Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship: Design of Flexible Entrepreneurship Courses for Versatile Student Delivery

Cornelis Adrianus (Kees-Jan) van Dorp & A. Herrero de Egaña Espinosa de los Monteros
The International Journal of Business Research and Management (IJBRM), Volume (2) : Issue (3) : 2011 93
Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship: Design of Flexible
Entrepreneurship Courses for Versatile Student Delivery
Cornelis Adrianus (Kees-Jan) van Dorp kees-jan.vandorp@eadtu.eu
European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
Heerlen, 6419 AT, The Netherlands
A. Herrero de Egaña Espinosa de los Monteros alherrero@cee.uned.es
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Madrid, 28040, Spain
Maria Kocsis Baán m.kocsis.baan@uni-miskolc.hu
University of Miskolc
Miskolc Egyetemváros, H3515 Hungary
Edit Lukács vgtedith@uni-miskolc.hu
University of Miskolc
Miskolc Egyetemváros, H3515 Hungary
Raimondo Sepe r.sepe@uninettuno.it
International Telematic University UNINETTUNO
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 00186, Italy
Andrzej Wodecki andrzej.wodecki@gmail.com
Maria Curie Sklodowska University
5 M. C. Sklodowska Sq, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Magdalena Jasińska magdalena.jasinska@puw.pl
Maria Curie Sklodowska University
5 M. C. Sklodowska Sq, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Sirje Virkus sirvir@tlu.ee
Tallinn University
Narva Road 25, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia
Abstract
Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship (CBVE) refers to a Multilateral European project, which
has been co-funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission. The
objective of CBVE has been to improve the entrepreneurship competence of students through
open and flexible, didactically-innovative and pedagogically-rich learning approaches. The project
has aimed to strengthen structured entrepreneurial training opportunities and external network
liaisons, in particular there where flexible learning approaches could be utilised to reach out to
more diverse target groups. The CBVE project has resulted in an incubating (virtual) business-
planning environment, as well as an off-campus Masterclass entrepreneurship in English,
Hungarian, Estonian, Italian and Spanish. Apart from the Internet, the multilingual Masterclass
has also been broadcasted through the (free-on-air) satellite infrastructure RAI NETTUNNO
SAT1, across Western, Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and across North
America.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Virtual Business Planning, Business Training, Open and Distance
Education.

1. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Entrepreneurship is influenced by a number of factors. The importance of learning about factors
affecting entrepreneurship, whereas the addressing of more diverse and often non-traditional
targets groups is concerned, increases ever more. Against the background of demographics i.e.,
entrepreneurship in later stages of life, and ethnical diversification i.e., cultural factors influencing
entrepreneurship, CBVE aims to contribute to the body of knowledge of flexible approaches on
entrepreneurship, those which can be used for flexible student-competency development. With
innovative instruments and combined institutional approaches, CBVE has taken up the
development of entrepreneurial competence for both traditional and non-traditional target groups
through collaborative action between conventional and open universities. It develops professional
skills of students by lifelong, open and flexible, didactically-innovative and pedagogically-rich
learning approaches. CBVE pilots entrepreneurship in a novel way, as prospective part of the
curriculum for students not particularly part of traditional cohorts. The aim is to have structured
entrepreneurship education and external network liaisons, in situations where flexible learning
approaches need to be utilised to reach out to more diverse target groups. By delivering off-
campus Masterclass materials, the project infuses entrepreneurship by flexible learning elements.
CBVE also contributes to the training of trainers i.e., the upgrading of entrepreneurial skills of
academic staff involved. The interaction with the business community and regional stakeholders
is vital to CBVE. It enables the experimentation with business-planning test beds and allows for
external evaluation of student business plans. The project adheres to contemporary priorities of
the European Commission, as explicitly mentioned in the Lifelong Learning Programme. In this
respect, the CBVE project contributes to improving the existing quality and volume of ICT-based
content and helps to promote creativity, competitiveness, employability and growth of the
entrepreneurial spirit among students. Reaching out to learners, particularly those deprived of
entrepreneurship teaching and those not being served by the traditional face to face system, shall
substantially contribute to improve the access, inclusiveness and participation.
2. THE CONCEPT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
While it is widely acknowledged that entrepreneurship is a vital force in economies of developed
countries, there is little consensus about what actually constitutes entrepreneurial activity.
Scholars have proposed a broad array of definitions, which when operationalised generate a
number of different measures (Herbert and Link, 1989), but the failure of a single definition of
entrepreneurship to emerge, undoubtedly reflects the fact that entrepreneurship is a multi-
dimensional concept. The definition used to study or classify entrepreneurial activities actually
reflects a particular perspective or emphasis. Definitions of entrepreneurship typically vary
between economic and management perspectives (Audretsch, 2006). Entrepreneurship has
originally been conceptualised as an economic function, and the entrepreneur as someone willing
to bear risk to make a profit. Although economics gave the entrepreneur a function in the market,
it was eventually almost entirely eliminated in mainstream economics. It was then that
behavioural science researchers attempted to develop theories of the entrepreneur (Cornelius et
al., 2006). But by defining the field in terms of entrepreneurial attributes, entrepreneurship
scholars “generated incomplete definitions that do not withstand the scrutiny of other scholars”
(Gartner, 1988; Shane and Venkataraman, 2000, cited in Brown, 2006). Venkataraman (1997)
defines entrepreneurship broadly as the process of discovering, evaluating, and exploiting
opportunities, which go on to reify themselves in the form of new business ventures. In this model
an entrepreneur could be defined as "someone who acts with ambition beyond that supportable
by the resources currently under his control, in relentless pursuit of opportunity" (a definition
common to entrepreneurship professors Howard Stevenson and Jeffry Timmons). Pinchot (1985)
coined the term ‘intrapreneurship’ to describe entrepreneurial-like activities inside organisations
and government. The concept is commonly referred to as ‘corporate entrepreneurship’. Still
another view of entrepreneurship is that it is the process of exploiting opportunities that exist in
the environment or that are created through innovation in an attempt to create value. Gibb (2005)
defines entrepreneurship in terms of sets of behaviours, attributes and skills that allow individuals
and groups to create change and innovation and cope with, and even enjoy, higher levels of
uncertainty and complexity in all aspects of their life.

