REAL RIS Course
Boosting Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills of University Students
Let's bridge the gap in entrepreneurial and innovation-related skills of students
Let's go!
Course Introduction
This course is part of the project, which aims to empower university staff to integrate innovation and entrepreneurial thinking into their teaching and research practices. Designed for educators, lecturers, heads of departments, career services, R&D staff, innovation centre leaders, and university administrators, the course supports the development of institutional environments that foster student entrepreneurship. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify the key skills and knowledge needed for future young entrepreneurs and innovators, understand how to build educational frameworks that support these competencies, and design activities that cultivate entrepreneurial and innovation skills in students. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility.
REAL RIS
RESILIENT EDUCATED AGILE LEADING
REGIONAL INNOVATION SHEME
Course Introduction
Organisations behind the REAL RIS project and this course
REGEA is founded by four regional governments in Croatia, under the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme. Its objectives are to promote, encourage and support the regional sustainable development in the fields of energy, mobility, climate and environmental protection. The Agency participates in numerous projects, while also contributing to sustainable development of its founders.
ODRAZ is an independent NGO in Croatia that brings together professionals from various fields to design and apply sustainable development concepts for the benefit of local communities. Its areas of expertise include implementing non-formal education programs that support sustainable development, organizing thematic workshops, providing consultations, and facilitating expert discussions.
Founded in 2019 as an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Urban Mobility is committed to accelerating the transition to sustainable mobility.
The organisation accelerates the sustainable urban mobility transition by providing established businesses, startups, universities, research institutes and the public sector with access to markets, talent, funding and knowledge. REAL RIS project is funded by EIT Urban Mobility.
Start Course
Course Introduction
Before we start...
You can also expect to find different interactive boxes, circles, eyes, and similar shapes. Clicking on these or hovering over them will reveal additional information. Make sure not to skip these buttons because they are an important part of lessons!
we want to introduce you to some interactive elements you will use on this journey! At the top left of your screen, you can find three buttons:The home button takes you to Course Structure. The back arrow takes you to the page you were previously on.The forward arrow takes you to the next page.
Let's go!
Initial self-assesment
Begin by understanding your current level of knowledge.
Question 1/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 2/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 3/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 4/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 5/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 6/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 7/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 8/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 9/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 10/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 11/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 12/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 13/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 14/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Initial assessment finished!
Let’s start the course and see if we can improve your knowledge on the topic! First, we will go through what matters most in building entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of students.
COURSE STRUCTURE
WHAT MATTERS MOST?
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND ENCOURAGE SOFT SKILLS?
LEARN TO TEACH
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
FEEDBACK SURVEY
LEARN MORE!
What matters most?
Soft skills...
...are crucial for personal development, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships, which are fundamental in entrepreneurship. If we can teach our students how to develop them, we can give them the advantage they need to succeed. It’s the skills we possess that set us apart.
Which skills are valuable to future entrepreneurs and innovators?
Soft Skills
Why These Skills Matter
Practical Skills
SOFT SKILLS
Speaking and Presentation Skills
Teamwork Skills
Conversational Skills
Leadership Skills
Stress Resilience
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Time Management
Adaptability and Flexibility
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Collaboration and Teamwork
Leadership and Decision Making
Why These Skills Matter?
Real-World Relevance!
Soft and practical skills are directly transferable to the workplace, whether someone is starting their own business or working in an established company.
Here are some more reasons why!
Let's play a quick game!
Sort the skills into the correct columns and check if you got them right. After the game, watch a video offering a different perspective on soft skills.
Identify Soft Skills
SOFT SKILLS
HARD SKILS
7. Teamwork Skills
4.Presentation Skills
1. Speaking Skills
5. Leadership Skills
8. Stress Resilience
2. Conversational Skills
6. Project management
9. Proofreading
3. Content development
SOLUTION
Watch the video to see a different perspective on soft skills!
Building the Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Innovativeness
Foundational skills focus on a student’s ability to generate new ideas, think critically, and adapt to different situations.
How to identify foundational skills?
Foundational skills are not linked to technical or academic knowledge, but to the way a person relates to others, communicates, and manages various situations in both personal and professional contexts.
Communication
Problem Solving
Creativity
Diving Into Four Crucial Skills
In the next few slides, we’ll guide you through the learning process revolving around foundational skills and share strategies to help you strengthen them while teaching.
Creativity
Communication
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Communication
Communication is necessary for conveying ideas, pitching to investors, and leading teams. It enhances networking, collaboration, and clear expression of thoughts. You can spot that communication skills are missing by paying attention signs such as frequent misunderstandings, inability to express ideas clearly, and poor team dynamics that limit leadership and collaboration.
Communication
How to Teach Communication
You can use:
- role-playing
- oral presentations
- group discussions
- storytelling
That way you train active listening, structured presentation, peer-feedback, and adaptive communication.
Methods
You can use:
- Debates
- Peer feedback
- PITCH sessions
- Presentations
Communication
Let's see if you are a good communicator!
Check your own ability to express ideas clearly and listen actively.
Communication: Conflict Resolution
Communication: Conflict Resolution
Creativity
Communication
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Creativity
Creativity enables students to come up with novel ideas and innovative solutions to complex problems.
It gives them a competitive advantage in entrepreneurship, essential for innovation and staying ahead.
