Theme(s): Practices and principles (individualisation of studies).
Background
Students’ backgrounds and entrepreneurship competences are very heterogeneous. Similarly, the goals they have set for their entrepreneurship studies can be diverse. Accordingly, there is a risk that the students will not be motivated to study unless their studies are personalised. With the help of the Entrepreneurship HOPS (personal study plan), students can plan their own studies in such a way that the studies support and / or use the students’ existing competence, and provide them with new competence useful for their own entrepreneurship or for developing their own, their family’s, employer’s or other companies’ activities.
The Entrepreneurship HOPS also helps the teacher plan the content and learning activities of the courses to make them interesting and motivational to all students involved. Moreover, the Entrepreneurship HOPS makes it easier to discover competence and experiences that the students can share with each other through collaborative learning.
Implementation method
Entrepreneurship HOPS is developed and in use at the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. At the beginning of entrepreneurship studies, the students fill in an entrepreneurship HOPS form, which asks:
- what kind of entrepreneurship competence the student already has,
- whether the student wants to book an appointment for personal study guidance,
- whether the student has a business/family business, or intends to set up or purchase a company,
- why the student is interested in entrepreneurship studies,
- what courses the student is interested in completing,
- how often the student can participate in contact teaching,
- what kind of schedule the student has planned for the studies,
- whether the student is planning to produce a thesis on entrepreneurship for their own or someone else’s company.
Students are also asked to commit to their studies through signing the document and to notify the higher education institution of any changes to their plans.
Process of recognising (prior) learning / accrediting learning demonstrated in some other manner
Plans are made for the recognition of (prior) learning and accreditation of learning demonstrated in some other manner in the personal study plan (entrepreneurship HOPS). The plan is changed / supplemented / corrected during the courses if the students notice, for example, that they already have some competence, or that they need some additional competence that they did not originally consider.
Assessment
The Entrepreneurship HOPS is not assessed, but it is a tool for planning studies in entrepreneurship.
