paxis joint workshop

PAXIS JOINT WORKSHOP

SALAMANCA, 23-24 June, 2005

New Strategies for Innovation Support


IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONGoals

To assess the needs for new methods of obtaining knowledge (with help

of TRACTOR e-learning portal and multimedia game)

To test the concept of TRACTOR e-learning portal TRACTOR and its

usefulness

To test the “Livetech MultiMedia Game” and its usefulness for making

business decisions in chosen target groups

Analyze the results of e-learning portal and multimedia game

concepts

To prepare of proposals for continuation of the project and its adoption

according to the needs of chosen target groups and authors of the

programme


IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION

Target Groups

TG 1: Students without business idea

We refer to university students or any other students, from any other kind of learning institutions, which are potential entrepreneurs and require specific knowledge and information to create a new business.

TG 2: Students with a business idea

We refer to potential entrepreneurs – “entrepreneurial learners” who participate rarely in a training or development phase, reqiure immediate support at validating their business idea, reqiure specific the knowledge and resources to create their new business.

TG 3: Young innovative start-ups (0-5)

We refer to entrepreneurs, who have already just started a business or that run a company from 0 – 5 years. They need to improve their managerial skills and to implement management procedures in order to consolidate their business project.



IIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATION

Implementation PlanImplementation Plan

Implementation plan included preparatory implementation activities and implementation phase

Preparatory implementation activities

Interviewing entrepreneurial and business advisors about the problems

faced by SME’s in the field of leadership, team work and communication.

The feed back obtained was a base for the preparation of the “Livetech

MultiMedia Game”

Organisation and implementation of workshops (TRACTOR e-learning

portal and “Livetech MultiMedia Game”) with all the three selected TGS.


Implementation Implementation PlanPlan


Implementation activities

Testing the TRACTOR WEB PORTALPreparation of workshopsInterviewsAnalysis of obtained answers

Testing of “Lvetech MultiMedia Game”Preparation of workshopsInterviewsAnalysis of obtained answers

IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATI

Empirical ApproachEmpirical Approach

The partners agreed to use a similar implementation approach, taking into account The partners agreed to use a similar implementation approach, taking into account

individual operational characteristics.individual operational characteristics.

Common starting points: Animation of chosen target groups regarding TRACTOR project

Organisation and implementation of workshops about e-learning platform and multimedia game usefulness

Organization of individual discussions and presentations

Interviews with individuals from chosen target groups about regarding the e-learning and multimedia game concept with the purpose to spees –up the problem solving processes (often the most critical phase for young and innovative companies)

Analysis of answers obtained

Preparation of proposals derived from results obtained to be used for continuing upgrading


IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIOIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONN

Preliminary implementation activitiesPreliminary implementation activities

Purpose of preliminary activities

To identify the interest and needs of the chosen target groups (students

Without business idea and students with business idea) regarding e-learning

And to acquire their views on TRACTOR e-learning portal.

There were 96 students participating (48 without business idea and 48 with

business idea), out of which 25 (26%) of them filled in the questionnaire.

The questions addressed to the students without business idea were:

1 Would you be prepared to develop you own business idea with help of an expert?

2 What do you think about e-learning?

3 How do you imagine e-portal, which would help you with developing your business idea?



The questions addressed to the students with business idea were:

1 Have you ever tried to implement your idea to practice?

2 What do you think about e-learning?

3 How do you imagine e-portal, which would help you to “solve” your entrepreneurial difficulties?

Main conclusions:

The e-learning concept proved to be very useful for both target groups E-learning contents are certainly most useful for young and innovative

entrepreneurs The most interesting think is the link with entrepreneurial information from

different countries



Preliminary implementation activitiesPreliminary implementation activities

In the second part of preliminary implementation activities companies, entrepreneurs and business advisors answered questions regarding leadership, team work, communications and problems young companies are usually facing.

Purpose of preliminary activities

The purpose is to acquire their opinion and approaches they use in solving problems related with leadership, team work and communication.

8 out of from 280 companies and entrepreneurs and 18 out of 78 business advisors filled in the questionnaire.



The questions addressed to the chosen target groups were:

1 Which are your most common problems on the fields of leadership, teamwork and communication?

2 How do you solve them?

3 What is your opinion about e-learning and long distance learning?

Main conclusions:

Problems on this fields are basic problems that affect small and medium sized companies

Both chosen groups agree that there is a lack of this knowledge on these topics, especially the lack of practical methods and measures

They hope that e-learning platform and multimedia game will help them to overcome every day business problems





Students without a business idea

Purpose

To get acquainted with the TRACTOR e-platform and multimedia game "Livetech

MultiMedia Game" - the tools that might be of a help in solving the problems of

leadership, team work and communication.