More generally entrepreneurship is the practice of starting new organisations, particularly new
businesses in response to identified opportunities. Entrepreneurship mostly refers to the creation
and management of a new business venture by an individual or a team. It refers to an individual’s
ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk acceptance, as well as
the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. In a broad sense,
entrepreneurship should be considered as a mindset that can usefully be applied in all working
activities and in life. Therefore, entrepreneurship is a key competence for all. Children can learn
about entrepreneurship from an early age, with appropriate techniques both within the classroom
and beyond. And as they get older, the range of skills and experiences relevant to
entrepreneurship can be widened. At university level, there is also a need for specific courses to
help students (particularly those with technological skills) to better appreciate the prospects of
their work on the market. Finally, for those who have built up experience as an employee, the
possibility to learn particular skills may allow them to set up or take over a firm later in life.
Researchers also attempt to define the entrepreneur in myriad ways and the debate over the
definition of an entrepreneur continues today (Bygrave & Hofer, 1991; Gartner, 1990, cited in
Brown, 2006). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) refers to
entrepreneurs being persons who seek to generate value through creation or expansion of
economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, processes or markets (OECD
/Eurostat, 2008). Generally speaking, entrepreneurship is associated with entrepreneurial activity:
acting as a driver of economic growth, productivity, innovation and employment. It causes firms to
enter/exit the markets, and forces newcomers to be more efficient. Existing firms are forced to
innovate in order to stay competitive i.e., the cause for creative destruction according to
Schumpeter. Although entrepreneurship is also recognised by academic studies, it has only
recently been explicitly discovered by policy makers. Policies on entrepreneurship differ
nevertheless in OECD countries/regions. The different national and regional policies affect the
rate and type of entrepreneurship. Some examples as to how and why policy can be developed
for entrepreneurship are the following: simply for firm creation as such, as connected to regional
development programmes (depressed regions), as strategic element to include certain target
groups (minorities, women, et cetera), as for supporting domain specific starters i.e., high-tech
starters, life sciences, and as decision to support especially high-growth firms (OECD/Eurostat,
2008).
Measurement of entrepreneurship is a relatively young phenomenon. There has been no real and
systematic effort in comparing OECD countries. A first financial support from the Kaufmann
Foundation was released to the OECD in 2005, so as to perform a feasibility study on improving
entrepreneurship data. In late 2006, the OECD Entrepreneurship Indicators Programme (EIP)
was coined. A certain willingness was made apparent by National Statistics Offices to actually
harmonise methods. 12 OECD countries, World Bank and Eurostat joined a special steering
group with the objective to develop indicators. In 2007, a formal OECD-Eurostat cooperation
came into being, concerning the EIP for structuring and gathering policy relevant
entrepreneurship statistics. Aside from the definition of entrepreneurship; actually measuring
entrepreneurship seems a whole other case. Entrepreneurship as a variable seems to be
multifaceted and non-linear. It appears that likely factors which influence entrepreneurship are
mere proxies. We distinguish: factors that impede or motivate entrepreneurship (determinants),
indicators for the amount/type of entrepreneurship (entrepreneurial performance), and outcomes
of the performance on economy (impacts, value) (OECD/Eurostat, 2008). In Europe, the policy
measures taken on entrepreneurship differ across regions. Policy makers and project developers
focus on different incentives: regulatory framework, market conditions, access to finance, R&D
technology, entrepreneurial capabilities, and the aspect of culture (OECD/Eurostat, 2008). In view
of the above discussion, we are able to explain where the priorities of the CBVE project lie. For
the CBVE project, we confirm the particular focus on improving ‘entrepreneurial capabilities’.
More specific, CBVE has the prime focus on education in terms of stimulating ‘business and
entrepreneurship education’, which has been defined as a subcategory under ‘entrepreneurial
capabilities’ in OECD/Eurostat (2008).

