Your Research in the Classroom:Your Research in the Classroom:Opportunities & Learning Style

Andrew C. CorbettAndrew C. Corbett

Lally School of Management & Technology Lally School of Management & Technology Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Situation Situation

““How do I find a good opportunity? I How do I find a good opportunity? I would really like to start my own business, would really like to start my own business, but I just don’t where to begin. I’m not but I just don’t where to begin. I’m not creative.”creative.”

How often has a student made a How often has a student made a statement like this to you?statement like this to you?

What do you tell them?What do you tell them?

All of the analysis, but …All of the analysis, but …

All of the analysis we ask students to do is useful All of the analysis we ask students to do is useful but this comes after we have identified possible but this comes after we have identified possible opportunities.opportunities.

There is a process that precedes all of this which There is a process that precedes all of this which gets to the question of finding “good opportunities.”gets to the question of finding “good opportunities.”

I have the students I have the students learn about how they learn learn about how they learn and and then apply this to discovering opportunities. then apply this to discovering opportunities.

““Perceiving opportunities through mindful practice Perceiving opportunities through mindful practice and experience”and experience”

A.C. Corbett & J.S. McMullen. 2007. Perceiving and Shaping New Venture Opportunities through Mindful Practice in A. Zacharakis and S. Spinelli (eds.) The Entrepreneurial Process, Prager: Greenwich, CT.

Perceiving Opportunities through Perceiving Opportunities through Experiential LearningExperiential Learning

Four day experience that is theoretical, Four day experience that is theoretical, practical, and funpractical, and fun

Learning style instrumentLearning style instrument MindfulnessMindfulness Self discoverySelf discovery Learn from othersLearn from others Anxious students, perhaps lacking in Anxious students, perhaps lacking in

entrepreneurial confidence, experience the entrepreneurial confidence, experience the power of perceiving entrepreneurial power of perceiving entrepreneurial opportunities. opportunities.

Day OneDay One

Theoretical and funTheoretical and fun Discuss Kolb’s learning concepts and the Discuss Kolb’s learning concepts and the

four primary learning styles.four primary learning styles. Everyone takes and self scores the Everyone takes and self scores the

Learning Style Instrument (LSI). Learning Style Instrument (LSI).

I put a version of the following map on the I put a version of the following map on the board. board.

-20 -10 0 10 20

RO

AC

CE

AE

20

10

-10

-20

-20 -10 0 10 20

RO

AC

CE

AE

20

10

-10

-20

* CD* BC

* CB

* AZ

* TV

* JM

* DP

* DL

* GL

* BH

* SW* NG

* TJ

Each Student then maps his or her LSI score on the board

-20 -10 0 10 20

RO

watching

AC thinking

feeling CE

AE

doing

20

10

-10

-20

* CD* BC

* CB

* AZ

* TV

* JM

* DP

* DL

* GL

* BH

* SW* NG

* TJ

Then I “label” each quadrantand explain more about each learning style

Accommodator

Diverger

Converger Assimilator

Day OneDay One

I explain about the “typical” converger, I explain about the “typical” converger, accommodator, diverger, and assimilator.accommodator, diverger, and assimilator.

Provoke a discussion by asking which Provoke a discussion by asking which style is best for entrepreneurs. style is best for entrepreneurs.

Explain the concept of mindfulness and Explain the concept of mindfulness and “staying in the moment.”“staying in the moment.”

Management, Leadership, and Management, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship s Entrepreneurship s

Day Two Day Two

The “downtown” exercise.The “downtown” exercise. Class meets outside; we walk downtown Class meets outside; we walk downtown

together.together. Take notes and find opportunities by talking, Take notes and find opportunities by talking,

watching, and interacting with the residents and watching, and interacting with the residents and store owners (thinking, watching, doing, store owners (thinking, watching, doing, learning…)learning…)

Meet at end of class; give assignmentMeet at end of class; give assignment Assignment – memo for next class; all Assignment – memo for next class; all

opportunities and “opportunities for you.”opportunities and “opportunities for you.”

Day Three Day Three

““Map” opportunities.Map” opportunities. Discuss style and how opportunities were Discuss style and how opportunities were

“found.”“found.” Reinforce the point that we can all find Reinforce the point that we can all find

opportunities through practice.opportunities through practice. Discuss the need to cross all areas – Discuss the need to cross all areas –

learning agility… not isolation in quadrants learning agility… not isolation in quadrants but a learning cycle… but a learning cycle…

Team effects … they walk together…Team effects … they walk together…

Day Four Day Four

Similar to Day TwoSimilar to Day Two Later in the semesterLater in the semester We do the “downtown” exercise again.We do the “downtown” exercise again. Outside their comfort zone.Outside their comfort zone. ““Force them to look for opportunities using Force them to look for opportunities using

a style that is NOT their preferred learning a style that is NOT their preferred learning style. style.

Conclusions Conclusions Give students a practical way to begin to find Give students a practical way to begin to find

ideas for new ventures. ideas for new ventures. Use some of my own research to make class Use some of my own research to make class

sessions both theoretical and practical, while sessions both theoretical and practical, while also fun. also fun.

Build confidence for student nascent Build confidence for student nascent entrepreneurs. entrepreneurs.

Caveat:Caveat: maybe this experiential exercise works for you; maybe this experiential exercise works for you; maybe not. If not, that’s okay because you need to be maybe not. If not, that’s okay because you need to be you; not me … think about your own research and ways you; not me … think about your own research and ways to use it in a novel way in the classroom.to use it in a novel way in the classroom.