Cultivating Entrepreneurial Readiness with a Conversational AI Bot in an Interdisciplinary Design Innovation University-wide Module
Grant Name
Ministry of Education Tertiary Education Research Fund (MOE-TRF)Abstract
Entrepreneurship, characterised by innovation in problem-solving, adaptability to change, and creativity (Heinonen, 2007), and its curriculum integration in universities has been widely reported (Hahn et al., 2017). Our research investigates whether interdisciplinary learning enhanced with an AI tool can help students cultivate entrepreneurial readiness (Schillo et al., 2016). We aim to develop a conversational AI bot to be integrated with an existing web application for collaborative learning in a university-wide interdisciplinary design innovation module. The AI bot will guide students through interdisciplinary learning and facilitate collaborative teamwork as they seek to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems, potentially informing a scalable technological entrepreneurship curriculum for the university (Munoz et al., 2011). We aim to answer these research questions and address the following themes:
RQ 1a: How does participation in an interdisciplinary design innovation course, supported by a conversational AI bot and mentors from start-up businesses, influence students' entrepreneurial readiness?
RQ 1b: How does participation in an interdisciplinary design innovation course, supported by a conversational AI bot and mentors from start-up businesses, influence students’ innovation abilities and collaborative skills? RQ 2: How does using a conversational AI bot affect students' learning experience?
(i) We investigate interdisciplinary learning's impact on entrepreneurial readiness, formulate curriculum integration strategies, and explore university-industry partnerships, facilitating professional-student mentoring and fostering a culture of innovation.
(ii) Our study examines AI-driven tools for enhancing collaboration among students, educators, and industry mentors, fostering dynamic, interactive environments. Targeted, timely feedback and support from industry mentors will enhance student outcomes. Integrating our university-wide Design Innovation module, undergirded by critical design futures thinking, with an AI bot creates a fertile ground for students to embrace new ventures, grow and thrive in an increasingly complex and interdisciplinary world with mentorship from their instructors and industry partners.
Prototype
https://www.erwinbot.com/about
Reference
Patel, Nadya Shaznay; Avnit, Karin; Koh, Jeffrey T.K.V.; Lim, Jawn; Tay, Peter; and Supian, Hedirman, "Designing a Human-Centered AI Coach for Entrepreneurial Readiness: Fostering Empathy and Critical Design Futures Thinking in Interdisciplinary Learning" (2025). AMCIS 2025 Proceedings. 10. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2025/sig_core/sig_core/10