Creativity
If the skill is missing there might be some signs you could spot, such as lack of originality, rigid thinking, and failure to innovate leads to stagnation and inability to compete.
Creativity
Methods
You can use:
- Brainstorming
- Case Studies
- Design Thinking
- Mind mapping
- SCAMPER
- Scenario Analysis
How to Boost Creativity
You can use:
- open-ended tasks
- divergent thinking exercises
- challenge-based projects
- design thinking
- encourage open thinking, brainstorming, experimentation, and problem framing.
Exercise: Creativity
Let's work on your creativity. Sort out the pieces to assemble a cat!
THE CAT
Arrange the pieces to build this figure
Let's go!
00:15:00
THE CAT
Finished?
Creativity
Communication
👍
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Problem Solving
It teaches students to analyze and evaluate challenges to find innovative solutions. Helps in navigating uncertainty and solving real-world entrepreneurial challenges.
Core to decision-making, analytical thinking, and navigating uncertain situations.
Problem Solving
If the skill is missing, there might be some signs you could spot, such as difficulty overcoming obstacles, poor decision-making, and dependency on others leads to business and career risk.
Problem Solving
How to Improve Problem Solving
Methods
You can use:
- Case Studies
- Gap Analysis
- PEST
- Root Cause Analysis
- SWOT
You can use:
- complex scenarios
- real-life cases
- group analysis
Encourage multiple solution paths, analytical tools, and structured thinking.
Problem solving exercise: ORGANISE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVLY
Let's work on your problem solving! We will now practice how to organize and plan your time efficiently.
Organize the tasks
Creativity
Communication
👍
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
👍
Menu
Tell us about the skills of your students!
We are trying to understand the needs of the future generations. Therefore, please share your insights on the current level of soft skills among your students.
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
Tools and Methods You Could Use
You’ve built a strong foundation in soft skills — next, we’ll explore proven tools and methods to help you bring them to life with your students in the classroom.
Although there are many teaching tools and methods that you can use to increase the entrepreneural and innovation capacity of your students, we will introduce you to the ones most commonly used in boosting communication, creativity and problem solving. You can easily integrate them in your teaching process.
Brainstorming
Design Thinking
Mind Mapping
CREATIVITY
SCAMPER
Scenario Analysis
Case Studies
Debates
Peer feedback
Pitch sessions Presentations
Gap Analysis
PESTEL
COMMUNICATION
PROBLEM SOLVING
Root Cause Analysis
SWOT
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Case Studies
A powerful way to learn decision-making and analysis
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Design Thinking
A method that helps us solve problems creatively with a strong focus on the user's experience
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Gap Analysis
Helps us understand what needs to change to reach a goal
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Mind Mapping
Organize ideas and explore a topic visually
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
PESTEL
Analyze macro factors affecting a business and apply it to markets or ideas.
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Root Cause Analysis
A powerful way to learn decision-making and analysis
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
SCAMPER
Structured creative thinking using Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse.
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Scenario Analysis
Students create and plan for best, worst, and likely future situations of a given challenge.
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
SWOT Analysis
Helps us understand both what we’re doing well and what external factors might affect our success.
Digital tools that could help you with teaching
You can make these activities even more enjoyable and visually engaging by using a range of tools. In addition to the well-known ones, you might also try:
Mural
Canva
Padlet
Miro
How we teach our students is what makes them who they are. This video ends the chapter dedicated to teaching soft skills in the classroom. Take a break and enjoy the video!
You're almost there!
Do you feel confident when it comes to building and nurturing soft skills of your students? Here are some questions that could help you think about your own strenghts as a teacher...
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
Competency Assessment
We’ve come to the end of the course! If you need to review any lessons, hit the home button and go through them again. You can always return to this slide, but once you start the test you'll have to complete it.
Question 1/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 2/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 3/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 4/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 5/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 6/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 7/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 8/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 9/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 10/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 11/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 12/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 13/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 14/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Assessment finished!
You will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility via your email address.
Certificate
Boosting Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills of University Students
Certificate of completion
Congratulations!
You will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility via your email address.
EIT Urban Mobility
the Consortium partners
Feedback Survey
Thank you for choosing to complete this course and for being a facilitator of innovation and entrepreneurship among your students. Please share your opinion on this course.
Something to Take Home
On the link button right below you can download:
- resources used in this course, which can help you improve your teaching
- a document covering the methods encompassed by this course.
Course completed!
4.
Point person:
- Who could make changes in this area?
- Could it be the PE teacher, the school principal, student representatives, or even a health education team?
- How can they involve others (parents, local community, student clubs) to create a more active school culture?
Finally let them present their findings and share their thoughts.
Let’s imagine a key uncertainty. For this exercise, our topic is: The future of education in the age of artificial intelligence.
First, choose a real-world problem you might see in your class — for example:
- How can we help students manage stress during exams?
- How can we make a classroom that is less noisy?
- How can we make backpacks lighter?
Split your class students into teams and give them their problem each. Show your students steps to make it easier for them to come up with a creative solution for a given problem.
Helps students stay organized, meet deadlines, and balance work and life commitments.
SIGNIFICANCE
Entrepreneurs juggle multiple responsibilities and need to prioritize tasks effectively.
