Comparing Entrepreneurial Mindset Among Graduating Senior Students in Mechanical Engineering Through Course Selection/Training Strategy and Question Formulation Technique

Engineering institutions are developing the need to invest in inculcating an innovative thinking mindset in students pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering to create a holistic student development process which not only includes imparting subject knowledge but also helping the students to think in terms of having an Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM).This article discusses the challenges that mechanical engineering students have when it comes to entrepreneurship and engineering management, as well as the solutions that may be implemented by providing them with real-time seminars and exercises designed to enhance their entrepreneurial mindset.The main theme of this study is to transform the way mechanical engineering students are educated by infusing an entrepreneurial mindset into their academic experience through facilitating their growth into innovative thinkers and doers who can take opportunities, make connections, and produce value in environments that are fraught with high levels of uncertainty and complexity.Comparing and contrasting the effects of the EM process, with graduating senior mechanical engineering students who were not otherwise influenced by the EM process is required to understand its significance.Towards this, a detailed survey was undertaken with senior students; one set of surveys with students enrolled in the ME lab course who were exposed and trained in the EM ideas, and another with the senior capstone design students some of whom were concurrently enrolled in the ME lab course, and others who weren't.The questionnaires filled out by the ME lab course students were done twice; once before the principles of innovative thinking and problem solving was introduced to the students and once after the students were introduced to these principles and were tasked with its application on various activity-based class projects.The lone survey for the capstone-design students were done towards the end of the semester.It was observed that there was considerable improvement in the Cronbach's alpha number (a measure of consistency) in the second survey that was done at the end of the semester by which time the students were effectively well versed with the EM mindset and were able to successfully implement it.However, for the capstone course it was observed that the Cronbach's alpha number were similar due to the timing of the survey and prior introduction of some students to the EM mindset.