3. GENESIS OF THE ONLINE MASTERCLASS
The genesis of the Masterclass entrepreneurship has involved the creation, development and
testing of cutting-edge distance learning materials. The whole Masterclass resembles 2 European
credit points (ECTS): corresponding to 50 hours of study load. The Masterclass is composed of
10 videolessons and supplementary didactic materials, available in English, Italian, Spanish,
Hungarian and Estonian. All together, an English Masterclass as well as four associated
derivative language versions have been developed (IT, ES, HU and EE) i.e., tailored to the other
countries participating in the pilot-runs. Two of these partners i.e., the Universidad Nacional de
Educación a Distancia (UNED) and the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO (UTIU),
operate as distance universities, with consolidated IT support in their own e-learning framework.
The others i.e., the University of Tallinn and the University of Miskolc, offer e-learning for their on-
campus and off-campus students as a supplementary tool for improving the efficiency of learning
processes and education programs. The added value of these profiles allows partners to adopt a
multi-purpose and multi-dimensional delivery through a two-model approach: a distance
university approach and a traditional university (blended) approach. Accordingly, the Italian,
English and Spanish Masterclass courses are delivered fully online on the UTIU didactic platform
(www.uninettunouniversity.net) being composed of 10 videolessons (and supplementary didactic
training materials), available in Italian, English and Spanish. The Hungarian and Estonian
Masterclass courses have been balanced and integrated using the same open source e-learning
platform, Moodle, as their regular Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). For providing accessibility
to developed learning materials from the same VLE, a joint portal (http://edu.uni-miskolc.hu) was
implemented by the University of Miskolc. In all, a pedagogically-rich model for development and
delivery of Masterclass materials has been developed, capable of serving a wide spectrum of
target groups within the framework of lifelong learning.
The actual Masterclass recording and delivery have been done in a professional and systematic
manner. Videolessons of the EN, IT and ES language versions of the Masterclass have been
recorded at the UNINETTUNO Production Centre in Rome, endowed with all the structures and
facilities needed for the professional production of multimedia educational products (i.e.,
videolessons, slides, and multimedia products), and with the support of the technical staff
involved in the production. Since many lessons are included in one Masterclass and each
videolesson lasts approximately 45 minutes, the labour intensiveness of video recording is
evident. In many cases practical arrangements are made on location, so as to enable video
professors to fulfil the recording process efficiently. In many cases, video professors must be
lodged in a guest room. A production plan was devised for the production of the Masterclass,
which included (1) the sharing of the production phases, (2) the time schedule for producing
every didactic material, (3) the subsequent digitisation, and (4) the posting of materials on the
Internet site. On the basis of the production plan, thirty videolessons were produced: among them
ten in Italian, ten in English and ten in Spanish. The (ten) Hungarian and (ten) Estonian
Masterclass derivatives were produced with a slightly different practical accent. The Hungarian
version has been recorded and edited domestically, on-site at the University of Miskolc, while the
Estonian version was produced as subtitled version of the English master course. Both
universities supplemented the videolessons by different additional resources and instructions, as
required by their specific educational programs. The designated persons which were in charge of
recording the videolessons in the different languages, needed to comply with detailed
procedures, already fairly tested, and essentially aimed at producing the educational content and
facilitating the activities related to the processing and online publishing of the educational
materials. In actually devising the Masterclass, UNINETTUNO’s videolessons’ methodology was
used: a methodology built upon a strong foundation of didactic and communication models (Henri
and Rigault, 1996; Kass, 1996; Garito, 2007, 2006, 2001, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c, 2000d, 1998,
1997a, 1997b, 1996; Horowitz and Samuels, 1987). The upcoming sections present the structure,
the recording and the delivery of the Masterclass, based on this methodology.
A theoretical and practical training has been delivered to the professors involved in the production
of educational content, strictly related to the competence skills essential for implementing lectures

in a novel and pedagogical-rich education model. Such training was (also) envisaged within the
project by means of ‘training the trainers’. It basically concerned the training of the professors
involved in producing the videolessons. Guidelines for realising videolessons (also) included the
use of didactic communication on television, in the frame of psychological research work on
learning theories, paying particular attention to the constructivist and cognitivist theories. In
addition, special guidelines for realising slides were presented: this was facilitated by the
UNINETTUNO Graphics Department. The training of the tutors (instead), took place later, after
the pilot had been delivered. Students had the choice of videolessons’ intake in several ways:
through Internet in Didactic Cyberspace (Video Library Sections), as well as through satellite
broadcast on the channel RAI NETTUNO SAT 1. Associated videolessons consisted of modular
contents, indexing of lesson themes, and bookmarks. A graphic icon represents a connection to
the learning object. Each videolesson is subdivided into topics and is created with a predefined
indexing system, which allows flexible usage. A student can view the entire videolesson in a
linear fashion or follow a non-linear itinerary, thus choosing the topics that one wishes to study
more in-depth, along with the connected study materials. The slides presented by the video
professor during the videolesson(s) constitute an important support tool for study: the student can
use them as a basis for notes, a means by which he/she can create his/her own network of links
between topics. The videolessons, with the accompanying slides, are enriched with didactic
materials known as learning objects. They emerge during the course of the videolesson by an
icon link (bookmark) and are made available in the Didactic Cyberspace of the Internet site. Such
support materials comprise: books and articles (extracts, study sheets), CD-ROM or DVD,
exercises (with answers), virtual laboratories, annotated bibliographies, and annotated site links.
The modular organisation of the course, the indexing of the topics and the bookmarks allow for a
multimedia and hypertextual learning process, and encourages a more personalised study path.
The Masterclass materials enable the student to prepare him/herself in a more comprehensive
manner: utilising the possibility of in-depth study of topics raised in the videolessons, including the
ins and outs of any practical application of the concepts learned. The web interface for the
transmission of the videolessons is presented in Figure 1.
FIGURE 1: The Web Interface of UNINETTUNO
In addition to what has been described before, both the University of Tallinn and the University of
Miskolc operate as traditional universities: e-learning methodology and tools are applied in a
blended learning approach. These universities have diversified their strategy with regard to the
content development and the course delivery. Next to open and distance learning features, each

