As academics and educators, we may already know that using active learning approaches improves student engagement in the learning process and its outcomes. This is particularly true in an action-oriented discipline such as entrepreneurship. But we have rarely paused to ask: what theories underpin these active methods, and how can we more effectively measure their outcomes in terms of developing entrepreneurial skills?
Basel Hammoda's recently defended PhD thesis under the supervision of Prof. Susanne Durst, entitled: "Active Learning Methods in Entrepreneurship Education: A Competency-Based Approach to Investigate Their Theoretical Foundations and Effectiveness", provides some answers by examining different groups of active methods in entrepreneurship education: curricular, extracurricular and technology-based. He investigated and discussed the theoretical orientation of the active methods used by entrepreneurship educators and ecosystem agents in the different settings, while exploring the range of entrepreneurial competences they help to develop. His work provides clearer guidance for entrepreneurship researchers and educators to better investigate and integrate active learning methods into their academic work in a more insightful way.
Basel takes a competency-based approach to his research, viewing entrepreneurship education as a platform for developing a wide range of skills in learners. In this way, future generations can be equipped with a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that can help them to broaden their career options beyond business creation and become more adaptable and resilient to modern market dynamics.
Basel is a lecturer in the Entrepreneurship Research Group at the School of Business and Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. Originally from Egypt, he moved to Tallinn in 2021 to pursue his PhD. He fell in love with the beautiful nature of Estonia and was drawn to the vibrant startup ecosystem and supportive research environment at TalTech. He managed to publish a book on contemporary entrepreneurship with Routledge and over 20 publications during his 3.5 years at TalTech, six of which are featured in his thesis:
1. Hammoda, B. (2023). Extracurricular activities for entrepreneurial learning: A typology based on learning theories. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. https://doi.org/10.1177/25151274231218212
2. Hammoda, B. (2024). The impact of educational technologies on entrepreneurial competencies: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2024.16.015
3. Hammoda, B. & Winkler, C. (2024). Active methods in entrepreneurship education: A case study with engineering students. European Journal of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2024.2384893
4. Hammoda, B., & Foli., S. (2024). A digital competence framework for learners (DCFL): A conceptual framework for digital literacy. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2024.16.022
5. Hammoda, B. (2024). ChatGPT for founding teams: An entrepreneurial pedagogical innovation. International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE), 7(1), 154-173. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.530
6. Hammoda, B. (2024). Academic Startup Clinic: Applying effectuation and experiential principles to educate and support academic entrepreneurs. In Hepworth-Sawyer, R.; Marrington, M., Hall, J. & Beaumont, E. (Eds.), Contemporary Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in Context. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003324737-6 (Forthcoming).