A didactical approach to curricular and extracurricular entrepreneurial learning

Questions we care about
The new focus on extracurricular activities, here the university incubator environment, accentuates a need to understand what we offer students in the two different learning environments situated in the same institution. Current research points toward breaking down the invisible barriers and silo thinking. A particular area where the silo thinking is very much present is regarding the role of entrepreneurial learning. Contrary to the classroom-related entrepreneurship education discussions about the pedagogical antecedents this seems missing in the literature on extracurricular activities.
Approach This study is based on a conceptual approach and discusses where entrepreneurial learning takes place and how extracurricular learning could be included in the traditional understanding of how and where learning happens. We apply the didactic triangle as a theoretical and conceptual frame to make comparisons of structurally based conditions for curricular and extracurricular entrepreneurship education.
Results The study confronts the notions of what is inside and outside and what is defined as goals and activities in the two different learning environments. From the didactical triangle and the comparative analysis, we present a framework that can be used for combinations of the two different didactical designs. The analysis constructs a new double-sided arrow that connects the entrepreneurship education subject with the aims of the incubator. Such a relationship would help bridging the ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ in the two different spaces, and thereby conjoining educators and consultants in possible discussions on how they work with the students. The suggested bridge frames a wider ‘why’ and add a more holistic and cohesive view of the two different types of activities. Implications Our study contributes to the literature on how to bridge the blurred lines between curricular and extracurricular activities and breaking down the silos. The purpose is not to merge them but to have the different stakeholders learn from each other. From a societal perspective, enhancing the learning perspectives and how and where students learn contributes to students’ opportunities to benefit from the different learning approaches in the two environments. Value/Originality
The didactical analysis and the discussion end with a proposal for how to, if not break down the silos, then develop a framework that can be used for combinations of the two different didactical designs. This can act as an inspiration for entrepreneurship educators and practitioners who wish to provide more suitable and sustainable structures and develop a holistic learning environment. The framework can further act as a foundation for more research on the topic.