Total number of participants: 24

Perceived usefulness of the program

E-learning platform: Upgrading the classical method of acquiring the knowledge by using the e-learning

contents and tutors is very appropriate for the students without a business idea and with little or no practical experience

Most of the students involved are interested in constant use and upgrade of

the e-learning platform

Combined method of learning (e-learning in combination with classical

approach) represents a new quality, bigger autonomy and time savings for

the students

Concept has a big potential, because it doesn’t deal only with new ways,

methods and techniques of acquiring knowledge, information and data but it

also combines contents of business support contents as being developed in

different European environments. This is especially appropriate for students

without idea



IMPLEMENTATIONIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONAND VALIDATION

Implementation activities - Students without business idea

“Livetech Multimedia Game”

Multimedia game, which describes problems regarding leadership, team work and communication, is generally assessed and accepted as good. It is less important for this target group, because it solves problems, which occur in the already operating company

Learning and acquiring skills through the game and playing different roles is desired




Implementation activities - Students with business idea

Purpose

To get acquainted with TRACTOR e-platform and multimedia game “Livetech

MultiMedia Game” – the tools that might be of a help in solving the problems of

leadership, team work and communication, To check if contents are acceptable and

useful.



E-learning platform

E-learning concept is in comparison with preceding group, even more interesting

for this target group.


Most of the future entrepreneurs are very interested to acquire the knowledge and test their entrepreneurial skills/ideas in such a way

They also wish to have permanent tutor and contents adjusted to their needs

E-learning contents need to be permanently upgraded and need to be practical

“Livetech MultiMedia Game”

Also multimedia game is assessed very well by this target group as very well,

because future entrepreneurs are facing (with their thoughts or in practice) with

similar problems as described in the game (searching for partners, employment,

leadership, organization etc.)




Implementation activities - Young, innovative companies

Purpose

To get acquainted with TRACTOR e-platform and multimedia game "Livetech

MultiMedia Game" – the tools that might be of a help in solving the problems of

leadership, team work and communication. To check if the contents are acceptable

and useful.



E-learning platform

Concept of the e-learning platform is useful, however start-ups have more

annotations regarding additional contents (for example: preparation of business plan,

project leading) and they suggest variety of useful links to be added as well (e.g.

local entrepreneurial and EU programs


Separately they are pointing out tutorship to be provided by qualified and experienced advisors

They are critical about the design and the contents of the web portal


Recognition of the different problems through the game seems very interesting and appropriate to them

They agree that in practice it can be used only with the help of business advisors and mentors





Entrepreneurial advisors, mentors, representative of incubators

Purpose

To get acquainted with TRACTOR e-platform and multimedia game "Livetech

MultiMedia Game" – the tools that might be of a help in solving the problems

of leadership, team work and communication. To check if the contents are

acceptable and useful.




E-learning platform

Business advisors and counsellors from incubators are interested in further development of the TRACTOR e-learning platform

Updating of data needs to be assured

They pointed out international aspect

They are also mentioning variety of different contents that would need to be added on the portal


Multimedia game is interesting for all, because it provides support on informal

basis to the existing and potential entrepreneurs.




Valuation

General evaluation of the TRACTOR project is good, in some cases very good because idea is proved to be interesting and useful. Beside it also includes the international dimension, which is of a vital importance for the future development.

Until this point advantages and disadvantages of TRACTOR e-learning platform and "Livetech MultiMedia Game" were defined in details.

Evaluations of work-shop participants, individual target group presentations, business advisors and partners in the project can be summed up in the following:


Advantages:

Constant access to information and data about entrepreneurship in four countries (later on more)

Simple usage of presented contents for all target groups

Assurance of complementary services offered by advanced technology

Usage of innovative study methods on different topics, especially about leadership, team work and communication

Prepared e-learning concept

Possibility of using forums and chat-rooms

International network scheme




Valuation

Disadvantages:

Technical problems of the web portal

Content related differences that rise with creation of subjects and e-contents

Technical deficiencies of multimedia game that are getting annulled

Different levels of comprehending and obtaining new knowledge among users and project partners, which still stands for some conceptual disagreements



Recommendations for further development of the program

General guidelines for further development of TRACTOR project:

Web platform needs to be technically optimized and available in all four languages

Contents (portal, e-learning and multimedia) need to be adjusted to the needs of entrepreneurs and business support infrastructure

Additional contents need to be provided and performance of TRACTOR needs to be expanded to other countries and regions

Further development of the project preservation of close cooperation among existing partners and the involvement of the new ones need to be assured


IMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONIMPLEMENTATION AND VALIDATIONConclusion

Despite broad layout of the project we can assert that it fully succeeded. It

contains international web portal and the e-learning contents layout, adjusted to

the target groups and even broader. Unique multimedia game simulates the

problems solving process on innovative and entertaining way. It helps the existing

and potential entrepreneurs to cope with entrepreneurship.

On the basis of the work done until now and assistance of external and internal

evaluations the following should be taken into consideration:

Abolishment of all technical and other defect of the project Provision of appropriate dissemination Provision of new e-learning and informational contents Provision of updating and transparency

In this way with the TRACTOR project deepening of cooperation among

entrepreneurs (which face different problems), counsellors, incubators and other

business support institutions will be possible.

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!



paxis joint workshop

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