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Hi Helena,

In the undergraduate business capstone unit at Swinburne, we use short cases
with a one page response to develop critical thinking skills. These are
designed as team activities following Larry Michaelson's Team-Based Learning
approach (see www.teambasedlearning.org)

Students are given a scenario with four possible options to select from. The
options are designed so that each one has pros and cons - there is no
obvious or 'right' answer.

Using the information from the case and reading materials they have studied
before the class, students work in teams to decide which option to
recommend. They then submit a one-page team response explaining their
decision. This consists of assumptions they have made, the most compelling
reasons for their decision and the greatest risks it involves. All teams
report their decision simultaneously and then verbally explain and defend
their choice.

What we are trying to develop is the ability to construct a well-supported
argument in favour of a recommended option. It challenges the students to:
- Recognise complexity and to consider the merits of several options
- Cope with uncertainty by making educated assumptions
- Be selective in choosing the most significant points in support of their
argument, rather than a 'laundry list' of a dozen bullet points, many of
which are repetitive or insignificant.

I'm happy to send you an example if you like.

Susan Rushworth
Lecturer
Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Australia

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Ventures HO!

Dear All,

Yes, I can attest to how well this kind of approach works. We combine creativity / ideas generation workshops with a feasibility analysis course - based on John's "Road Test" book - and it's just wonderful for critical thinking, embracing ambiguity, encouraging fast failures, and mixing imagination with formal technique. Indeed, this is a capstone class for our Professional MBA. It's also a joy to teach, if rather chaotic at times, and the students adore it, too.

Cheers, Sarah


Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd



Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, ALBA Graduate School of Business

Academic Director of AHEAD (ALBA Hub for Enterprise and Development)



http://www.alba.edu.gr/AHEAD/Pages/AHEAD.aspx <https://talos.alba.edu.gr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.alba.edu.gr/AHEAD/Pages/AHEAD.aspx>


________________________________

Από: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv εκ μέρους John Mullins
Αποστολή: Δευ 10/10/2011 11:52 μμ
Προς: ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Θέμα: Re: [ENTREP] Teaching critical thinking at business schools?


Helen and others:
We at London Business School address critical thinking skills very early in our e'ship curriculum. We do so as follows. Rather than starting with a business plan course, we start with two earlier courses, one in the MBA core, "Discovering Entrepreneurial Opportunities" (focused on developing needfinding and ethnographic research skills) and a first-year elective, "Understanding Entrepreneurial Management", which develops critical thinking skills by asking students to prepare a feasibility study for a new venture idea.

This task forces them to gather an abundance of primary data from potential cutomers and others, organize it using the seven domains framework that drives the course, think critically about what the data mean (despite students' typically rosy preconceptions), and present at the end of the course to a panel of angels why the idea IS or IS NOT a feasible idea, based on the data gathered during the term. We grade the work, not the idea, and we give prizes in both the "feasible" and "not feasible" categories. We also run an "Entrepreneurship Summer School" each summer that attracts aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world and does the same thing for students having ideas that they think are real. We would welcome yours (for more info on ESS, see www.london.edu/summer_school).

For further details and an abundance of cases and other course materials, check out www.newbusinessroadtest.com <http://www.newbusinessroadtest.com/> . If I can offer anyone further assistance -- cases, teaching guides, PPT epilogues, etc. -- please let me know.
Best,
John

John W. Mullins, PhD
Associate Professor of Management Practice
Marketing and Entrepreneurship
London Business School
Sussex Place, Regent's Park
London NW1 4SA
United Kingdom

Phone: + 44 (0) 207 000 8161

Web: http://faculty.london.edu/jmullins/
My latest book: www.getting-to-plan-b.com <http://www.getting-to-plan-b.com/>






On 10/10/2011 05:56, Yli-Renko, Helena wrote:

Dear colleagues,



I am on a task force focusing on integrating critical thinking development into our undergraduate business school curriculum. Has your school done anything along the lines of critical thinking or problem-solving skills for undergrads or MBA students? Or, have you done anything on this in your courses? If yes, would you share your experiences?



Thanks and best wishes,

Helena





________________________________

Dr. Helena Yli-Renko

Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

Marshall School of Business

University of Southern California

Bridge Hall One

Los Angeles, CA 90089-0801

Cell. (310) 567 8598

hylirenko@marshall.usc.edu


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************************************** This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management. Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list. You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here: http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1 If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu. Ventures HO!

