Participatory Method to Business Model Innovation for Students

Abstract

The past few years have been a period of intense transformation. Pandemics, innovative technology like chatbots, and the ever-evolving needs of society serve as a powerful illustration of the world's constant evolution. Equipping students with business model innovation (BMI) skills across disciplines is crucial as it fosters their ability to innovate not just products and processes, but entire businesses, which is essential in an everchanging environment. Furthermore, integrating remote participative modelling (PM) into the curriculum is essential as it enhances students’ online collaboration skills, vital in today's modern team dynamics. A previous study at a research-intensive university explored the usability of online platforms during BMI within a Business Engineering module focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. MURAL, a virtual whiteboard software application, was used in this study to facilitate remote PM sessions utilising the Business Model Canvas (BMC). While this study found that MURAL is easy-to-use within this specific context, a key limitation emerged. The built-in BMC template within MURAL was found to be insufficient for guiding students through a systematic transformation of a traditional business model into a new iteration. To address this limitation, this current study focuses on enhancing a well-established Business Model Development Tool (BMDT), the BMC, within the context of undergraduate engineering education. We propose a method, called EDU-BMI, specifically designed to support students during PM sessions focused on BMI activities within the MURAL platform. Drawing inspiration from PICO, an educational personal ideation companion, EDU-BMI incorporates features that address educational, social, and motivational aspects. The method is embedded within MURAL and validated through a two-group participant study. Observations of the modelling sessions were used to gather valuable insights into the method's effectiveness and will inform future teaching practices. Integrating EDU-BMI into MURAL has the potential to improve the effectiveness of remote PM sessions for students engaged in BMI activities. Accessibility for modellers will also be ensured by leveraging a free, online tool like MURAL. Future research will focus on evaluating the method in an undergraduate engineering education context, refining EDU-BMI based on the feedback received from participants.