course had to fit a blended delivery: implying the supplementing of different collaborative
elements. As part of the blended delivery approach, a wide range of new, versatile content
elements and pedagogy has been added. This approach has enabled the University of Tallinn
and the University of Miskolc to adopt a multi-purpose and multi-dimensional delivery, reaching
out to a wider spectrum of target groups within the framework of lifelong learning. The core
content of the courses – similar to the EN, IT and ES courses – are also video lectures. Similarly,
students are offered easy navigation: a content list apart from the video film shows titles of ppt
slides, synchronously presented with the video. By clicking on the titles, one can jump to any slide
at any time. When ones stops, and logs out, the program still remembers, where to continue.
Powerpoint files are available for students to make printed versions and make notes while
watching the presentation. A wide variety of learning support – offered by the Moodle platform –
is available for the students to utilise: forum, blog, messages, tests, notes, and glossary. Staff
training for academics and professionals has also been organised in a blended methodology. A
separate course was developed for staff training purposes: guidelines, presentations, useful links
and templates, both in English and Hungarian.
4. PILOTING: A DUAL-TRACK DELIVERY MODEL
Parallel to the content development process, discussions commenced about the models to deploy
in the practical engagement towards students: the test beds. The versatility of needs in partner
institutions was investigated as well as presence of common practices. Important to distinguish is
that the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia and the Università Telematica
Internazionale UNINETTUNO, operate as open and distance teaching universities: having robust
IT support in their own e-learning framework. The other universities, i.e., the University of Tallinn
and the University of Miskolc, operate as traditional universities: implementing e-learning in a
blended learning approach, in versatile levels within their education programme. These different
profiles within the test beds, were acknowledged rather as an added value instead of a restriction.
A presence of the different institutional profiles and educational modalities, enabled the
evaluation of versatile target groups. Accordingly, the ODTUs i.e., the off-campus universities,
forwarded a distance model for educational delivery, whereas the traditional universities i.e., the
on-campus universities, forwarded a blended model for educational delivery. Pilots were realised
in two different ways with relevant ´fit for purpose´ platforms. The Italian, English and Spanish
Masterclass versions were implemented on the UTIU e-learning platform, whereas the Hungarian
and Estonian Masterclasses were implemented on the Moodle platform. In addition, all partners
agreed that the Masterclass versions had to be accessible by cross-referencing, herewith
enabling access for all students, to all derived Masterclass language versions, at any time,
independent of local platforms. University of Miskolc implemented and operates a dedicated
Moodle VLE for the project.
4.1 Track One: Distance Delivery Model
In this section, the UNED distance delivery model is explained. The UNED model comprises of
three Phases. In Phase I, the students present their business idea. The idea is evaluated and
commented upon by the teachers. Subsequently, the students’ ability or capability as an
entrepreneur is evaluated by using a special test. In Phase II, after the review of the course
materials, the students start with their business plan. In this phase, the students seek advice from
the teachers or from experts and professionals stemming from a particular sector. When the
business plan is completed, the teacher evaluates it. The teacher either accepts or rejects it.
Phase III commences when the students receive feedback from the teacher. When the business
plan is accepted, the students apply Business Simulation Games to test the plan profoundly. To
round up the business plan, students communicate the results of simulation by means of a final
report.
The essence of the UNED business planning trial was to train students to be able to develop a
business plan, which could (then) lead to new business creation among participants, if they joined
an Administration Programme for Business Creation, or if they would be capable of obtaining
financial support from funding institutions. To qualify for entry, applicants did not require a special
qualification, they just needed to have a business idea at feasibility or pre-feasibility stage. The

programme was designed for distance and virtual education, thus participants could be
employed, unemployed or continuing their education. The business planning trial was attended by
14 students. The total programme had a duration of about six months. From a methodological
point of view, the aim of UNED was to craft a business planning concept that could meet the
rigors of academia while keeping a reality-based focus and entrepreneurial climate in the learning
experience environment. The UNED test bed was operated in conjunction with the Italian e-
learning platform of UNINETTUNO, from which the Masterclass materials were delivered.
Accordingly, students from UNED (Spain) retrieved their Masterclass materials from Italy.
Simultaneously, this meant that the Masterclass was a test bed for international virtual student
mobility.
A dedicated group of professors had been selected to monitor the quality of the work of the
students and to offer support to the students. The role of the teacher was to act as consultant to
the student and to provide coordination on the parts of the business plan. In addition,
independent consultants’ support was available to the students to render professional advice.
With regard to students’ learning objectives, UNED distinguishes a compulsory part and a
facultative part. The compulsory part includes assessing the students on their entrepreneurship
competences by screening business ideas, selecting most viable ones, and designating students
to work on associated business planning. The facultative part consists of presenting the
developed business plans to funding institutions, as a viability test. On success, students could
initiate the start of their business.
4.2 Pilot Outcomes
The main aim of Phase I was to analyse the entrepreneurial capacity of the students and their
business ideas. Information gathered in this stage, included a range of self-ratings on personal
characteristics, on knowledge and skills, and on other aspects, which are described next. First of
all, students had to list five arguments/reasons that could explain why he or she would qualify as
self-starter or entrepreneur (Table 1). The student had 18 possible choices to pick from. Teachers
evaluated the coherence of the answers and classified the answers into categories. Most of the
students answered in a logical manner. The response rate was 57.14% per cent.
TABLE 1: (Self) Indicators for Entrepreneurship
Then, the students had to self-rate (scale 1 to 5) their personal characteristics (Table 2). The
students also had to choose 5 factors that would indicate the success and failure of a business
(Table 3). Following, the students would assign a percentage to that factor and evaluate their
personal position in relation to the factor. The evaluation ranking goes from 1 (very weak) to 4
(very strong). A score over 400 means that the student has a strong position whereas below 250
implies that the position of the student is weak.
Reason Number of students
Great capacity for work 5
Capacity to plan and organise 4
Capacity to take initiative 4
Capacity to get along with different personalities 3
Capacity to assume risks 3

TABLE 2: Self-rating of Personal Characteristics
Your situation
Physical and psychological characteristics 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 5 33
Your knowledge and aptitudes 5 3 3 3 5 4 4 4 31
Time availability 5 4 3 3 3 5 5 5 33
Strong motivation 5 5 5 3 4 4 5 5 36
Support and trust from your family 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 33
Our social environment 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 28
Total 29 25 22 20 25 22 25 26
TABLE 3: Factors influencing the Success of the Business
Success or failure factors Importance Evaluation Result
Knowledge of sector 8% 4 32
Location 10% 3 30
Financial resources 25% 3 75
…….
…….
Total 100% 250<Total<400
In order to analyse the business idea, the students had to present their business idea and give at
least three reasons that would support the idea. An example hereof is provided in Table 4.

