For some years I have been considering how to offer the students
undertaking the "Innovation ACT" competition credit as part of a university degree. Inspired by my visit to UBCin Vancouver, I started work on such a course. Rather than approach universities and professional bodies in the usual way, I thought I would release the idea and see who is interested. The concept is reasonably simple: students would enroll in an on-line course and study the theory of innovation. They would then take part in an innovation competition, such as Innovation ACT, to experience the practice. Half of the students assessment would be for theory and half for the practical materials they prepare as part of the competition. To pilot this I would need six students to make a minimum student cohort (this could be two teams of three students, for example). Anyone interest, please let me know:
Proposal for a Course: Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship in Technology
Tom Worthington
23 October 2014
This
is a preliminary outline of a Technology
Innovation course. Students would learn how to take an idea and turn
it into a business proposal. They would learn theory online and then
undertake practical work, using the format successfully applied in my
course
ICT
Sustainability (Worthington, 2011).
Students would have the option of undertaking their practical work as
part of an innovation competition, such as
Innovation
ACT.
Background
In Canberra, University
of Canberra and ANU already run a number of innovation courses.
However, none of these are designed to be run in conjunction with
innovation competitions. Also current courses expect attendance at
classes in person, and tend to emphasize use of lectures and
examinations, which do not suit the teaching of innovation.
Current Canberra Based Innovation Courses
University of Canberra Courses
University of Canberra (UoC)
and ANU both offer innovation courses. UoC have courses as part of
the
Bachelor
of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. A
typical unit is “
Managing
Change and Innovation” (7776.3), offered
in blended mode (on-line content with on campus attendance of up to
thirty nine hours).
Learning Outcomes
1. understand critically a range of
theories and practices of change management.
2. demonstrate the applicability of
organizational change practices in different circumstances.
3. appreciate the complexities and
challenges inherent in planning and managing organizational change.
4. be familiar with the nature of
innovation and how to implement it
5. research, identify, organize and
present relevant materials and arguments in a range of modes.
There is a detailed fifteen page
unit outline of the course provided for the Bhutan campus students. This includes:
Text:
Recommended:
Goffin,
K. and Mitchell, R. 2010 Innovation
and Management: Strategy and Implementation Using the Pentathlon
Framework, 2nd
edition. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 4.
There is also an extensive list of further reading:
Beckhard,
R. and Harris, R. 1987. Organizational
Transitions: Managing Complex Change.
Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
Beer,
M. and Eisenstat, R. 2000. Breaking
the Code of Change.
Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
Beitler,
M. 2006. Strategic Organizational Change, 2nd
edition.
Bolman,
L.G. and Deal, T.E. 1997. Reframing
Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Boonstra,
J. ed. 2002. The Psychological
Management of Organizational Change.
London: Wiley.
Bridges,
W. 1991. Managing
Transitions: Making the Most of Change.
Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
Bunker,
B. and Alban, B. 1996. Large
Group Interventions: Engaging the Whole System for Rapid Change.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Burns,
T. and Stalker, G. 1961. The
Management of Innovation.
London: Tavistock.
Burnes,
B. 2000. Managing
Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics.
Harlow: Pearson.
Cameron,
E. and green, M. 2009. Making
Sense of Change Management. London:
Kogan Page.
Carnall.
C. 2003. Managing
Change in Organizations,
4th
edition. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.
Cummings,
T. and Worley, C. 2001. Organizational
Development and Change,
7th
edition. Cincinnati, Ohio: West.
Clark,
J. 1995. Managing
Innovation and Change.
London: Sage.
Demers,
C. 2007. Organizational
Change Theories: a Synthesis.
Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Dunphy,
D., Griffiths, A. and Benn, S. 2007. Organizational
Change for Corporate Sustainability.
London: Routledge.
Hayes,
J. 2007. The Theory and
Practice of Change Management,
2nd
edition. Houndmills: Palgrave.
Jones,
G. 2006. Organizational
Theory, Design and Change,
5th
edition. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Kanter,
R. (1983) The Change
Masters. London:
George Allen and Unwin.
Kantor,
R., Stein, B. aand Jick, T. 1992. The
Challenge of Organizational Change.
New York: Free Press.
Kaplan,
P. and Norton, D.P. 1996. The
Balanced Scorecard.
Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
Klewes,
J. and Langen, R.eds. 2010. Change
2.0: Beyond Organisational Transformation.
Heidelberg: Springer.
Kotter,
J.P. Leading Change.
Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
Kotter,
J.P. 1990. A Force for
Change: How Leadership Differs from Management.
New York: Free Press.
Kouzes,
J.M. and Posner, B.Z. 1995. The
Leadership Challenge.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mabey,
C. and Mayon-White, B. eds. 1993. Managing
Change. London: Paul
Chapman Publishing.
Mills,
J., Dye, K. and Mills, A. 2009. Understanding
Organizational Change.
London: Routledge.
Nadler,
D., Shaw, R. and Walton, A. eds. 1995. Discontinuous
Change: Leading Organizational Transformation.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nanus,
B. 1992. Visionary
Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your
Organization. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Palmer,
I., Dunford, R. and Akin, G. 2006. Managing
Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspective Approach.
Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Senior,
B. 2002. Organizational
Change, 2nd
edition. London: Financial Times and Prentice Hall.
Senge,
P.M. 1990. The Fifth
Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.
New York: Doubleday/Currency.
Smale,
G. 1998. Managing Change Through Innovation. London: The Stationery
Office.
Tichy,
N. and Devanna, M. 1986. The Transformational Leader. Chichester:
Wiley.
Weick,
K. and Sutcliffe, K. 2001. Managing
the Unexpected: Assuring High Performance in and Age of Complexity.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Whiteley,
A. 1995. Managing
Change: A Core Values Approach.
South Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia.
Wilson,
D. 1992. A Strategy for Change. London: Routledge.
Assessment
-
Case
study 30%
-
Essay 40%
- Examination 30%
ANU Innovation Courses
ANU has several
"innovation" courses in business and engineering programs:
Entrepreneurship
and Innovation MGMT3027
Learning Outcomes
-
define, explain
and illustrate theories of business innovation and
entrepreneurship, the evolution of industries and economies, and
the roles of entrepreneurs;
-
develop a
comprehensive and well structured business plan for a new venture;
-
present a
persuasive business plan to potential investors or to internal
stakeholders and effectively answer probing questions on the
substance of the plan; and,
-
work effectively
in multidisciplinary, cross-cultural teams, communicating,
negotiating and contributing shared contributions towards the
development of a team project.
Assessment
-
New venture
business plan 30%
-
Business plan
presentation 10%
-
Case study
responses 20%
-
Final
examination 40%
Workload
-
3 contact hours
per week plus private study time.
There is a detailed eighteen page "
Course Outline" for MGMT3027. This outlines the study methods and texts.
Text:
Allen, K. R. (2011).
Launching new ventures: an entrepreneurial approach. Cengage Learning.
Also recommended:
Weeks of the course:
- Introduction and expectations, Entrepreneurs and opportunities, Economy-wide context
- Teams, shareholders, the nature of opportunities and the process of business planning
- Product and process innovation, Researching markets and customers
- Business model innovation, Designing operations, process flow, capturing and building on customer and process learning
- Resource planning and budgeting, Alliances, partnerships, networks and organisation design, Legal considerations
- Marketing plan, distribution, start-up and financing
- Growth, change, harvest and exit
- Trial pitch session
- Corporate entrepreneurship, open innovation and applications beyond entrepreneurship
- Review of the six integrating themes
- Review of the six integrating themes
- Team business plan pitches
- Course recap, review, revision, final Q&A
Six Integrative Themes
- Opportunities, drivers and processes of entrepreneurship and innovation
- Entrepreneurship and innovation at an economy-wide level
- Entrepreneurial and innovation processes at the level of the firm
- Business models, business model innovation and entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial teams and stakeholder interactions
- Resource acquisition, leverage, valuation and negotiation
Innovation
and Commercialisation MGMT7165
The
Preliminary Briefing Note (2014) provided ten pages of details:
Learning
Outcomes
-
Describe the
process involved in different types of innovation, and the role that
commercialization plays in this process in diverse organizational
contexts.
-
Analyze an
innovation project, identifying drivers for success and factors
leading to the risk of failure.
-
Diagnose and
select frameworks, tools and techniques for the management of
innovation projects in different types of organization.
-
Develop an
innovation strategy for an organization., including input from a
range of internal and external stakeholders.
Assessment:
- Innovation Labs 25% (5% x 5 labs)
- Team Presentation 20%
- Case Study Analysis 15%
- Write-Up of Discussion Insights (15%)
Individual Report 25%
Engineering
Innovation ENGN3230
Learning
Outcomes
-
Identify the need
for innovative engineering; and generate and evaluate innovative
concepts
-
Understand the
basic elements of innovation, innovation management and
commercialization; and be able to plan and schedule activities in
accordance with standard practice.
