Enhancing entrepreneurial skills through creativity, diversity and collaborative online learning

Elliot Pirie; Izzy Crawford; Tracy Pirie; Charles Richardson; Angela Spadafora

doi:10.56433/664naq79

Authors

Dr Elliot Pirie Robert Gordon University
Izzy Crawford Robert Gordon University
Tracy Pirie Robert Gordon University
Charles Richardson Sinclair Community College
Angela Spadafora Seneca Polytechnic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56433/664naq79

Keywords:

collaborative online international learning, collaborative creative practice, creative thinking, Interdisciplinarity, international education

Abstract

This paper evaluates staff and students’ perspectives of an entrepreneurial Collaborative Online International Learning [COIL] project that examines students’ creative thinking and practice, whilst working across three different countries, institutions, and educational systems, with the total student body representing multiple nationalities. The diversity of the students’ backgrounds and experiences is at the heart of the paper, which seeks to identify the links between the experiential learning undertaken, the diversity of a group and its subsequent creative outputs. The paper aims to evaluate the extent to which international, online, interdisciplinarity group work fosters creative learning environments, specifically evaluating the effect of an entrepreneurial task, and the impact of differing educational levels, subject fields and location.

The ability to work in a heterogeneous team comprising different backgrounds, locations, and practices is a significant challenge for international collaboration online. With increasing literature focusing on authentic assessments, students’ ability to articulate how their learning transfers to the world of work, and the increased importance of students cultivating transferable employability and entrepreneurial skills, including communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, this paper evaluates the extent to which these growing concerns are addressed by COIL projects, using a series of in-depth interviews with the staff and students from all three institutions.

COIL projects can offer a valuable addition to curricula of further and higher education institutions with the benefits of internationalisation, cross-cultural communication and teamwork being highlighted within the findings. The key reflections identified that structured communication for staff and students alike is critical to the success of the COIL, without which the students’ ability to create is diminished. Upon evaluation it became clear that whilst COILs are inherently of value in a broader sense, the interdisciplinarity of the students’ subject knowledge itself is a critical factor in determining the success of the project.

Author Biographies

Dr Elliot Pirie, Robert Gordon University

Dr Elliot Pirie is an Associate Dean within the School of Computing and Engineering at Robert Gordon University. His research interests are in, pedagogy, digital marketing, and consumer psychology, he is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.
Izzy Crawford, Robert Gordon University

Izzy Crawford is an Associate Dean within the Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland. She is studying for a PhD in the field of COIL, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK.
Tracy Pirie, Robert Gordon University

Tracy Pirie is a Principal Lecturer in Marketing within the Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University. She is a PhD candidate looking at “The Impact of Change to Disney Theme Parks on Nostalgic Fans” and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academic in the UK.
Charles Richardson, Sinclair Community College

Charles V. Richardson is a Professor of Marketing and Management at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. He is Program Coordinator for Marketing, Advertising and Sales. He holds a Masters in Business from Indiana University and has 20 years of experience at Ford and Procter & Gamble.
Angela Spadafora, Seneca Polytechnic

Angela Spadafora is a Professor, Staff Trainer and Instructor at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada. She teaches Enhanced Language Training and Fashion Business Management courses as part-time faculty. Angela's interest is in action research to improve the academic experience and the progression to employment for students.

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