Problem-based learning approach in sustainable entrepreneurship for economic development programme

Abstract

The course Sustainable Entrepreneurship for Economic Development (SEED) is an educational programme aimed at providing the society with decision makers, who can better understand the globalized world and have a personal mission to engage with existing challenges. Throughout the programme, students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to address sustainability challenges in the business world. Problem-based learning (PBL) was developed in the 1960s and 1970s at the medical school of McMaster University in Canada and has been applied in a variety of field of studies and in different education levels (Barrows, 2000; Barrows and Kelson, 1995; Barrows and Tamblyn, 1980; Gallagher et al., 1992; Hmelo et al., 2000; Torp and Sage, 2002; Williams, 1992). PBL has been used in the SEED programme to teach students how to identify and address sustainability challenges in business. The SEED approach involves social mapping, identify sustainability challenges in the selected region; formulating and presenting students with these challenges; assigning each group of students a specific challenge to work on; providing the students with guidance through facilitator and resources to help them developing sustainable solution(s) to the challenge; facilitating group discussions and presentations to share their approaches, findings and ideas for solutions.