-
Be conversant with
Intellectual Property (IP) law; and evaluate, exploit and manage
Intellectual Property.
-
Understand
decision making responsibilities at the interface between business
and innovation.
-
Understand the
dynamics of collaborative teams and how to work effectively within a
team to accomplish tasks within given deadlines.
-
As an
entrepreneur, understand start-up company pathways and develop a
business pitch for funding
Assessment
-
Quizzes (10%);
-
Tutorials and case
studies (20%);
-
Technical reports
and presentation (40%);
-
Exam (30%).
Workload
-
Lectures (30hrs);
-
Tutorials (10hrs);
-
Tutorial case
studies (20hrs);
-
Assessment
activity and self-directed learning (70hrs).
Also the
Lecture 1 slides are available.
Technology
and Innovation Management and Strategy MGMT7106
-
Stimulate and
inform a strategic perspective on the role of innovation, and in
particular to increase understanding of:
-
The
characteristics of innovation processes and the factors that shape
and drive innovation;
-
The potential
roles of incremental and disruptive innovation in creating and
sustaining firm competitiveness
-
Understand the
sources of innovation competence in firms and how these competences
are developed, and in particular to increase understanding of:
-
Why some firms are
more successfully innovative than others;
-
The many different
sources of knowledge and capability used for innovation and the
strategies for accessing them.
-
Understand the
major tools that are used increasingly to assist innovation
management, both at the project level and at the level of
organizational development.
-
Understand the
central role of learning in innovation and in innovation management.
Assessment
-
Case Note 1:
Presentation of Innovation Survey 10%
-
Case Note 1: 3M or
Medronic 10%
-
Case Note 2:
Lenovo or Hyundi 10%
-
Case Note 3:
Innovation Audit 10%
-
Peer Assessment
10%
-
Essay/Assignment/Exam
50%
Workload
-
5 x 4 hour
classes,
-
2x 8 hour classes
Other University Innovation Courses
UBC
run a two semester
interdisciplinary
capstone project (
APSC 496) for
business and engineering students (Kruchten, Lawrence, Dahl &
Cubbon, 2011). The students are required to work in teams to produce
a business plan. This course is much more extensive than envisaged
for ANU CS. However, the textbooks used may be applicable:
-
K.
T. Ulrich and S. D. Eppinger, Product
Design and Development, 4th
ed., McGraw Hill, Boston, 2008.
-
J.
A. Timmons and S. Spinelli, New
Venture Creation--Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century,
7th ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, Boston, 2007.
-
S. Birley and D.
Muzyka, Mastering Entrepreneurship, Pearson Education, Harlow, UK,
2000.
There is also a related
book, which may be of use:
Open Access Materials
As might be expected, textbooks about innovation can be expensive. I found one free open access book:
Problems with Current Innovation Courses
Innovation courses
offered in Canberra have largely the format of a conventional lecture
and examination based university course, which is not suited to the
topic of innovation. It is proposed to overcome this by flipped
classroom: students learn the theory online, discuss it with their
peers in online forms and then are required to apply it.
Also courses are not
aligned with the requirements for accreditation by bodies such as the
Australian Computer Society. To meet accreditation requirements, the
new course would be aligned with SFIA Version 5:
SFIA
Skill "Innovation" INOV Level 6:
The capability
to recognise and exploit business opportunities provided by IT, (for
example, the Internet), to ensure more efficient and effective
performance of organisations, to explore possibilities for new ways
of conducting business and organisational processes, and to establish
new businesses.
Recognises
potential strategic application of IT, and initiates investigation
and development of innovative methods of exploiting IT assets, to the
benefit of organisations and the community. Plays an active role in
improving the interface between the business and IT.
SFIA Skill “
Business
analysis” BUAN Level 6
The methodical
investigation, analysis, review and documentation of all or part of
a business in terms of business functions and processes, the
information used and the data on which the information is based. The
definition of requirements for improving processes and systems,
reducing their costs, enhancing their sustainability, and the
quantification of potential business benefits. The creation of
viable specifications and acceptance criteria in preparation for the
construction of information and communication systems.
Takes full
responsibility for business analysis within a significant segment of
an organisation where the advice given and decisions made will have
a measurable impact on the profitability or effectiveness of the
organisation. Establishes the contribution that technology can make
to business objectives, defining strategies, validating and
justifying business needs, conducting feasibility studies, producing
high-level and detailed business models, preparing business cases,
overseeing development and implementation of solutions, taking into
account the implications of change on the organisation and all
stakeholders. Guides senior management towards accepting change
brought about through process and organisational change.