TABLE 4: Supportive Reasons for Business Creation
Business Idea Reasons
Nursery School in Madrid
1. Demand in the area is saturated
2. Stable income and possibilities for growth
3. It is a need for couples when both are working
Rural Cottage in Asturias
1. Rural tourism is a sector that is growing in Spain
2. Supply is far from being saturated
3. The student is the owner of the house. That will
reduce the amount of the initial investment
In order to round up Phase I, the students had to describe the process of their business and the
financial resources required to actually start up the business. This gave the teacher and/or tutor a
good idea of the students’ knowledge along with the potential needs for the remainder of the
business planning pilot. At the end of Phase I, six of the students left the course i.e., did/could not
continue. Phase II was the actual business planning phase. The participants needed to prepare
their business plan of the selected project. It included work on different disciplines: marketing,
production, organisation and financials. Seven students went on to present their business plan.
Phase III was devoted to simulation and/or to the viability test. In this final Phase, participants
were provided with the opportunity to defend their business plan in front of a panel of academic
and professional experts. All the students succeeded in doing the feasibility study. Despite the
fact that simulation software was available, most students preferred to have their business plan
evaluated by teachers of the course. The reason hereof was that the simulation software was
regarded as too general and too much oriented towards traditional academic purposes. It did not
properly match the needs of a potential entrepreneur. Four students expressed their intention to
actually start their own business in the following months. Table 5 shows a summary of the
outcomes of the UNED course pilot.
TABLE 5: Outcomes of the UNED Pilot Model
Objectives Method Outcomes
Compulsory
Assess their entrepreneurial
competencies
Results of examination 57.14%
Screen business ideas and
select the most potentially viable
business project
To be able to develop a business
plan
Entrepreneurial Skills Results of examination and the
kind of methodology (business
plan)
50.00%

Additional
1
Proposals presented to funding
institutions
Number of students that have
presented a proposal to a
funding institution
0.00%-28.57%
Business creation Number of students that have
started a business
0.00%-28.57%
Entrepreneurial competences Number of students that have
had an accepted proposal from
a funding institution
0.00%-28,57%
Some students dropped out of the course mainly due to personal reasons, for example, because
they found a job. From the project’s point of view, there is no doubt that the CBVE consortium
together with UNED, did achieve the full objective of developing a virtual course with rich
materials. Students were even able to complement the Masterclass with other didactical
instruments, as UNED had prior experience with distance learning and with entrepreneurship
education. With respect to the objective of delivering a virtual course in entrepreneurship, this can
now be confirmed as being achieved fully, with such phases of motivation, assessment of
entrepreneurial competences, and start-up assistance, included. ‘Motivation’ particularly deals
with the screening of business ideas and the selection of the most viable business projects.
‘Assessment’ deals with entrepreneurial competences: assessing the entrepreneurial
competences of the students participating in the course and reflecting on their capabilities to
perform in an entrepreneurial context. ‘Start-up assistance’ deals with the assistance provided by
the ‘Administration Programme for New Entrepreneurs’, enabling funding for a new venture. It
proved that the best way to implement the UNED model was by having it coincide with the
Administration Programme, which provides for necessary funding of new entrepreneurs.
4.3 Track Two: Blended Delivery Model
The pilot with the Moodle platform at the University of Miskolc was organised in 3 phases,
aligning with the curriculum of the Faculty of Economics and adhering to specific needs of
Hungarian SMEs. In the academic year 2008/09, two parallel pilot courses were launched in
Semester 1.
- In the frame of the course ‘Business Planning’, a first pilot was conducted. The target
group comprised of full-time students in their 3rd year (5th semester) of the BA
programme at the Faculty of Economics. This first pilot model allowed for a gradual
introduction of the virtual environment, in a blended learning approach. The first period of
the course was delivered mainly in a traditional classroom situation, however ppt
presentations became available for learners to get them gradually involved in the virtual
collaborative space. By the end of the semester, groups of 3-4 students developed their
own business plans, which was the dedicated, core objective of the course. Creativity
and fresh ideas of the learners were presented in project reports (60-80 pages in pdf
files), highly illustrated and precisely detailed. The best of their presentations have been
recorded and edited as videolectures – very attractive and creative presentations
confirmed the improved skills of the learners. Some of the project reports and
presentations received prizes in the Scientific Student Competition and Conference.
- In the frame of the course ‘Business Economics’, a second pilot was conducted. The
target group comprised of a mixed group of 6 foreign students, studying at the University
of Miskolc through an Erasmus scholarship (1 Finish, 2 Polish, 2 Bulgarian, 1 Turkish),
1
Four students have expressed their intention to start a business in the following months.

and 7 Hungarian students. Pilot 2 had several differences as compared with Pilot 1 – in
this case an international group of Erasmus students took part in a course aimed at more
collaborative learning, modelling and development of the entrepreneurial skills, in
different situations and business games. During the course, students were very active, as
has also been video-recorded. Next to simulating a real business environment in an
international collaborative learning scenario, multicultural aspects of business life, were
also important in the course. At the end of the semester, foreign students organised an
international breakfast – inviting each other to taste ones traditional food and presenting
ones country, culture, values and traditions.
- In the spring semester of the academic year 2008/09, in frame of the course ‘Legal
aspects of SMEs in Hungary’, the third pilot was executed. The target group comprised of
full-time students in the 2nd semester of a MA programme, specialised in Entrepreneurial
Studies at the Faculty of Economics. This pilot again involved a large number of learners.
Its thematic content focused on a specific subject of SMEs – legal aspects and legal
environment. These subjects were highlighted in the presentations delivered by the
teacher and the students’ projects. Learning material included a large collection of
specific case studies. Further reading was offered to the students on the platform. The
final reports of the students were submitted electronically and were evaluated by the
teacher. Peer review and video-recorded presentations were similar to the methodology
used in pilot 1.
- The fourth pilot was performed in frame of the course ‘Development of Entrepreneurial
Skills Business Games’. The target group comprised of full-time and part time students in
their 4th semester of a BSc programme specialised in Entrepreneurial Studies, at the
Faculty of Economics. Pilot 4 aimed at extending the collaborative learning scenario.
Similar to Pilot 2, business games as simulation of real business environments, were
among the core activities. Besides presentations, case studies and further reading,
several video illustrations provided support to improve specific skills for entrepreneurship
e.g., conflict management, communication, protocol, and body-language. In addition,
tests were offered for self evaluation of the developed competences. In the course, part-
time i.e., correspondence learners, were also involved, forming a group of students with
very different backgrounds, experiences and motivation.
- A fifth pilot was conducted in frame of the course ‘Development of Entrepreneurial Skills
for adult learners starting a new business’. The target group comprised of adult learners
who participated in a project organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of
Borsod County (BOKIK). The project had the objective of stimulating regional
employability and competitiveness. The project offered a two-phase training programme
for adult learners, mainly for unemployed people or SMEs just starting their business. In
the first part, face-to-face lessons (classroom seminars) were delivered by the experts of
BOKIK. The venues of these trainings were located in the neighbouring small towns. In
the second phase, the University of Miskolc was commissioned to establish an electronic
learning environment for these learners, continuing their studies in a sophisticated
manner through more advanced delivery models, providing access to a wider variety of
information resources. Based on a mutually beneficial agreement, in frame of the 5th
pilot, the adult learners received access to the Hungarian Masterclass video lectures, as
well as to some selected business planning reports, developed in the earlier stages of the
project, by students. Staff training of BOKIK experts on how to use the electronic learning
environment and the learning materials, was organised (also) as an activity of the
University of Miskolc.
All the 5 pilot courses followed different approaches and had different methodological aims. The
pilots 1-4 were integrated into the mainstream curriculum of full-time and part time students. All
the programmes were delivered in a duration of 14 weeks. Evaluation and assessment of the
learners’ progress was carried out according to the regular assessment process, so results and

