup: Coffee-houses (Coffee-houses, old and new. Author, 369(8355).Hargrave, S. (June 19, 2003). Public access: The urban/rural divide in internet access terms has left a large proportion of the public disconnected. A scheme to put PCs in pubs could be the answer. New Media Age.This work is part of the Forum for Entrepreneurship Education at Vanderbilt University and was support in part by The Coleman Foundation Inc.-- Grant number 4446-- Entrepreneurs in Action!, and The National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0091632 and other related funds. (Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation). wil.clouse@vanderbilt.edu ................
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