Abstract:

“Entrepreneurial Skills” is an undergraduate module, usually taken by between 200-270 first and second year students from across the University. A key challenge with this module, has been offering students opportunities for personalised learning and formative feedback on their entrepreneurial ideas.

Previously, the only opportunity for formative feedback was early in the module, when students submitted details of their entrepreneurial idea and received brief feedback on this. To improve the student experience and feedback available in this module, two AI tools are being used for the first time, both developed by a new start-up called Real Talk Studios.

Students will still get the opportunity to get feedback on their entrepreneurial idea from the module coordinator in the first few weeks of the module, but then at the mid-way point they will engage with the first AI tool. This tool will ask students to present their idea and various aspects of the market and industry they want to enter, with an emphasis on students demonstrating how their idea is innovative and creates value for the customer. Whilst presenting, text-based questions will pop up for the student to consider. At the end of the presentation, students will get a score and instant feedback on their communication skills and how effectively they explained and justified their ideas. Students will then be given other opportunities to take this feedback on board and improve their score.

The second tool will be used towards the end of the unit; this will be an AI Video Avatar. The video avatar is a life-like AI person, and the experience would be similar to engaging in an online meeting. The avatar will be from a fictitious accelerator programme, and students will pitch their proposed new venture to try and gain a place. During the pitch, the AI Avatar will ask questions and challenge the students’ ideas. After the pitch and conversation with the AI Avatar, students will immediately get a score, feedback and an indication of whether they would be accepted on the accelerator. Again, students will be able to undertake the exercise several times, trying to improve their score and get a place on the accelerator.

Students will be required to reflect on the use of the two AI tools in their summative assessment. They will reflect on how they impacted their entrepreneurial ideas and approach to developing a business proposal.

The conference poster will demonstrate how both tools have been incorporated into the module and evaluate the impact they have had on student learning and the development of their entrepreneurial ideas. This will be demonstrated through presenting usage and other data obtained via the two AI tools, student evaluations from post-use surveys as well as reflections from the module coordinator.

The overall aim of the poster will be to enable delegates to see whether AI tools of this nature can provide both personalised learning and authentic and effective forms of formative feedback to large cohorts of students.

Keywords:

AI, formative feedback, personalised learning, entrepreneurship education.