Entrepreneurship and ICT-Education as Means rather than Ends – Case BusinessAcademy Finland

The aim of this article is to present a novel new innovative learning environment: Salo BusinessAcademy (BA) is based on student-owned cooperatives where from the 2nd year most learning takes place. BA is an extension of the innovation pedagogy approach visible in Turku University of Applied Sciences, where active learning standards in the form of problem-based learning, real-life projects and the changing role of the teacher meet in an inspiring learning environment without time and space limitations. In this article we also present the key challenges and possibilities of this environment for students and teachers and illustrate key activities related to this kind of learning. From the CDIO perspective, the article and the BA concept are strongly related to standards 3, 7 and 8; Integrated Curriculum, Integrated Learning Experiences and Active Learning, respectively. The idea how to learn has drastically changed in recent years, especially in the field of entrepreneurship. Central idea of this is that learning happens through entrepreneurship - meaning as acting as an entrepreneur during studies. After the first year studies SBA gives a path to become an entrepreneur and act in a real co-operative company the last 2.5 years of studies. SBA combines studying and working in its best sense; student entrepreneurs’ and local SMES open´ learn to know each other in a very early stage and can cooperate in real working life projects. Graduation time is less than three years while in the traditional degree programs in Finland it is 4.1 years. The number of local companies that have acted as project partners is more than 400. Employment rate after PE and SBA is nearly 95 % - compared to traditional degree programs of 60 %.One recent addition to the curricula portfolio is educating adults who have a) lower level degree or b) have started but not finished their bachelor degrees. Nokia was by far the biggest employer in Salo-region but has gradually downsized its operations, resulting in mass unemployment.

Proceedings of the 9th International CDIO Conference, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 9 – 13, 2013.