THP315 Introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship in Sport Sciences (Autumn 2023)

Introduction

In today’s dynamic job market, possessing skills in innovation and entrepreneurship has become increasingly crucial. According to the World Economic Forum, employers seek candidates with critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and self-management skills such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility. Furthermore, future-oriented businesses that are willing to experiment with new ideas and take risks are more likely to succeed, as noted by Abelia. This course in innovation and entrepreneurship will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to apply these principles in your future work environment, by providing an understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of sport sciences.

Students will learn about central theoretical frameworks and concepts, such as design thinking, lean start-up, and business model canvas. They will gain an understanding of how to identify real problems in the society and come up with ideas to potentially solve these problems and validate their value creation potential in contact with real stakeholders. Furthermore, students will learn teamwork and how to communicate their ideas and solutions.

The ultimate goal of this course is to help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, by enabling them to recognize opportunity, take initiative, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in various settings, whether as an entrepreneur, or an intrapreneur.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly within the context of sport sciences.

• analyze real-world problems and identify opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship

• apply theoretical frameworks such as design thinking, lean start-up, and business model canvas to develop solutions to real-world problems

• conduct market research and feasibility studies to evaluate the viability of new business ideas.

• present ideas and solutions effectively in both written and oral formats, demonstrating a clear and persuasive communication skills.

• demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, sustainable and social implications of entrepreneurship, particularly in the context of sport sciences.

Learning methods and activities

The pedagogy of the course is built on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and adopts an interactive and student-centered learning approach to create an engaging learning experience. This approach encourages students to think critically and reflectively and helps them develop skills that will be valuable in their future careers.

The students will work in groups where they will work on identifying a problem and a need of their own choosing, conduct market research by talking to relevant stakeholders, develop a paper prototype for their solution to the problem and pitch the solution to a jury and their peers.

The course consists of five modules. The study of entrepreneurship requires an interactive learning approach, and these competencies cannot be acquired solely from reading the syllabus and/or taking the exam. It is essential that students actively contribute and participate in class discussions and exercises and support the learning processes.

Work requirements

• Participation in modules and presentations are compulsory.

• The teaching sessions in the course are mandatory, and there is a minimum attendance requirement of 70 percent.

The assignments must be approved before the final assessment.

Assessment/exam

• Written group assignment. Grading A-F (70 %).

• Presentation of group assignment. Grading A-F (30 %).

Core literature

As we are in a transition phase between two systems, we refer to the Study Handbook 2023-2024 for literature for courses in the 2023-2024 academic year:https://www.nih.no/studier/program-og-emneplan-arkiv/2023-2024/