IMPACT
Students who are good communicators exhibit the following attributes:
- listen actively and attentively to others
- adapt their communication style to the audience and context
- ask clarifying questions and paraphrase for understanding
- give and receive feedback constructively
- collaborate and participate in group discussions effectively.
- understand and respect cultural differences in communication.
5. Environmental Are there any environmental policies that you should consider? 6. Law Is there any law or regulation you need to consider?
After that, tell them to sketch a version of their improved backpack and give it a name.
You can make the questions specific or leave them basic for example:
- What could we SUBSTITUTE in a backpack?
Give them a task to make up an idea for an app that students could use in resolving current issues (mental health, sex ed, economy..). Let’s say you want to launch a app here in Croatia, and as a group, explore.
1.
Draw lines out from the center like branches on a tree. On each line, write one key subtopic related to the main idea. For example: Energy, Waste, Transport, Education. From each subtopic, draw smaller lines outward. Add details, examples, possible actions, causes, or questions. For example, under “Waste,” students might add: recycling bins, food waste, paper use, plastic ban.
Explanations
Hard skills are Content Development, Project Management and Proofreading. Soft skills are:
Speaking and Presentation Skills: The ability to clearly and confidently convey ideas, whether in public speaking or informal settings. Teamwork Skills: The ability to collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. Conversational Skills: The ability to engage in meaningful and effective dialogue, including listening actively, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing ideas clearly.
Leadership Skills: The ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others to achieve goals. Stress Resilience: The ability to stay calm, focused, and productive under pressure.
1.
Some steps are:
1. Empathize: Start by thinking about the users of the case you are studying.
- What are they feeling?
- What challenges do they face?
You can quickly interview someone nearby or reflect based on your own experience.
Split students into teams and guide them through the main steps. Make them create three possible future scenarios:
- One optimistic
- One realistic
- One pessimistic
Give them time to brainstorm and write a short summary of each future.
First, choose a real-world problem you might see in your class — for example:
- Why do students feel anxious when presenting in front of the class?
- Why do students avoid asking for help when they don’t understand something?
- Why is class participation low in the first hour of the day?
3.
Opportunities
- What trends, needs, or changes could we take advantage of?
(growing interest in eco-friendly products, partnerships with influencers or other businesses)Threats
- What outside challenges or competitors could hurt us?
(changing regulations, negative media attention)
4.
Afterward, bring everyone back together and let the teams present their SWOT tables. Ask things like:
- Which items surprised you?
- Did you list something under more than one category?
- How could you turn strengths into action, or threats into innovation?
Students who are creative exhibit the following attributes:
- are curious and ask questions
- explore multiple perspectives and possibilities
- demonstrate imagination and originality in their thinking
- reflect on their creative process and evaluate the effectiveness of their ideas
- seek feedback and revise their work based on constructive criticism
- use creative tools (e.g., mind maps, storyboards, role-play) to support ideation.
2.
Answer these questions:
- What were the main challenges?
- What decisions were made, and were they the right ones?
- What would you have done differently?
You can use some tools to visualize the thinking done by the creators and then find a decision done wrong and remake it.
1. Substitute: What could we replace the zipper with?
2. Combine: What if it had solar panels and a phone charger?
3. Adapt: Can we make it fold like origami?
4. Modify: How can you make the product better?
2.
Strengths
- What are we doing well?
- What makes us unique?
(strong brand recognition, unique product design, fast and friendly customer service)
Weaknesses
- Where are we struggling?
- What internal issues are holding us back?
(poor marketing strategy, limited experience in the team, high production costs)
1.
You give them instructions first to write down or draw on a map or diagram the following;
Existing situation:
- What do students currently know about the importance of physical activity?
- How often are they active during the school week?
- What do they think counts as “being active”?
- Do they know how physical activity affects their health, focus, and energy?
Preparing students for teamwork in the workplace and helping them execute business ideas successfully.
SIGNIFICANCE
Students learn to collaborate effectively with others to turn ideas into reality.
IMPACT
3.
4. Present: Choose one idea with your team and sketch it. Keep it simple — draw, describe, or make a model.
5. Test: Share your prototype with another team and get feedback. Ask:
- What works?
- What doesn’t?
- What could be better?
Now give them 10 minutes to draw or describe that reinvented backpack, then do quick 1-minute pitches from each team.
Let’s try this out with a simple product they use in everyday life: a school backpack.
Split students into groups and ask seven questions — one for each SCAMPER letter —make them brainstorm as many ideas as possible. Don’t make them filter or judge, just let ideas flow.
5. Put to another use: How to make it reusable or multi usable?
6. Eliminate: Are there parts of it that don’t have to be a part of the final product?
7. Rearrange: Could the parts fit different? Is there some upgrading to be done?
Split your students into teams and let them imagine they are working on a problem of poor physical activity among students. Now giude them through the process and make them fill out the table:
Split your class students into teams and give them their problem each. Introduce them to the concept of Root Cause Analysis — a method used to understand the deeper reasons behind a problem, rather than just treating its symptoms.
Let them think big — there are no wrong answers here. This is about possibility, not prediction.
Communication is vital for inspiring trust, conveying a vision, and motivating others.
SIGNIFICANCE
Crucial for pitching ideas to investors, customers, and partners. Helps in academic and professional settings.
