KEENzine5

P erspective: “Entrepreneurial mindset” is just the latest in a series of fads in engineering education and will eventually be replaced by something else. R esponse: There certainly are trends in the field of engineering education. As research on the topic continues, educators will have more information upon which to base their decisions about whether to include the entrepreneurial mindset within their curricula. In the meantime, we note that aspects of the entrepreneurial mindset (e.g., creativity, empathy, changing course on an idea when necessary) are closely related to topics in engineering design, a longstanding part of the undergraduate engineering curriculum. P erspective: There is not room in the curriculum for teaching the entrepreneurial mindset. It takes curricular resources away from necessary technical content without adding significant value. R esponse: In previous decades, this same argument has been made about a variety of other professional skills, including teamwork and communication, these P ERSPECTIVES For those of us committed to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in our students, it’s natural for us to want our colleagues to join us. Following are excerpts of some of the perspectives we’ve heard about teaching entrepreneurial thinking within engineering, and how we’ve addressed our colleagues’ concerns. Fostering healthy dialogue By Margot Vigeant two non-technical skills now widely accepted as critical to the work and success of engineers. Furthermore, as is the case in the approach that many institutions use for teaching other professional skills, there is flexibility in how entrepreneurial mindset is incorporated within a curriculum. In other words, a new course on “entrepreneurial mindset” does not necessarily need to be created. P erspective: Teaching students how to make money does not align with the educational values of higher ed institutions. We want to teach students more than just money-making practices. R esponse: While there is nothing inherently wrong with teaching students about how to commercialize an idea, we also point out that entrepreneurship can include social entrepreneurship, or efforts focused on advancing social causes more than emphasizing financial gain. Additionally, the focus here is on teaching the entrepreneurial mindset, which includes topics not directly related to making money, such as empathy, creativity, and the appreciation of others’ expertise. P erspective: The concept of an entrepreneurial mindset is still too ambiguous. Furthermore, students 16