effectiveness of applying Masterclass methodology were measurable in comparison with the
traditional delivery method. Progress of students was continuously monitored and students
received support from course tutors. The final project reports (native Hungarian) were submitted
electronically in pdf – with the supplement of an English summary - and were presented to the
classmates. Peer review and evaluation had in some cases been extended to an institutional and
national student research competition, where (also) external evaluators assessed the students’
project (semester report) results.
4.4 Pilot Outcomes
The development of a wide range of versatile learning materials as well as the delivery of pilot
courses within the CBVE project at the University of Miskolc, have significantly contributed to the
extension of the education activities within the University of Miskolc, and have contributed to
stimulating the establishment of regional SMEs. For each specific pilot conducted, more detail is
presented next. Table 6 depicts characteristics of the pilots. Participants of the pilot courses –
both students and tutors – received certificates as a recognition of attendance.
TABLE 6: Outcomes of the Pilots delivered in Hungary
Phases
No. of learners
Learning
materials on
Moodle platform
No. Business
plans as
semester reports
Special
Pilot 1
104 on-campus
BA students
ppt in HU +
suppl. resources
41
14 papers on
Student Research
Competition
Pilot 2 6 foreign
(ERASMUS) +7
Hungarian BA
students
e-learning
material in EN +
suppl. resources
-
Country
presentation and
International
breakfast
Pilot 3
50 MA students
ppt in HU +
suppl. resources
15
Pilot 4 55 on-campus,
40 off-campus
BA students
Video lectures
and ppt files in
HU+ suppl. res.
10
Pilot 5
38 adult learners
Video lectures
and ppt files in
HU+ suppl. res.
-
off-line version
provided on DVD,
delivered in
cooperation with the
Chamber
Total of Pilot
1-5
300
Wide scale of
resources in HU
and EN
66
During the project, the pool of content elements, was continuously enriched. Some attractive
video films (video case studies, video illustrations and tests) produced in former national projects
were also re-used and re-edited for (additional) illustration of entrepreneurship. All video lectures
were recorded by different professors/ lecturers, demonstrating the high level of support and
commitment of the Faculty of Economics. Active involvement of the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry of the county Borsod, can be indicated as a valuable feature of the Miskolc CBVE
collaborative model. As part of this collaboration, the Secretary General of the Chamber gave a
presentation – also video-recorded – and adult learners from three neighbouring towns enrolled
to test the Hungarian Masterclass, coordinated by the Chamber. The Chamber also contributed to
dissemination activities e.g., newsletter and distribution of leaflets. Both regular student cohorts
and the adult learners were delivered the same courses from the same electronic environment:
the experience and interaction with these two learner groups was regarded as an unique learning
opportunity. Table 7 provides an overview of the teacher and student generated content.

TABLE 7: Teacher and Student Generated Content
Pilot
No.
File
format
Teacher generated content Learner generated content
slide page minutes pictures slide page minutes pictures
Pilot 1
ppt 335 719
doc /pdf 2373
Video 122
photo 30
Pilot 2
ppt 69 89
doc /pdf 38 3
Video 30 4
photo 66 50
Pilot 3
ppt 464 329
doc /pdf 156 543
Video 207
photo
Pilot 4
ppt 30 100
doc /pdf 163 296
Video 7 110
photo 19 19
Pilot 5
ppt 331
doc /pdf
Video 480
photo
Total of Pilot1-5 1229 357 517 115 1237 3215 443 69
The results from the University of Miskolc, illustrate the paradigm shift initiated by Web 2.0
technologies: shifting focus from education materials and technology towards user-student, and
beyond - towards (more) user-generated content. Thousands of pages and hundreds of slides
were produced through user-generated content. Also, video presentations and video illustrations
up to 8 hours in total, were developed by the learners in the different pilots. Overall, the students
worked on different projects and developed plans for creating their own business. The project
reports were published on the course site, through the Moodle platform. By the end of the
semester, all students presented their work in a seminar - and some of these presentations were
recorded on video as well. Presentations were documented by ppt files and video lectures - using
the same methodology as used in editing and publishing lectures of the academics. In addition to
the asynchronous e-learning scenario, a final seminar was organised between Miskolc and
Tallinn utilising Videoconferencing for direct communication, exchange of experiences and
evaluation of the pilots, at the end of the project. Not only the local project coordinators and
tutors, but also some students involved in Pilot courses joined the videoconference on 29
September, 2009. An edited version of the recorded video was published in a separate unit of the
“Staff-only” part of the CBVE Moodle portal.
5. COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DELIVERY MODELS
With literature being poor on evaluation of online delivery models concerning entrepreneurship
courses, a comparative evaluation is proposed on the piloted models using a SWOT analysis i.e.,

strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis. Such an analysis provides an additional
critical reflection on the results obtained, and on the improvements to be made for the future. The
recommendations found, are presented in the frame of the two models: the full online model first,
followed by the blended model.
As far as we can distinguish internal and external attributes for the workings of the different
models, we can pose that the full online model can be characterised by the following internal
attributes, helpful in achieving the objective: (1) keeping a reality-based focus and fostering an
entrepreneurial climate, (2) meeting the rigors of academia, (3) generating online educational
materials such as the Masterclass, hyperlinks and other files, (4) the feasibility of creating of a
complete online course in an e-learning platform, (5) having a tested methodology at hand from
distance education, which could be adapted, and (6) application of the know-how of the teachers
involved. However, signalled as internal attributes which were sensed to be harmful to the
objective: (1) course materials could be improved, (2) lack of strategic knowledge, (4) course
could be complemented with lectures by business owners and virtual internships, (5) the course
does not support the student to start a business, by lack of supporting financial programme, (6)
the lack of finances for advice of independent consultants, and (7) software available is too
general to meet students’ needs for simulating a business. We distinguish not only internal but
also external attributes. The online model is characterised by the following external attributes,
helpful in achieving the objective: (1) absence (in distance education) (in some countries, such as
Spain) of online courses offered by competitors, (2) the failure of traditional business education to
meet the goals of students in a flexible manner, and (3) entrepreneurship courses are more and
more in demand both in the United States and in Europe. However, signalled as external
attributes, which were sensed to be harmful to the objective: (1) competitors programmes and
courses with sustainable financial backing, (2) the increase of entrepreneurship courses within
the curricula of official studies, and (3) new approaches to entrepreneurship education which may
shift into maturity stage.
models, we can pose that the blended model can be characterised by the following internal
attributes, helpful in achieving the objective: (1) flexibility and reusability of content elements, (2)
versatility of courses, fitting to different learning needs, (3) blended methodology for improving
efficiency of education, (4) involvement of regional stakeholders and strategic partners such as
chambers of commerce and industry, (5) mixing of individual and collaborative learning scenarios,
and (6) the presence of know-how by the teachers involved. However, signalled as internal
attributes, which were sensed to be harmful to the objective: (1) students’ needs increase more
faster than the pedagogical approaches of teachers, (2) lack of experiences and human
resources, several features and functions offered by the virtual learning environment have not
been implemented, (3) due to the economic crisis, starting a new business has become more
risky – changes in the economic and legislative environment would need attention, (4) advisory
support should be offered for a longer period, and (5) the need for dedicated simulation software.
models, we can pose that the blended model is (also) characterised by the following external
attributes, helpful in achieving the objective: (1) urgent needs for training SMEs – economic
restructuring in regions is critical, (2) visibility of the results of regional collaboration, (3) exchange
of experiences in international collaboration - improved creditability, and (4) a multilingual
environment: improving language skills of learners. However, signalled as external attributes,
which were sensed to be harmful to the objective: (1) learners cannot finance the studies
themselves – other training programmes gain governmental financial support and offer more
recognition, (2) lack of support for marketing, (3) competitor programmes and courses with more
stable financial background and human resources, and finally (4) new demands for tools in e-
learning such as mobile learning, may increase the cost of delivery.
6. FINAL REFLECTION AND CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation of Masterclass got high scores and the supportive role of the teacher was praised.
However, from the viewpoint of blended delivery, the Masterclass should best link to more

practical (project) work. When referring in particular to adults students, too much theoretical
concepts could become annoying. Adult students have a lot of prior knowledge: they are not
students in the regular meaning. For this particular group, it makes pedagogically sense to link
theoretical concepts directly to project work, herewith allowing them to adopt a practical approach
to develop entrepreneurial skills. It should be noted though that both models i.e., distance and
blended, have been designed with the notion of serving two different target groups i.e., different
institutions, environments and recipients i.e., off-campus and on-campus. The blended model
was above all, aimed at traditional universities in which courses constitute face to face
interactions and students cooperate in a classroom environment. As far as the distance model
was concerned, it was prepared specifically for online teaching, as distance students do not have
possibility to take part in face to face meetings. For the CBVE project as a whole, the Masterclass
has been one of the main drivers of success: initially being developed for off-campus usage, it
also proved effective when infused in, and adopted for, the blended learning environment. The
Masterclass proved quite versatile in its application.
We may acknowledge that the Masterclass constitutes quite well the nucleus of an autonomous-
learning course, for both on-campus and off-campus usage: with the power of adding and
enriching additional materials and project work for more in-depth study of subjects. As for
extension and exploitation, the step ahead can be the widening and strengthening the European
and international dimension of course delivery, offering joint delivery for mixed group of learners,
in an international collaborative context. The strength of the Masterclass really lies in its
versatility: flexible extension in terms of specialised content, as well flexible extension in terms of
student assessment methodologies. Accordingly, it is important to continue the process of
enriching the Masterclass over time. This is not to say that only new content elements should be
added in a repository for blended learning, or that complete video lectures should be generated
for online learning, no we must also pay attention to methodologies which can effectively assess
the robustness of the created business themselves. Our final thought is on exactly this. In our
experience, simulation software did not fit the purpose.
It appeared more effective to use scenario-driven methodologies, generating alternative
scenarios for the assessment of a firm: best -, normal - and worse case scenarios. In this
approach, each sector allows the use existing formulas to determine the degree success or
failure, by using indicators such as ‘population living in the area’, ‘investments’, and other
indicators. Using alternative methodologies, such as scenarios, may effectively help us better
understand the uncertain future(s) of created business. The principal advantage of using
scenarios instead of simulation software or business games is that this method allows the
inclusion of factors that are difficult to formalise, such as novel insights about the future, deep
shifts in values, unprecedented regulations or inventions; and because the causal relationship
between factors can be demonstrated.
The research work discussed in this paper, has been granted to proceed with new financial
support of the European Commission by approval of the Erasmus project ‘Cross Border Virtual
Incubator’, which started in 2011 and will run until 2012 (http://www.eadtu.eu/cbvi.html). It will
focus on the power of open and networked media to empower starters in their endeavour.
7. REFERENCES
[1] Audretsch, D.B. (2006). Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Growth. Edward
Elgar Publishing.
[2] Brown, C.R. (2007). Economic Theories of the Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review of
the Literature. School of management, Cranfield University.
[3] Bygrave, W.D. and C. Hofer (1991). Theorizing about entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 16 (2): 13.