IMPACT
This tool is about clarity and strategy. Split students into groups of 3 to 5 and ask them to choose one of these:
- Their business idea
- A product/servise they’re familiar with
Guide them answer questions below for each letter of the method:
4.
At the end, hold a short reflection or discussion.
- What did students learn from visualizing their thinking this way?
- What ideas stood out the most?
You can even display their maps in the classroom to inspire future projects or deeper exploration.
3.
Now think about solutions.
- If you were brought in as a consultant right before the company collapsed, what would you recommend?
- How could they change their strategy?
Use your imagination to make up a scenario where you fix the problem effectively. In this phase you might need to do some research on strategies on how to run a business or how to be good at decision making, again using all the resources available.
At the end, let teams present their diagrams and explanations. You can have a class discussion about similarities across different problems or vote on which group uncovered the clearest root cause. Optionally, invite students to propose solutions, but the focus here is on understanding the real origin of the problem.
2.
Encourage students to use colors, symbols, and drawings to make their maps more engaging and memorable. Tell them there is no wrong way to organize it — mind maps reflect how we naturally think.
Show your students how to use a Mind Map. Explain that the process begins with one central idea and expands into related concepts, examples, and questions. In the center of a blank page (or digital whiteboard), write or draw the main idea or question. For example: “Eco-friendly school.” Show them an example of a mind map.
Drives productivity, fosters innovation, and supports team and business growth.
SIGNIFICANCE
Involves inspiring, motivating, and managing others while making tough decisions.
IMPACT
Show your students how to analyze and prepare a quick infographic or poster with their main insights. Make them look around and comment on other teams and ideas and offer suggestions.
2.
Target situation:
- What would the ideal state look like in a healthy school environment?
- Would students be active for at least 30 minutes daily, in fun and inclusive ways?
- What habits, knowledge, and attitudes would they need to have to stay active regularly?
- What kind of environment would support this?
4.
At the end, do a short pitch round where each group presents their solution and give each other feedback on their solutions. You can even make it a contest or a game!
Essential for identifying opportunities, solving problems, and navigating uncertainty.
SIGNIFICANCE
Helps students analyze situations and choose the best course of action in complex environments.
IMPACT
Creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking are the cornerstones of innovation. Students with these skills can drive improvements and create breakthrough products and solutions.
Fostering Innovation
Entrepreneurial skills help students believe in their ability to create businesses or lead projects independently.
Boosting Confidence and Autonomy
Employers look for candidates with strong soft skills, as they demonstrate a person’s ability to function effectively in teams, solve problems, and communicate ideas.
Enhancing Employability
1. PoliticalWhat political or legal issues might affect you? How do you work around them?
2. EconomicHow is the economy going right now? Is it a good time to launch your specific app?
For each scenario, ask:
- If this future happens, what would we do?
- How should we adapt?
Let them come up with possible actions, strategies, or innovations for each case.
3.
Gaps:
- What’s missing between now and the ideal situation?
- Are there enough opportunities and space for students to be active?
- Do they lack motivation, knowledge, or confidence?
- What are the social or environmental obstacles (e.g. peer pressure, no equipment, packed schedules)?
- Who should address these — teachers, school leaders, student councils — and what actions could they take?
4.
Each team will present their diagnosis and their advice in front of the whole class and give each other feedback on their solutions. Make sure to guide them to back up their ideas with evidence from the case. This isn’t about finding ‘the right answer’ — it’s about using logic, creativity, and business thinking to explore possibilities.
Crucial for maintaining long-term growth and preventing burnout.
SIGNIFICANCE
Helps students manage setbacks, maintain focus, and keep moving forward despite challenges.
IMPACT
Critical for managing businesses, leading teams, and driving projects to completion.
SIGNIFICANCE
Involves taking responsibility, making decisions under pressure, and guiding teams.
IMPACT
Once the diagram is full, help teams look for patterns.
- Which causes show up in multiple categories?
- Which seem to lead to others?
Highlight those as likely root causes. Have each team write a short summary of their analysis:
- What is the core reason behind their problem?
- What makes them think this is the root cause?
2.
2. Define: Now, write down one clear problem statement that you will try and find a solution to: “Students need a way to... because...”
3. Ideate: Time for creativity! Brainstorm at least 10 possible solutions, they can be in all forms, studying clubs or even apps, no idea is too strange at this point.
3.
Once maps are developed, ask teams to present their topic and explain how the ideas connect. Let them compare maps across groups.
- Which ideas were shared?
- Which directions were unique?
Enables students to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
SIGNIFICANCE
The entrepreneurial landscape is always changing, and students must be able to adapt to new challenges and technologies.
IMPACT
Students who are good problem solvers exhibit the following attributes:
- use a process, as well as a variety of tactics and heuristics to tackle problems
- monitor their problem-solving process and reflect upon its effectiveness
- emphasize accuracy rather than speed
- are organized and systematic
- draw on the pertinent subject knowledge and objectively and critically assess the quality, accuracy, and pertinence of that knowledge/data.
1.
Identify the key facts:
- What was the idea?
- Who were the founders?
- What went wrong?
In this phase you might need to do some research or find some news and facts about the case, don’t hesitate to use all the resources available.
After the group work, ask each team to present their scenarios and solutions.
Use follow-up questions like:
- What key assumptions did you make?
