LIDIS6265 Innovation for Impact Experiential Project Course Descriptor

Course Overview

In this course students will work in teams to devise and pitch a new idea (product, service, event, theoretical tool, or other item) that addresses a gap in the market to address a real-world problem.

The course includes a series of interactive sessions on relevant topics and skills such as ethical and social impact, market research, and financial planning as well as structured innovation workshops, to assist in idea creation, planning, testing, and presentation.

Teams are supported by mentors in the field and have access to Northeastern’s entrepreneurship network and student venture accelerator.

Teams receive regular support and constructive feedback as they work to develop a viable proposal. This culminates in a pitch to potential investors, partners, or team members.

The course fosters key transferable skills such as creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, all of which are highly sought-after in start-up, corporate, and government organisations as well as being of high personal and social value. It is designed to help empower students to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Across the course students will be encouraged to experiment in a safe environment while also engaging in structured reflection (both individually and in teams) to develop and refine their skills.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Employability Skills

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and detailed guidance, including reflective exercises and question prompts, to orientate and engage students in their studies.

The teaching and learning activities for this course are:

• 40 scheduled hours (lectures, workshops, and scheduled assessment activities)
• 110 private study hours (with regular structured assignments)

Faculty hold regular Office Hours, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups. 

Students are expected to attend and participate in all the teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and private study.

Indicative total learning hours: 150

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Summative Assessments

Indicative Presentation (as part of interim innovation workshop):

• Report for team members
• Q&A

Indicative Portfolio:

• Team pitch with Q&A (in a style appropriate for the audience). Only the student’s individual contribution is assessed.
• Individual outline of the Innovation for Impact idea, the challenge it addresses, and the uniqueness of the proposition.
• Individual reflective report highlighting the process by which the innovation idea was developed and pitched, the ways in which they the student contributed within the team, and their learnings through the experience.
• Appendix (Evidence Log) – non-assessed and not included in the word count
  • Feedback from the external partner(s) at the team pitch
  • Confirmation from the student that their reflective report is accurate and correctly identifies their contributions within the team

Further information about the assessments (including rubrics) can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Beugré, C. (2017) Social Entrepreneurship: Managing the Creation of Social Value. Routledge.
• Hisrich, R.D., Peters, M.P., & Shepherd, D.A. (2023). Entrepreneurship. McGraw Hill Education.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R. & Switzler, A. (2012) Crucial conversations tools for talking when stakes are high. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Raz, Guy (2020) How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success From the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Pan MacMillan.

A range of video (e.g. YCombinator) or audio resources will also be provided.

Indicative Topics

Note: Comprehensive and current topics for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative topics provided below is used as a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

This course emphasises learning by doing and encourages students to apply knowledge gained elsewhere in their studies to help solve a wider-world challenge.

The main theoretical focus is to support the development of teamwork, and basic market research and financial literacy:

• The Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Teamwork (roles and responsibilities, mindsets and behaviours)
• Market research (basic principles)
• Financial literacy
• Ethical and social factors