Identifying innovative opportunities in the entrepreneurship classroom: a new approach and empirical test

Opportunity identification is often considered the very first step in the entrepreneurial process, and is therefore frequently included in entrepreneurship education programs. In this paper, we examine a unique teaching method (IDEATE), rooted in experiential learning and aimed at developing novice learners’ skills for opportunity identification. Using an experimental design, we compare the innovativeness of opportunities identified by undergraduate students enrolled in introductory-level entrepreneurship courses at a southeastern university. Findings show that the opportunities identified by the students in the IDEATE group were significantly more innovative than those identified by students in the passive search group. In addition, student perceptions of fit with entrepreneurship increased for the passive search training group but not for the IDEATE group. We discuss the implications for entrepreneurship education, research, and practice.