What would be in an online innovation course?
The
new course will develop the capability to
identify and develop new computing based business ideas. Students
will learn to identity strategic uses for information technology,
applying systematic
investigation,
analysis, review and documentation
to take an idea through the stages
of development and proposal
.
Students
are encouraged to take part in the Innovation
ACT,
or a similar innovation
competition,
and submit their competition entry for assessment.
Learning
Outcomes
After successful completion of
this subject students will be able to :
-
Investigate
a strategic application of IT.
-
Propose new ways
of conducting business using IT.
Skills
Alignment:
-
SFIA Version 5, Level 6: Business
analysis (BUAN)
-
SFIA
Version 5, Level 6: Innovation
(INOV)
Workload
-
12 Weekly Online
Modules.
-
Tutorials: 12
Weekly online text based discussion forums (assesble item at the end
of each week).
Timing
Second half of the year for alignment with
Innovation ACT (the course could be offered to fit with other
university systems and innovation completions world wide).
Timetable to suit ANU Semester 2, 2015
| Week
|
Date
|
Course topic
|
Assessment %
|
Innovation ACT
|
| 1
|
20 July 2014
|
|
2%
|
|
| 2
|
27
|
|
2%
|
|
| 3
|
3 August
|
|
2%
|
|
| 4
|
10
|
|
2%
|
Launch & Pitch
|
| 5
|
17
|
|
Business Model Thinking
2%
|
Team Registration Opens
Workshop 1: Learning to Build an Innovative
Venture - Business Model Thinking: Using a Business Model Canvas,
for development of a venture concept.
|
| 6
|
24
|
|
Stakeholder
Engagement
2%
|
Workshop 2:
Relationships with Users and Partners - Stakeholder Engagement:
engage with a
stakeholders, to
develop value
network.
Team Registration Closes
|
| 7
|
31
|
|
Concept Generation
2%
|
Workshop 3: Developing Prototype Solutions:
Test venture to deal with uncertainty.
|
|
Mid semester break
|
|
Investigation
of a strategic application of IT 40%
|
|
| 8
|
21 September
|
|
Value Capture 2%
|
Workshop 4: Getting
Returns, Support, and Funding_ Value Capture: find ways to
capture value for the
team, investors and
supporters.
|
| 9
|
28
|
|
2%
|
|
| 10
|
5 October
|
|
2%
|
Submission of deliverables
|
| 11
|
12
|
|
2%
|
Success and Failure: Journey as Reward
|
| 12
|
19
|
|
2%
|
Pitch Night
|
| 13
|
26
|
|
|
Awards Night
|
Deliverables
Progress items:
-
Business Model Thinking
-
Stakeholder Engagement
-
Stakeholder Engagement Mentor Progress Score
(0, 1 or 2)
-
Concept Generation
-
Concept Generation Mentor Progress Score
(0, 1 or 2)
-
Value Capture
-
Value Capture Mentor Progress Score
(0, 1 or 2)
Final deliverables:
-
Business Model Canvas: One page
diagram of the business
model, using the IACT Business Model Canvas
template
, or similar (about 5% to 6%).
-
Executive Summary: One page text
summary of the business model (300 words, about 5% to 6%).
-
Canvas Report: Five to eight page
report on development of plan (this is equivalent to 1,500 to 2,400
words of assessment, about 30% to 50% of the assessment)
-
Continuation report: Detailed plan
outlining funding requirements and proposed expenditure (Assuming 5
pages, that is 25% to 30% of the assessment).
-
Pitch: Notes and visual materials for
a five minute presentation. A video of the presentation can also be
provided, but for academic purposes, the assessment will be based on
the ntoes for the presentation, not the presentation itself
(assessment 5% to 10%).
-
Literature review: This would be in
addition to the Innovation ACT deliverables, added to balance the
assessment in the first half of the course and provide some academic
grounding to the practical aspects (Two pages, 10%).
Assessment
The assessment would be made up of:
-
20% for contributions to
forums/exercises for ten weeks (2% per week for 12 weeks, with the
best 10 counted)
-
Mid
semester assignment: “Investigation of a strategic application of
IT”. Individual work of 2,000 words, plus references 40%
-
End
of course deliverables: Business proposal. Students are encouraged
to undertake the work as part of Innovation ACT, or another
innovation competition. However, the activity must take during the
semester. May be performed in a group of up to six. 40%.
