Complex and design thinking: proof-of-concept to validate the i4C methodology for improving scientific entrepreneurship skills

Abstract

This article aims to show the results of a proof-of-concept designed to validate a learning method that imbricates complex and design thinking to improve students’ perception of scientific and entrepreneurial skills. Forty-three graduate students from three Latin American universities, 16 from Colombia, 12 from Ecuador, and 15 from Mexico, participated in an online web platform with a virtual tutor to collect the necessary data to do the test. A pretest and posttest questionnaire measured eight dimensions of the various skills related to this type of entrepreneurship. The i4C method, implemented in an extracurricular course, involves circulating through the iterative stages of identifying, ideating, inventing, and informing; it favorably impacted and improved the students' scientific and entrepreneurial skills. The elaboration and validation of the method help students develop strategies to form the skills necessary to participate in a society that demands entrepreneurship. It is a valid tool for training experiences that promote the achievement of entrepreneurial practices.