Keeping It Real: The Benefits of Experiential Teaching Methods in Meeting the Objectives of Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract Entrepreneurship education exists to give provide students the tools and perspective necessary to make an informed decision about when starting a business is right for them. It is holistic, giving students a sense for the entire process as well as what it means to be an entrepreneur. It is occasionally technical; it is undoubtedly exciting and complex. Why then does so much of academe employ rote-lecturing techniques to provide this training? Entrepreneurship is a process and a behavior set – not a person-specific attribute. Until students are allowed out of their seats to engage in behaviors other than note taking, they will not understand how to act entrepreneurially. This chapter explores this inconsistency, why traditional approaches are so problematic and modern experiential approaches that can help.