- What would be the impact on students, teachers, or institutions?
- Are there any ideas that appear in more than one scenario?
Show your students how to use a Fishbone Diagram (also called a Cause-and-Effect Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram). Explain that this tool helps organize and visualize the possible causes of a specific problem. Ask students to brainstorm possible causes related to each category and add them as smaller branches coming off each “bone.”
You give your students a story of a startup that had a great idea but failed to succeed. After that you make them split into teams and study the problem behind failed success.
Tiny but Mighty
Ask yourself:
- How hard was it to notice the little purple button?
- Do you promise to keep an eye out for them?
1.
Once they’ve chosen, have them fill out a SWOT table using questions.
3. Social What social trends could help or hurt your idea? Can you affect them with the app? 4. Technological What’s happening with technology that could influence your product? Are there any new ideas you might want to add to make it stand out?
Fundamental for relationship-building, problem-solving, and understanding different perspectives.
SIGNIFICANCE
Builds rapport and trust, essential in networking and leadership.
IMPACT
Strong teamwork is necessary for building networks and tackling complex challenges.
SIGNIFICANCE
Teaches students to collaborate, share ideas, and work through conflicts to foster innovation.
IMPACT
Boosting Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills of University Students
Petra Grgasović
Created on May 9, 2025
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Transcript
REAL RIS Course
Boosting Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills of University Students
Let's bridge the gap in entrepreneurial and innovation-related skills of students
Let's go!
Course Introduction
This course is part of the project, which aims to empower university staff to integrate innovation and entrepreneurial thinking into their teaching and research practices. Designed for educators, lecturers, heads of departments, career services, R&D staff, innovation centre leaders, and university administrators, the course supports the development of institutional environments that foster student entrepreneurship. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify the key skills and knowledge needed for future young entrepreneurs and innovators, understand how to build educational frameworks that support these competencies, and design activities that cultivate entrepreneurial and innovation skills in students. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility.
REAL RIS
RESILIENT EDUCATED AGILE LEADING
REGIONAL INNOVATION SHEME
Course Introduction
Organisations behind the REAL RIS project and this course
REGEA is founded by four regional governments in Croatia, under the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme. Its objectives are to promote, encourage and support the regional sustainable development in the fields of energy, mobility, climate and environmental protection. The Agency participates in numerous projects, while also contributing to sustainable development of its founders.
ODRAZ is an independent NGO in Croatia that brings together professionals from various fields to design and apply sustainable development concepts for the benefit of local communities. Its areas of expertise include implementing non-formal education programs that support sustainable development, organizing thematic workshops, providing consultations, and facilitating expert discussions.
Founded in 2019 as an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Urban Mobility is committed to accelerating the transition to sustainable mobility. The organisation accelerates the sustainable urban mobility transition by providing established businesses, startups, universities, research institutes and the public sector with access to markets, talent, funding and knowledge. REAL RIS project is funded by EIT Urban Mobility.
Start Course
Course Introduction
Before we start...
You can also expect to find different interactive boxes, circles, eyes, and similar shapes. Clicking on these or hovering over them will reveal additional information. Make sure not to skip these buttons because they are an important part of lessons!
we want to introduce you to some interactive elements you will use on this journey! At the top left of your screen, you can find three buttons:The home button takes you to Course Structure. The back arrow takes you to the page you were previously on.The forward arrow takes you to the next page.
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Initial self-assesment
Begin by understanding your current level of knowledge.
Question 1/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
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Section 3: Order the Steps
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Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Initial assessment finished!
Let’s start the course and see if we can improve your knowledge on the topic! First, we will go through what matters most in building entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of students.
COURSE STRUCTURE
WHAT MATTERS MOST?
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND ENCOURAGE SOFT SKILLS?
LEARN TO TEACH
COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
FEEDBACK SURVEY
LEARN MORE!
What matters most?
Soft skills...
...are crucial for personal development, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal relationships, which are fundamental in entrepreneurship. If we can teach our students how to develop them, we can give them the advantage they need to succeed. It’s the skills we possess that set us apart.
Which skills are valuable to future entrepreneurs and innovators?
Soft Skills
Why These Skills Matter
Practical Skills
SOFT SKILLS
Speaking and Presentation Skills
Teamwork Skills
Conversational Skills
Leadership Skills
Stress Resilience
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Time Management
Adaptability and Flexibility
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Collaboration and Teamwork
Leadership and Decision Making
Why These Skills Matter?
Real-World Relevance!
Soft and practical skills are directly transferable to the workplace, whether someone is starting their own business or working in an established company.
Here are some more reasons why!
Let's play a quick game!
Sort the skills into the correct columns and check if you got them right. After the game, watch a video offering a different perspective on soft skills.
Identify Soft Skills
SOFT SKILLS
HARD SKILS
7. Teamwork Skills
4.Presentation Skills
1. Speaking Skills
5. Leadership Skills
8. Stress Resilience
2. Conversational Skills
6. Project management
9. Proofreading
3. Content development
SOLUTION
Watch the video to see a different perspective on soft skills!
Building the Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Innovativeness
Foundational skills focus on a student’s ability to generate new ideas, think critically, and adapt to different situations.
How to identify foundational skills?
Foundational skills are not linked to technical or academic knowledge, but to the way a person relates to others, communicates, and manages various situations in both personal and professional contexts.