[4] Cornelius, B., Landstöm, H., and O. Persson (2006). Entrepreneurial studies: The
dynamic research front of a developing social science. Entrepreneurship Theory and
Practice, 30 (3): 375.
[5] Garito, M.A. (2007). La formazione in TV, in: I Quaderni di Telema – Editrice Millenium
Srl, febbraio 2007, pp. 14-17.
[6] Garito, M.A., Anceschi, G., and M. Botta (2006). L'ambiente dell'apprendimento - Web
design e processi cognitivi. Mc Graw-Hill, 2006.
[7] Garito, M.A. (2001). The University for the New Market of Knowledge, in: Special Issue
no. 1 in World Futures, The Journal of General Evolution, Volume 57, n. 6, Editor Ervin
Laszlo, December 2001.
[8] Garito, M.A. (2000a). Globalizzazione e Innovazione: le nuove Opportunità di Istruzione e
Formazione, in: Viaggio tra i Perché della Disoccupazione in Italia, Giuffré Editore –
Milano 2000 pp. 177-196.
[9] Garito, M.A. (2000b). Il progetto Hermes-Giotto.
[10] Garito, M.A. (2000c). Il ruolo dei mediatori di campo nell’insegnamento a distanza.
Progetto Echange - Fase I.
[11] Garito, M.A. (2000d). L’Apprendimento Collaborativo in rete nell’esperienza del
NETTUNO - Network Teledidattico per l’Università Ovunque. Progetto Echange Fase II.
[12] Garito, M.A. (1998). Il Network per l’Università Ovunque NETTUNO. Per un nuovo
modello di formazione aperto e integrato, in : Conferenza Nazionale sulla Formazione nel
Settore Pubblico, Documentazione 1, Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri Dipartimento
della Funzione Pubblica, Roma, 25-26-27 febbraio 1998, pp. 277-293.
[13] Garito, M.A. (1997a). Dalla televisione alla multimedialità in rete: verso un processo di
insegnamento-apprendimento a distanza integrato e aperto, F. Angeli, pp. 17-47.
[14] Garito, M.A. (1997b), Guidelines for designing the Teaching/Learning Activities in Virtual
Interactive Classrooms, in: BIC – Blueprint for Interactive Classrooms - BIC Project.
[15] Garito, M.A. (1996). (a cura di) La multimedialità nell’insegnamento a distanza.
Garamond, Roma.
[16] Gartner, W. (1990). What are we talking about when we talk about entrepreneurship?
Journal of Business Venturing, 5: 15.
[17] Gartner, W. (1988). Who is the entrepreneur? is the wrong question. American Journal of
Small Business, 12: 11.
[18] Gibb, A. (2005). The future of entrepreneurship education – determining the basis for
coherent policy and practice? In: The Dynamics of Learning Entrepreneurship in a Cross-
Cultural University Context. Ed. P. Kyrö and C. Carrier. University of Tampere: Research
Centre for Vocational and Professional Education.
[19] Hebert, R.F. and A.N. Link (1988) The Entrepreneur: Mainstream Views and Radical
Critiques. 2nd ed. New York: Praeger.

[20] Henri, R. and C.R. Rigault (1996). Spazio Virtuale pedagogico e analisi della
comunicazione via teleconferenza, in: M.A. Garito 1996 (a cura di) La multimedialità
nell’insegnamento a distanza, Garamond, Roma.
[21] Horowitz R. and S.J. Samuels (1987). Comprehending oral and written language. San
Diego, CA: Academic Press.
[22] Kass, A. (1996). Simulazione integrata, presentazione di casi e tutoring socratico:
un’architettura per evitare il fallimento dell’apprendimento in settori complessi
teoricamente deboli, in: M.A. Garito 1996 (a cura di) La multimedialità nell’insegnamento
a distanza, Garamond, Roma.
[23] OECD/Eurostat (2008). Measuring Entrepreneurship. A digest of indicators. OECD-
Eurostat Entrepreneurship Indicators Program. OECD Statistics Directorate. OECD 2008.
[24] Pinchot, G. (1985). Intrapreneuring. New York: Harper and Row.
[25] Shane, S. and S. Venkataraman (2000). The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of
research. Academy of Management. The Academy of Management Review, 25 (1): 217.
[26] Venkataraman, S. (1997). The distinctive domain of entrepreneurship. In: Advances in
Entrepreneurship: Firm Emergence and Growth, edited by Jerome A. Katz, 119-38.

Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship: Design of Flexible Entrepreneurship Courses for Versatile Student Delivery

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked (18)

Similar to Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship: Design of Flexible Entrepreneurship Courses for Versatile Student Delivery (20)

More from Waqas Tariq (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Cross Border Virtual Entrepreneurship: Design of Flexible Entrepreneurship Courses for Versatile Student Delivery