Students
must achieve at least 10% for contributions to forums, 20%
mid-semester and 20% final items to be eligible to pass the course
(overall pass mark for course may be set lower, or higher than 50%).
| Item
|
Date Due
|
Marks
|
| Weekly contributions (2% per week, best 10 weeks of 12)
|
Due at the end of each week.
|
20
|
| Investigation
of a strategic application of IT
|
Mid Semester
|
40
|
| Business
Proposal:
|
|
| Business Model Canvas
|
|
5
|
| Executive Summary
|
|
5
|
| Canvas Report
|
|
15
|
| Continuation report
|
|
10
|
| Pitch
|
|
5
|
| Total
|
|
100
|
Materials
The Innovation ACT program provides a useful set
of materials:
Program Information
Deliverables Templates
Workshop 1 Materials – “Learning to Build an
Innovative Venture”
Workshop 2 Materials – “Relationships with
Users and Partners”
Workshop 3 Materials – “Developing Prototype
Solutions”
Workshop 4 Materials – “Getting Returns,
Support and Funding”
Relevant Skills and Experience of the
Designer
Tom Worthington has
trained in the design of blended and online courses and assessment,
as part of a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (ANU 2013) and
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (CIT 2013). He received the
ACS Canberra ICT award 2010 for the design of the course “ICT
Sustainability), which has been run by ANU and Athabasca University
(Canada), since 2009. Tom was the Defence Project Manager for the DBQ
Windows Project, federally funded to develop a graphical user
interface for Australian database software (Worthington, 1994). He
has evaluated applications for innovation grants for the Department
of Industry, acted as a consultant for patent applications and
provided advice on web design for the Beijing Olympics. Tom has been
a speaker and mentor for Innovation ACT, on the organising team for
GovHack and GovCamp Canberra and a judge for Random Hacks of Kindness
(Sydney).
Contact the Course Designer
Institutions and
organizations interested in offering this course can contact:
Tom Worthington FACS
CP,
TomW Communications Pty
Ltd.
http://tomw.net.au/admin/
tom.worthington@tomw.net.au
References
Innovation
ACT,
Participant
Handbook, 2014. URL:
http://www.innovationact.org/iact2013/wp-content/uploads/iact140813_doc_participanthandbook.pdf
Kruchten,
P., Lawrence, P., Dahl, D., & Cubbon, P. (2011). New Venture
Design–Interdisciplinary Capstone Projects at UBC.
Proceedings
of the Canadian Engineering Education Association.
URL:
http://library.queensu.ca/ojs/index.php/PCEEA/article/download/3637/3650
Worthington,
Tom (1994, March, 18).
DESIGNING A
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR AN AUSTRALIAN DATABASE PRODUCT:
BACKGROUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DBQ WINDOWS.
retrieved August 5, 2014, from Canberra Branch Conference, Australian
Computer Society Web Site:
http://www.tomw.net.au/itinpdpj.txt
Worthington,
T. (2011) ICT Sustainability: assessment and strategies for a low
carbon future / Tom Worthington Tomw Communications, Belconnen,
A.C.T. Retrieved from:
http://www.tomw.net.au/ict_sustainability/
Our value proposition is reducing learning and language barriers for international students. In particular it provides understanding to course content which may not other be achieved. This is achieved through bilingual study guides and support tools, allowing students to absorb knowledge in their native language."
The Innovation ACT competition ends this evening with the announcement of the winners. It seemed a good opportunity to think about how to use mobile technology to improve such start-up competitions.
Greetings from the Australian National University in Canberra, where Innovation ACT 2015, a business planning competition for Canberra's university students is being launched. Professors Michael Cardew-Hall and (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Innovation, ANU) and 
Greetings from the Australian National University in Canberra, where the Innovation ACT 2014 Launch is taking place. For the last few years, the ACT Government has sponsored this competition to encourage Canberra's Higher Education students to learn
how to turn their ideas into businesses. The completion was devised by ANU's Engineering and Computer Science College. Previously I have talked at the event and been a participant and later a mentor. This year I am designing a university course which will award credit for students undertaking this competition, or similar ones. Some argue that innovation cannot be taught in a formal course, it has to be experienced. However, I think it should be feasible to teach the theory in academic classes and then have the students innovate in practice (much as happens in architecture and design schools at university). If all goes well the new course will be available from second semester 2015. There are numerous innovation startup books
, but I hope to avoid making the students read any of them. Universities interesting in running the course can contact me for details.