**************************************
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Ventures HO!

Hi
I teach a course on taking different perspectives to study entrepreneurs and also entrepreneurship. In the first week I set out the contested categories of enterprise, small business and entrepreneurship.
The I talk about a way of examining perspectives which is a bit heavy.
in the next three weeks we look at the entrepreneur from an economists perspective, then a psychological perspective and then an interpretivist perspective. After that we look at topics that can be explored from these different perspectives.
By comparing and contrasting views in the assignment, I get a good set of essays. I must admit that the course is given to 3rd year students. I am about to publish a text which supports this approach. "Perspectives in Entrepreneurship: A Critical Approach
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tqxIYgEACAAJ&dq=perspectives+in+entrepreneurship:+A+critical&hl=en&ei=i5SeTq2YOMP88QPiy4GPCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ


Regards
Dr Kevin Mole
Assistant Dean
(Doctoral Programme)
Warwick Business School

Associate Professor
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group and CSME
Warwick Business School
University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL
+44 (0)24-7652-3918


>>> "Laquita Blockson, Ph.D." <blocksonl@COFC.EDU> 10/13/2011 4:48 pm >>>
Hi Helena,

In all my courses (entrepreneurship and otherwise), I am explicit about
explaining to students what critical thinking is; and, I help dispel any
preconceived notions of what students /believe/ it is. This is
particularly key for my undergraduate students, since most of them have
seen the term "critical thinking" in other classes and/or on campus
literature, but have little understanding of what it actually entails.

I devote the first week of the semester to instructing students on
critical thinking and Bloom's Taxonomy (after giving a brief
introduction of the course and review of the syllabus). From there, I
devote the second week of classes to understanding and applying case
analysis guidelines and other problem-solving approaches, using critical
thinking tools for support. That way, by the time I begin the
instructional process of helping students know, understand, apply,
analyze, synthesize and evaluate actual course concepts and theories,
students are already aware of what it takes to be a well-cultivated
critical thinker.

I developed (and share with the students) a slide presentation on
critical thinking concepts and tools, based on information provided by
the Foundation for Critical Thinking. The Foundation for Critical
Thinking also has materials/templates that faculty can use to help
students understand the universal intellectual standards of critical
thinking. For example, during the first week of class, I have students
learn how to use a template for analyzing the logic of a news article
(one of the materials the Foundation provides). I provide a news
article in class for students to read and dissect, using what they
learned about the universal intellectual standards of critical thinking.

Again, I help make clear to the students what critical thinking requires
(and what is expected of them), before we begin to cover actual course
content. Admittedly, I have to compress the course material that is
covered during the remainder of the semester. Nonetheless, in the four
years that I have explicitly devoted class time to critical thinking, I
have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the work my
students submit.

Hope this helps.
Laquita Blockson, Ph.D.



On 10/10/2011 12:56 AM, Yli-Renko, Helena wrote:
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I am on a task force focusing on integrating critical thinking
> development into our undergraduate business school curriculum. Has
> your school done anything along the lines of critical thinking or
> problem-solving skills for undergrads or MBA students? Or, have you
> done anything on this in your courses? If yes, would you share your
> experiences?
>
> Thanks and best wishes,
>
> Helena
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dr. Helena Yli-Renko
>
> Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
>
> Marshall School of Business
>
> University of Southern California
>
> Bridge Hall One
>
> Los Angeles, CA 90089-0801
>
> Cell. (310) 567 8598
>
> hylirenko@marshall.usc.edu <mailto:hylirenko@marshall.usc.edu>
>
> ************************************** This message is from ENTREP
> which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of
> Management. Please do not post messages with attached files.
> Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list.
> The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to
> your removal from the list. You can manage your subscription options,
> including joining or leaving the list here:
> http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1 If you have
> questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch
> jbunch@benedictine.edu. Ventures HO!


**************************************
This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.

Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list.

You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here:
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If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu.

Ventures HO!
--
Scanned for Warwick Business School by iCritical.

**************************************
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You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here:
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If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu.

Ventures HO!

I teach a similar course in our entrepreneurship course for 3rd year
undergrads. The students read classic journal papers in entrepreneurship,
cognitive psych, economics, information theory, RBV, agency, signalling,
subjective reality and opportuities, etc. Then we critically review them in
lecture/discussion. I deliberately set them up with papers that (apparently)
contradict each other. They also do a number of short logical thinking
assignments based on Hoxie Neale Fairchild's article, "A short course in
straight thinking". And we spend tutorial periods on practical exercises
that either demonstrate the reality of the concepts we've been discussing
(e.g. how overconfident are you, and what is it costing you?) or explore the
practical value of thinking more clearly than other people (e.g., would you
invest in this company?).

Dave Valliere, P.Eng. PhD.
Chair, Entrepreneurship & Strategy Dept
Ted Rogers School of Management
TRS 1-087
350 Victoria St.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5B 2K3

(416) 979-5000 x7603
valliere@ryerson.ca
www.ryerson.ca/~valliere

-----Original Message-----
From: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv [mailto:ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU]
On Behalf Of Kevin Mole
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 5:13 AM
To: ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: [ENTREP] Teaching critical thinking at business schools?

