Strategies of expert teachers in teaching opportunity identification

Abstract

The process of opportunity identification is under-emphasized in higher education; and there is a need for educational strategies to foster this competence in science students. In a previous study, three design strategies were piloted and evaluated in the classroom: stimulating the use of idea generation techniques, stimulating the conceptualization and evaluation of business opportunities, and promoting the transfer of knowledge and skills on opportunity identification. The focus of this evaluation study is on whether expert teachers use these strategies in teaching, which sub-startegies they use and whetjher they use additional strategies with the same objective. Expert teachers reported that they frequantly applied the previously reported strategies and reported various sub-strategies. Moreover, they described three additional strategies: selecting students for an elective by assessing their business idea, providing time for incubation of the business opportunity and challenging students to abandon routine problem-solving patterns.