Communication
Problem Solving
Creativity
Diving Into Four Crucial Skills
In the next few slides, we’ll guide you through the learning process revolving around foundational skills and share strategies to help you strengthen them while teaching.
Creativity
Communication
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Communication
Communication is necessary for conveying ideas, pitching to investors, and leading teams. It enhances networking, collaboration, and clear expression of thoughts. You can spot that communication skills are missing by paying attention signs such as frequent misunderstandings, inability to express ideas clearly, and poor team dynamics that limit leadership and collaboration.
Communication
How to Teach Communication
You can use:
- role-playing
- oral presentations
- group discussions
- storytelling
That way you train active listening, structured presentation, peer-feedback, and adaptive communication.Methods
You can use:
Communication
Let's see if you are a good communicator!
Check your own ability to express ideas clearly and listen actively.
Communication: Conflict Resolution
Communication: Conflict Resolution
Creativity
Communication
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Creativity
Creativity enables students to come up with novel ideas and innovative solutions to complex problems. It gives them a competitive advantage in entrepreneurship, essential for innovation and staying ahead.
Creativity
If the skill is missing there might be some signs you could spot, such as lack of originality, rigid thinking, and failure to innovate leads to stagnation and inability to compete.
Creativity
Methods
You can use:
How to Boost Creativity
You can use:
Exercise: Creativity
Let's work on your creativity. Sort out the pieces to assemble a cat!
THE CAT
Arrange the pieces to build this figure
Let's go!
00:15:00
THE CAT
Finished?
Creativity
Communication
👍
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
Menu
Problem Solving
It teaches students to analyze and evaluate challenges to find innovative solutions. Helps in navigating uncertainty and solving real-world entrepreneurial challenges. Core to decision-making, analytical thinking, and navigating uncertain situations.
Problem Solving
If the skill is missing, there might be some signs you could spot, such as difficulty overcoming obstacles, poor decision-making, and dependency on others leads to business and career risk.
Problem Solving
How to Improve Problem Solving
Methods
You can use:
You can use:
- complex scenarios
- real-life cases
- group analysis
Encourage multiple solution paths, analytical tools, and structured thinking.Problem solving exercise: ORGANISE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVLY
Let's work on your problem solving! We will now practice how to organize and plan your time efficiently.
Organize the tasks
Creativity
Communication
👍
👍
Problem Solving
Tools & Methods
👍
Menu
Tell us about the skills of your students!
We are trying to understand the needs of the future generations. Therefore, please share your insights on the current level of soft skills among your students.
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate how much you think your students possess the following skills:
Tools and Methods You Could Use
You’ve built a strong foundation in soft skills — next, we’ll explore proven tools and methods to help you bring them to life with your students in the classroom.
Although there are many teaching tools and methods that you can use to increase the entrepreneural and innovation capacity of your students, we will introduce you to the ones most commonly used in boosting communication, creativity and problem solving. You can easily integrate them in your teaching process.
Brainstorming
Design Thinking
Mind Mapping
CREATIVITY
SCAMPER
Scenario Analysis
Case Studies
Debates Peer feedback Pitch sessions Presentations
Gap Analysis
PESTEL
COMMUNICATION
PROBLEM SOLVING
Root Cause Analysis
SWOT
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Case Studies
A powerful way to learn decision-making and analysis
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Design Thinking
A method that helps us solve problems creatively with a strong focus on the user's experience
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Gap Analysis
Helps us understand what needs to change to reach a goal
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Mind Mapping
Organize ideas and explore a topic visually
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
PESTEL
Analyze macro factors affecting a business and apply it to markets or ideas.
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
Root Cause Analysis
A powerful way to learn decision-making and analysis
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
SCAMPER
Structured creative thinking using Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse.
We will now guide you through this method.Let's start!
Scenario Analysis
Students create and plan for best, worst, and likely future situations of a given challenge.
We will now guide you through this method. Let's start!
SWOT Analysis
Helps us understand both what we’re doing well and what external factors might affect our success.
Digital tools that could help you with teaching
You can make these activities even more enjoyable and visually engaging by using a range of tools. In addition to the well-known ones, you might also try:
Mural
Canva
Padlet
Miro
How we teach our students is what makes them who they are. This video ends the chapter dedicated to teaching soft skills in the classroom. Take a break and enjoy the video!
You're almost there!
Do you feel confident when it comes to building and nurturing soft skills of your students? Here are some questions that could help you think about your own strenghts as a teacher...
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
On a scale from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least and 5 being the most), rate to what extent you think you could improve the following skills of your students:
Competency Assessment
We’ve come to the end of the course! If you need to review any lessons, hit the home button and go through them again. You can always return to this slide, but once you start the test you'll have to complete it.
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 4/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 5/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 6/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Question 7/15
Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
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Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 9/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 10/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 11/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 12/15
Section 2: True/False Questions
Question 13/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 14/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Question 15/15
Section 3: Order the Steps
Assessment finished!
You will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility via your email address.
Certificate
Boosting Entrepreneurial and Innovation Skills of University Students
Certificate of completion
Congratulations!
You will receive a certificate of completion jointly awarded by the Consortium partners and EIT Urban Mobility via your email address.