Hi
I teach a course on taking different perspectives to study entrepreneurs and
also entrepreneurship. In the first week I set out the contested categories
of enterprise, small business and entrepreneurship.
The I talk about a way of examining perspectives which is a bit heavy.
in the next three weeks we look at the entrepreneur from an economists
perspective, then a psychological perspective and then an interpretivist
perspective. After that we look at topics that can be explored from these
different perspectives.
By comparing and contrasting views in the assignment, I get a good set of
essays. I must admit that the course is given to 3rd year students. I am
about to publish a text which supports this approach. "Perspectives in
Entrepreneurship: A Critical Approach
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tqxIYgEACAAJ&dq=perspectives+in+entrepren
eurship:+A+critical&hl=en&ei=i5SeTq2YOMP88QPiy4GPCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=r
esult&resnum=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ


Regards
Dr Kevin Mole
Assistant Dean
(Doctoral Programme)
Warwick Business School

Associate Professor
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group and CSME
Warwick Business School
University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL
+44 (0)24-7652-3918


>>> "Laquita Blockson, Ph.D." <blocksonl@COFC.EDU> 10/13/2011 4:48 pm >>>
Hi Helena,

In all my courses (entrepreneurship and otherwise), I am explicit about
explaining to students what critical thinking is; and, I help dispel any
preconceived notions of what students /believe/ it is. This is
particularly key for my undergraduate students, since most of them have
seen the term "critical thinking" in other classes and/or on campus
literature, but have little understanding of what it actually entails.

I devote the first week of the semester to instructing students on
critical thinking and Bloom's Taxonomy (after giving a brief
introduction of the course and review of the syllabus). From there, I
devote the second week of classes to understanding and applying case
analysis guidelines and other problem-solving approaches, using critical
thinking tools for support. That way, by the time I begin the
instructional process of helping students know, understand, apply,
analyze, synthesize and evaluate actual course concepts and theories,
students are already aware of what it takes to be a well-cultivated
critical thinker.

I developed (and share with the students) a slide presentation on
critical thinking concepts and tools, based on information provided by
the Foundation for Critical Thinking. The Foundation for Critical
Thinking also has materials/templates that faculty can use to help
students understand the universal intellectual standards of critical
thinking. For example, during the first week of class, I have students
learn how to use a template for analyzing the logic of a news article
(one of the materials the Foundation provides). I provide a news
article in class for students to read and dissect, using what they
learned about the universal intellectual standards of critical thinking.

Again, I help make clear to the students what critical thinking requires
(and what is expected of them), before we begin to cover actual course
content. Admittedly, I have to compress the course material that is
covered during the remainder of the semester. Nonetheless, in the four
years that I have explicitly devoted class time to critical thinking, I
have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the work my
students submit.

Hope this helps.
Laquita Blockson, Ph.D.



On 10/10/2011 12:56 AM, Yli-Renko, Helena wrote:
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> I am on a task force focusing on integrating critical thinking
> development into our undergraduate business school curriculum. Has
> your school done anything along the lines of critical thinking or
> problem-solving skills for undergrads or MBA students? Or, have you
> done anything on this in your courses? If yes, would you share your
> experiences?
>
> Thanks and best wishes,
>
> Helena
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dr. Helena Yli-Renko
>
> Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
>
> Marshall School of Business
>
> University of Southern California
>
> Bridge Hall One
>
> Los Angeles, CA 90089-0801
>
> Cell. (310) 567 8598
>
> hylirenko@marshall.usc.edu <mailto:hylirenko@marshall.usc.edu>
>
> ************************************** This message is from ENTREP
> which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of
> Management. Please do not post messages with attached files.
> Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list.
> The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to
> your removal from the list. You can manage your subscription options,
> including joining or leaving the list here:
> http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1 If you have
> questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch
> jbunch@benedictine.edu. Ventures HO!


**************************************
This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship
Division of the Academy of Management.

Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or
spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder
"out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list.

You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the
list here:
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If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch
jbunch@benedictine.edu.

Ventures HO!
--
Scanned for Warwick Business School by iCritical.

**************************************
This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship
Division of the Academy of Management.

Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or
spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder
"out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list.

You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the
list here:
http://aomlists.pace.edu/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=entrep&A=1

If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch
jbunch@benedictine.edu.

Ventures HO!

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**************************************
This message is from ENTREP which is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management.

Please do not post messages with attached files. Commercial messages or spammed messages are not allowed on the list. The use of auto-responder "out-of-office" messages may also lead to your removal from the list.

You can manage your subscription options, including joining or leaving the list here:
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If you have questions or need help, please contact Dr. John Bunch jbunch@benedictine.edu.

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