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17 The Dynamics of Alumni-Student Interactions via Digital Community Mechanisms in Entrepreneurship Education

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De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Entrepreneurship
This chapter is in the book De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This chapter investigates how students and alumni of an entrepreneurship education program can access and share knowledge, resources, and networks via digital tools. Previously, communication between students and alumni in the program was an ad hoc process of social recommendations. A two-sided platform was developed to foster more frequent and better alumni-student interactions. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of alumni-student interactions, with an emphasis on digital community mechanisms. Data were gathered through interviews with students and alumni who used the two-sided platform. Our results indicate that such a digital database is complementary to traditional alumni activities rather than a substitute. The database was primarily used to enable contact between alumni and students. Increasing the amount of information in the database may improve its searchability and, thus, community learning. Simultaneously, the increased amount of information available digitally reduces learning opportunities regarding how to handle a lack of information and uncertainty in authentic learning situations.

Abstract

This chapter investigates how students and alumni of an entrepreneurship education program can access and share knowledge, resources, and networks via digital tools. Previously, communication between students and alumni in the program was an ad hoc process of social recommendations. A two-sided platform was developed to foster more frequent and better alumni-student interactions. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of alumni-student interactions, with an emphasis on digital community mechanisms. Data were gathered through interviews with students and alumni who used the two-sided platform. Our results indicate that such a digital database is complementary to traditional alumni activities rather than a substitute. The database was primarily used to enable contact between alumni and students. Increasing the amount of information in the database may improve its searchability and, thus, community learning. Simultaneously, the increased amount of information available digitally reduces learning opportunities regarding how to handle a lack of information and uncertainty in authentic learning situations.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. List of Contributors XI
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1: Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era
  6. 1 Digital Entrepreneurship and Ideology: The Emerging Value System for Entrepreneuring in the Digital Era 19
  7. 2 Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Entrepreneurship: A New Era Has Begun 43
  8. 3 The Wisdom of Shared Interests: Entrepreneurial Intelligence and Its Development Through Online Maker Communities 61
  9. Part 2: Innovative Entrepreneurship: Adapting to Industry 4.0
  10. 4 Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Entrepreneurship 97
  11. 5 Entrepreneurship in the FinTech Sector: An Overview of the State of Research 127
  12. 6 Digitalization of Entrepreneurial Finance in China: A Focus on Policy 145
  13. 7 How Do Users of Digital Technologies Become Digital Entrepreneurs?: A Generativity and Socio-material Perspective 163
  14. Part 3: Digital Entrepreneurship and Ecosystems
  15. 8 What’s Your Platform Type? A Framework for Entrepreneurs 179
  16. 9 How Digital Platforms for Inclusive Microbusiness Can Transform Waste Management Workers’ Lives in India 197
  17. 10 The Performance of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Through the Lens of Digital Transformation: The Case of Antananarivo 213
  18. 11 Digital Business Incubation: An Avatar for the Twenty-First Century Entrepreneur 235
  19. Part 4: Digital Entrepreneurship and Strategy
  20. 12 Highly Digitalized International New Ventures’ First Export Order and Ongoing Capability Development 249
  21. 13 Leveraging Digitality for SME Internationalization and Business Model Innovation 277
  22. 14 Cognitive Determinants of Firm Innovativeness 301
  23. 15 Growing Up in the Digital Era: Creating Digital Assets by Digital New Ventures 327
  24. 16 Instagram and Emergent Business Models 343
  25. Part 5: Student Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era
  26. 17 The Dynamics of Alumni-Student Interactions via Digital Community Mechanisms in Entrepreneurship Education 371
  27. 18 University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Exploring Digitalization in University Incubators 395
  28. 19 Entrepreneurial Education: What Are the Challenges for Teaching and Research in the Light of Crises and Digitisation? 411
  29. List of Figures 421
  30. List of Tables 423
  31. About the Editors 425
  32. Index 427
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110764222-018

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. List of Contributors XI
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part 1: Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era
  6. 1 Digital Entrepreneurship and Ideology: The Emerging Value System for Entrepreneuring in the Digital Era 19
  7. 2 Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Entrepreneurship: A New Era Has Begun 43
  8. 3 The Wisdom of Shared Interests: Entrepreneurial Intelligence and Its Development Through Online Maker Communities 61
  9. Part 2: Innovative Entrepreneurship: Adapting to Industry 4.0
  10. 4 Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Entrepreneurship 97
  11. 5 Entrepreneurship in the FinTech Sector: An Overview of the State of Research 127
  12. 6 Digitalization of Entrepreneurial Finance in China: A Focus on Policy 145
  13. 7 How Do Users of Digital Technologies Become Digital Entrepreneurs?: A Generativity and Socio-material Perspective 163
  14. Part 3: Digital Entrepreneurship and Ecosystems
  15. 8 What’s Your Platform Type? A Framework for Entrepreneurs 179
  16. 9 How Digital Platforms for Inclusive Microbusiness Can Transform Waste Management Workers’ Lives in India 197
  17. 10 The Performance of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Through the Lens of Digital Transformation: The Case of Antananarivo 213
  18. 11 Digital Business Incubation: An Avatar for the Twenty-First Century Entrepreneur 235
  19. Part 4: Digital Entrepreneurship and Strategy
  20. 12 Highly Digitalized International New Ventures’ First Export Order and Ongoing Capability Development 249
  21. 13 Leveraging Digitality for SME Internationalization and Business Model Innovation 277
  22. 14 Cognitive Determinants of Firm Innovativeness 301
  23. 15 Growing Up in the Digital Era: Creating Digital Assets by Digital New Ventures 327
  24. 16 Instagram and Emergent Business Models 343
  25. Part 5: Student Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era
  26. 17 The Dynamics of Alumni-Student Interactions via Digital Community Mechanisms in Entrepreneurship Education 371
  27. 18 University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Exploring Digitalization in University Incubators 395
  28. 19 Entrepreneurial Education: What Are the Challenges for Teaching and Research in the Light of Crises and Digitisation? 411
  29. List of Figures 421
  30. List of Tables 423
  31. About the Editors 425
  32. Index 427
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