EIT Urban Mobility
the Consortium partners
Feedback Survey
Thank you for choosing to complete this course and for being a facilitator of innovation and entrepreneurship among your students. Please share your opinion on this course.
Something to Take Home
On the link button right below you can download:
Course completed!
4.
Point person:
- Who could make changes in this area?
- Could it be the PE teacher, the school principal, student representatives, or even a health education team?
- How can they involve others (parents, local community, student clubs) to create a more active school culture?
Finally let them present their findings and share their thoughts.Let’s imagine a key uncertainty. For this exercise, our topic is: The future of education in the age of artificial intelligence.
First, choose a real-world problem you might see in your class — for example:
- How can we help students manage stress during exams?
- How can we make a classroom that is less noisy?
- How can we make backpacks lighter?
Split your class students into teams and give them their problem each. Show your students steps to make it easier for them to come up with a creative solution for a given problem.Helps students stay organized, meet deadlines, and balance work and life commitments.
SIGNIFICANCE
Entrepreneurs juggle multiple responsibilities and need to prioritize tasks effectively.
IMPACT
Students who are good communicators exhibit the following attributes:
5. Environmental Are there any environmental policies that you should consider? 6. Law Is there any law or regulation you need to consider?
After that, tell them to sketch a version of their improved backpack and give it a name. You can make the questions specific or leave them basic for example:
Give them a task to make up an idea for an app that students could use in resolving current issues (mental health, sex ed, economy..). Let’s say you want to launch a app here in Croatia, and as a group, explore.
1.
Draw lines out from the center like branches on a tree. On each line, write one key subtopic related to the main idea. For example: Energy, Waste, Transport, Education. From each subtopic, draw smaller lines outward. Add details, examples, possible actions, causes, or questions. For example, under “Waste,” students might add: recycling bins, food waste, paper use, plastic ban.
Explanations
Hard skills are Content Development, Project Management and Proofreading. Soft skills are:
Speaking and Presentation Skills: The ability to clearly and confidently convey ideas, whether in public speaking or informal settings. Teamwork Skills: The ability to collaborate with others to achieve a common goal. Conversational Skills: The ability to engage in meaningful and effective dialogue, including listening actively, asking thoughtful questions, and sharing ideas clearly. Leadership Skills: The ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others to achieve goals. Stress Resilience: The ability to stay calm, focused, and productive under pressure.
1.
Some steps are: 1. Empathize: Start by thinking about the users of the case you are studying.
- What are they feeling?
- What challenges do they face?
You can quickly interview someone nearby or reflect based on your own experience.Split students into teams and guide them through the main steps. Make them create three possible future scenarios:
- One optimistic
- One realistic
- One pessimistic
Give them time to brainstorm and write a short summary of each future.First, choose a real-world problem you might see in your class — for example:
3.
Opportunities
- What trends, needs, or changes could we take advantage of?
(growing interest in eco-friendly products, partnerships with influencers or other businesses)Threats- What outside challenges or competitors could hurt us?
(changing regulations, negative media attention)4.
Afterward, bring everyone back together and let the teams present their SWOT tables. Ask things like:
Students who are creative exhibit the following attributes:
2.
Answer these questions:
- What were the main challenges?
- What decisions were made, and were they the right ones?
- What would you have done differently?
You can use some tools to visualize the thinking done by the creators and then find a decision done wrong and remake it.1. Substitute: What could we replace the zipper with? 2. Combine: What if it had solar panels and a phone charger? 3. Adapt: Can we make it fold like origami? 4. Modify: How can you make the product better?
2.
Strengths
- What are we doing well?
- What makes us unique?
(strong brand recognition, unique product design, fast and friendly customer service) Weaknesses- Where are we struggling?
- What internal issues are holding us back?
(poor marketing strategy, limited experience in the team, high production costs)1.
You give them instructions first to write down or draw on a map or diagram the following; Existing situation:
Preparing students for teamwork in the workplace and helping them execute business ideas successfully.
SIGNIFICANCE
Students learn to collaborate effectively with others to turn ideas into reality.
IMPACT
3.
4. Present: Choose one idea with your team and sketch it. Keep it simple — draw, describe, or make a model. 5. Test: Share your prototype with another team and get feedback. Ask:
Now give them 10 minutes to draw or describe that reinvented backpack, then do quick 1-minute pitches from each team.
Let’s try this out with a simple product they use in everyday life: a school backpack. Split students into groups and ask seven questions — one for each SCAMPER letter —make them brainstorm as many ideas as possible. Don’t make them filter or judge, just let ideas flow.
5. Put to another use: How to make it reusable or multi usable? 6. Eliminate: Are there parts of it that don’t have to be a part of the final product? 7. Rearrange: Could the parts fit different? Is there some upgrading to be done?
Split your students into teams and let them imagine they are working on a problem of poor physical activity among students. Now giude them through the process and make them fill out the table:
Split your class students into teams and give them their problem each. Introduce them to the concept of Root Cause Analysis — a method used to understand the deeper reasons behind a problem, rather than just treating its symptoms.
Let them think big — there are no wrong answers here. This is about possibility, not prediction.
Communication is vital for inspiring trust, conveying a vision, and motivating others.
SIGNIFICANCE
Crucial for pitching ideas to investors, customers, and partners. Helps in academic and professional settings.
