Synergy and Sensibility: A Course on Entrepreneurship in Gerotechnologies

Abstract

“Health, Technology, and Aging” is a course developed to address three significant contemporary trends: aging populations, increasingly ubiquitous technology, and the economic imperative to encourage entrepreneurship. Course content is a blend of gerontology, informatics, and entrepreneurship designed for nonbusiness majors. Six interdisciplinary faculty modeled synergistic teamwork for the student teams. Findings suggest that students appreciated the interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning and perceived gerotechnology as a promising market for business development. An external panel of judges scored student projects as well described, persuasive, and creative. Two plans of the four projects were judged to have potential for funding.

KEYWORDS:

• entrepreneurship education
• gerotechnology in higher education
• synergistic teamwork within academic course development
• interdisciplinary faculty collaboration

The development of the course was funded by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. Thanks to fellow instructors Jean Camp, Kay Connelly, and Michelle Miller and the many adjunct faculty who helped with the course.