Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2020, Business Administration

Reflection has been identified as a key success factor for entrepreneurs, as thinking critically about successes and failures results in improved strategy. Reflection, therefore, is a valuable skill for undergraduate educators to instill in entrepreneurship students. Despite the increasingly prevalent use of reflection in curricula within higher education, designing, executing, and effectively evaluating reflection assignments remains a challenge. One of the primary challenges of implementing reflection assignments is the "lack of effective structures to help instructors from diverse disciplines guide students through reflection" (Ash and Clayton, 2004: 138). This study makes recommendations on the effective implementation of reflection assignments and provides a sample reflection framework for a course centered around developing the reflection competency. Data from students and program directors at Ohio University is examined, and recommendations are made based on the data and a review of the literature. The study found assignment design to be a determining factor in how deeply students reflect. To enhance students' depth of reflection, recommendations are made on how to strategically frame the assignment to students; ask deep, probing questions in the prompt; use the format most effective for achieving course goals; and how to cultivate a conducive culture for reflection.

Committee: Luke Pittaway (Advisor) Subjects: Business Education; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Entrepreneurship; Higher Education; Management

Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Instructional Design Leadership, Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The objective of this action research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-month financial education intervention for Appalachian artists by measuring and observing changes in financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy, and financial behaviors and by assessing participants' perception of the program. By all measures, the financial education intervention was a success with survey results demonstrating positive and statistically significant gains in financial knowledge and financial behaviors, plus gains, although not statistically significant ones, in financial self-efficacy. Participants increased financial knowledge in revenue diversification strategies and tax literacy from 31.2% to 71.3%. Nine participants (81.8%) earned more in their creative businesses following the financial education intervention, and ten participants (90.9%) had up-to-date record-keeping systems by the end of the program, an increase from four participants (36.3%) at the outset. Five new creative businesses and five new sales tax licenses were registered with West Virginia. Participants also emphasized the importance of the community they built with each other, and shared they were proud of their accomplishments during the six-month program. This research has practical implications for curricular design for educators, industry leaders, and community partners, plus implications for economic development policies to support similar financial education interventions for creative business owners.

Committee: Yi Yang (Committee Chair); Xiaopeng Ni (Committee Member); Yuerong Sweetland (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education Finance; Educational Evaluation; Entrepreneurship; Instructional Design

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2022, Honors

Collegiate entrepreneurship programs in the United States have evolved since their inception in 1927 both in content and adoption. This thesis examines the formal undergraduate entrepreneurship education in the United States, discerning who enrolls in these programs and how these programs address gendered norms in the field. Previous research has been conducted on women entrepreneurs and the growth of the field, but not as it relates to higher education. This study is a qualitative analysis of past studies on entrepreneurship education and women in entrepreneurship and a quantitative analysis of an existing data set acquired from the National Center for Education Statistics. Findings indicated that there is only a limited understanding of the growth of entrepreneurship in higher education and its relationship to gender. Furthermore, very little research has been done to understand the impact entrepreneurial programs in higher education on career entrepreneurs. Through this research, a need for new data to explain foundational shifts in entrepreneurial education and its relationship to gender have been identified.

Committee: Jennifer Vokoun (Advisor) Subjects: Educational Evaluation; Entrepreneurship

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Leadership and Change

This study explores the underlying causes of the racial wealth gap between Black and White Americans: the absence of intergenerational wealth transfers in Black business families. As American wealth becomes concentrated into fewer and fewer hands, the data reveal that one third of the 400 wealthiest Americans inherited their wealth from the entrepreneurial endeavors of earlier generations in their family, some creating entrepreneurial dynasties. An important aspect of succession planning is the construct of generativity. Generativity is practiced through leading, nurturing, promoting, and teaching the next generation to create things to “move down the generational chain and connect to a future” (Kotre, 1996, p. xv). There is little research that informs us about the generative intent of Black entrepreneurs. First-generation Black wealth creators operating in the beauty industry with dynastic and generative intent were the target population for this study. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data revealed that the paradigmatic ethos and frame of mind that developed from the lived experience of the study participants included the following themes: A Celebration of Blackness, Black Mothers: A Guiding Light, Destined for Purposeful Work, Our Health Our Wealth, and You Can't Pay It Back. The themes imply that entrepreneurial education and training for first-generation Black entrepreneurs with dynastic intent must contextualize the Black lived experience. The study offers a model for Dynastic Wealth™, which includes extensive implications for entrepreneurial training and curriculum design changes for practitioners and policymakers. The model has been contextualized for the Black entrepreneurial experience and is designed through a lens of racial equity. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Committee: S. Aqeel Tirmizi Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Donna Ladkin Ph.D. (Committee Member); E. Murell Dawson Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Black History; Black Studies; Business Education; Curriculum Development; Economic History; Education Policy; Entrepreneurship; Families and Family Life; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Counselor Education (Education)

Purpose – Participants in this study were asked to describe ways in which they develop and implement experiential teaching strategies to create a robust curriculum that incorporates both classroom and applied learning opportunities, and how and if reflective practices are incorporated into those. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 13 educators from 11 different institutions of higher education in the US participated in the study. Findings – Subjects interviewed described educational strategies within the entrepreneurship field that largely incorporate experiential learning opportunities but vary greatly in terms of breadth and depth of those programs. Further, participants in the study support prior research emphasizing the limited use and design of reflective practices in higher education curriculum. Research limitations/implications – Due to the limited number of educators interviewed in this study, supplementary research utilizing a more robust sample set and a more comprehensive and longitudinal approach to explore the topic of experiential education within the entrepreneurship curriculum is recommended. Further, the data collected indicates a need for future study focused on reflective practices within the curriculum and beyond, and also supports exploration of ways in which experiential learning and reflective practices impact student learning. Practical implications – The data collected illustrates the practical use of experiential learning opportunities and reflective practices amongst the participants. In conclusion, the findings indicate that more creative and purposeful approaches can be made in both these areas. Originality/value – These findings contribute to existing literature exploring the use of experiential learning within entrepreneurship education and further enhances understanding of if and how reflective practices are currently being used within the field. Keywords – experiential learning, reflective practices, entr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Peter Mather Dr. (Committee Chair); Luke Pittaway Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Theory; Entrepreneurship

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1981, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Design

Design is everywhere, but for many African American and Latino youth, the journey to a design career can be overwhelming. Limited access and too few opportunities prevent the majority of these youth from even beginning the journey. Design Journeys: Strategies for Increasing Diversity in Design Disciplines explores diversity in design disciplines and presents fifteen strategic ideas to expose African American and Latino youth to design-related careers. This solutions-based thesis introduces a map charting a design career from grade school to a seasoned professional. The “Design Journey Map” contains four color-coded passages that are overlapped with career competency components that simultaneously cultivate soft skills together with the hard skills youth learn along the journey to a design career. The intent of this research is to inform and empower future African American and Latino youth, their parents and other educational stakeholders, about the journey to obtain a design-related career. The objective of this study is to analyze the design journeys of current African American and Latino designers and learn what influenced their career paths. This research is important because it shows the journey to become a designer and provides principles of the solution for closing the diversity gap in the design industry.

Committee: Paul Nni (Advisor) Subjects: Design