IMPACT
This tool is about clarity and strategy. Split students into groups of 3 to 5 and ask them to choose one of these:
- Their business idea
- A product/servise they’re familiar with
Guide them answer questions below for each letter of the method:4.
At the end, hold a short reflection or discussion.
- What did students learn from visualizing their thinking this way?
- What ideas stood out the most?
You can even display their maps in the classroom to inspire future projects or deeper exploration.3.
Now think about solutions.
- If you were brought in as a consultant right before the company collapsed, what would you recommend?
- How could they change their strategy?
Use your imagination to make up a scenario where you fix the problem effectively. In this phase you might need to do some research on strategies on how to run a business or how to be good at decision making, again using all the resources available.At the end, let teams present their diagrams and explanations. You can have a class discussion about similarities across different problems or vote on which group uncovered the clearest root cause. Optionally, invite students to propose solutions, but the focus here is on understanding the real origin of the problem.
2.
Encourage students to use colors, symbols, and drawings to make their maps more engaging and memorable. Tell them there is no wrong way to organize it — mind maps reflect how we naturally think.
Show your students how to use a Mind Map. Explain that the process begins with one central idea and expands into related concepts, examples, and questions. In the center of a blank page (or digital whiteboard), write or draw the main idea or question. For example: “Eco-friendly school.” Show them an example of a mind map.
Drives productivity, fosters innovation, and supports team and business growth.
SIGNIFICANCE
Involves inspiring, motivating, and managing others while making tough decisions.
IMPACT
Show your students how to analyze and prepare a quick infographic or poster with their main insights. Make them look around and comment on other teams and ideas and offer suggestions.
2.
Target situation:
4.
At the end, do a short pitch round where each group presents their solution and give each other feedback on their solutions. You can even make it a contest or a game!
Essential for identifying opportunities, solving problems, and navigating uncertainty.
SIGNIFICANCE
Helps students analyze situations and choose the best course of action in complex environments.
IMPACT
Creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking are the cornerstones of innovation. Students with these skills can drive improvements and create breakthrough products and solutions.
Fostering Innovation
Entrepreneurial skills help students believe in their ability to create businesses or lead projects independently.
Boosting Confidence and Autonomy
Employers look for candidates with strong soft skills, as they demonstrate a person’s ability to function effectively in teams, solve problems, and communicate ideas.
Enhancing Employability
1. PoliticalWhat political or legal issues might affect you? How do you work around them? 2. EconomicHow is the economy going right now? Is it a good time to launch your specific app?
For each scenario, ask:
- If this future happens, what would we do?
- How should we adapt?
Let them come up with possible actions, strategies, or innovations for each case.3.
Gaps:
4.
Each team will present their diagnosis and their advice in front of the whole class and give each other feedback on their solutions. Make sure to guide them to back up their ideas with evidence from the case. This isn’t about finding ‘the right answer’ — it’s about using logic, creativity, and business thinking to explore possibilities.
Crucial for maintaining long-term growth and preventing burnout.
SIGNIFICANCE
Helps students manage setbacks, maintain focus, and keep moving forward despite challenges.
IMPACT
Critical for managing businesses, leading teams, and driving projects to completion.
SIGNIFICANCE
Involves taking responsibility, making decisions under pressure, and guiding teams.
IMPACT
Once the diagram is full, help teams look for patterns.
- Which causes show up in multiple categories?
- Which seem to lead to others?
Highlight those as likely root causes. Have each team write a short summary of their analysis:2.
2. Define: Now, write down one clear problem statement that you will try and find a solution to: “Students need a way to... because...” 3. Ideate: Time for creativity! Brainstorm at least 10 possible solutions, they can be in all forms, studying clubs or even apps, no idea is too strange at this point.
3.
Once maps are developed, ask teams to present their topic and explain how the ideas connect. Let them compare maps across groups.
Enables students to thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
SIGNIFICANCE
The entrepreneurial landscape is always changing, and students must be able to adapt to new challenges and technologies.
IMPACT
Students who are good problem solvers exhibit the following attributes:
1.
Identify the key facts:
- What was the idea?
- Who were the founders?
- What went wrong?
In this phase you might need to do some research or find some news and facts about the case, don’t hesitate to use all the resources available.After the group work, ask each team to present their scenarios and solutions. Use follow-up questions like:
Show your students how to use a Fishbone Diagram (also called a Cause-and-Effect Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram). Explain that this tool helps organize and visualize the possible causes of a specific problem. Ask students to brainstorm possible causes related to each category and add them as smaller branches coming off each “bone.”
You give your students a story of a startup that had a great idea but failed to succeed. After that you make them split into teams and study the problem behind failed success.
Tiny but Mighty
Ask yourself:
1.
Once they’ve chosen, have them fill out a SWOT table using questions.
3. Social What social trends could help or hurt your idea? Can you affect them with the app? 4. Technological What’s happening with technology that could influence your product? Are there any new ideas you might want to add to make it stand out?
Fundamental for relationship-building, problem-solving, and understanding different perspectives.
SIGNIFICANCE
Builds rapport and trust, essential in networking and leadership.
IMPACT
Strong teamwork is necessary for building networks and tackling complex challenges.
SIGNIFICANCE
Teaches students to collaborate, share ideas, and work through conflicts to foster innovation.
IMPACT