Satisfying higher education students’ psychological needs through case-based instruction for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship

This section presents the findings of the quantitative analysis on the feasibility of CBI for enhancing digital learners’ creativity and entrepreneurship across three testing points. Additionally, it reports the qualitative findings regarding students’ suggestions for enhancing the designed instruction strategy.

Descriptive statistics

Thirty-one digital learners finished all three tests. There were more female participants (71%) than male participants (29%). Table 3 shows the descriptive statistics for creativity and entrepreneurship competencies from the pre-, mid-, and post-tests.

Creativity changes in pre-, mid-, and post-tests (RQ1)

A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to sequentially evaluate the changes in creativity at pre-, mid-, and post-tests. The results of Mauchly’s test showed that the sphericity assumption was fulfilled (χ²[2] = 3.49, p = 0.18 > 0.05).

As shown in Table 4, the one-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between the effects of time on students’ overall creativity (F[2, 60] = 10.13, p < 0.001, np² = 0.25).

Bonferroni post-hoc tests were performed on three paired sample comparisons (see Table 5). A significant increase in creativity was observed between pre- and post-tests (M = 3.25; M = 3.72, t = −0.47, p < 0.05), and between mid- and post-tests (M = 3.37; M = 3.72, t = −0.35, p < 0.05).

Entrepreneurship changes in pre-, mid-, and post-tests (RQ2)

A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to sequentially evaluate the changes in entrepreneurship at pre-, mid-, and post-tests. The results of Mauchly’s test showed that the sphericity assumption was fulfilled (χ²[2] = 5.52, p = 0.06 > 0.05).

As shown in Table 6, the one-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between the effects of time on students’ overall entrepreneurship (F[2, 60] = 7.61, p < 0.05, np² = 0.20).

Bonferroni post-hoc tests were performed on three paired sample comparisons (see Table 7). A significant increase in entrepreneurship was observed between pre- and post-tests (M = 3.88; M = 4.29, t = −0.413, p < 0.05).

Student considerations for SDT-guided CBI (RQ2)

The students proposed various suggestions for using SDT-guided CBI to foster digital learners’ creativity and entrepreneurship in higher education, including selecting effective case studies, using entrepreneurs’ stories, supporting entrepreneurial experiences, promoting technology-enhanced learning, and advocating for collaborative learning. The following results show how each suggestion fostered their SDT needs.

Selecting effective case studies

Sixty percent of the participants suggested providing open-ended and imperfect case studies to allow more autonomy in creativity. For example, Student 3 observed that:

If the aim is to stimulate creativity, firstly, for the original case, students should feel that there are areas that can be improved … If there are technical issues in the original case, it could potentially stimulate the students’ creativity.

Similarly, Student 5 said, ‘I believe that in the selection of cases, [the teachers] should choose more open-ended cases with multiple potential solutions, allowing students to express their innovative ideas’. Likewise, Student 2 observed that, ‘we propose improvements, or what we call solutions, to a particular company. This suggestion requires us to use our imagination and creativity to come up with such a solution’. In addition, Student 4 provided details on dealing with open-ended case studies:

In terms of case analysis, students are encouraged to think about the case and incorporate their own ideas. For instance, how to optimise a marketing plan under certain circumstances in a company. Using divergent thinking to guide students, how can we optimise the timeline of the marketing plan? Can we optimise the plan through a low situation or other methods? Or, are the platforms used for multimedia promotion suitable for the target audience? Is there a better, newer platform or group? What platform do young people prefer? So, I believe creativity can be reflected from these aspects, which can optimise various aspects of our case analysis.

Three interviewees emphasised that the course could be improved by providing the latest case studies for students to meet their psychological need for relatedness, as shown by the following excerpts:

My understanding of CBI is that the most important aspect is to keep up with the times. Some cases may be outdated and not suitable for the current market. I think this is really important because you can’t use cases from the 90 s or the early 21^st century to predict modern human behaviour and the current market. Things like TikTok are disruptive. If you still use the old materials for analysis, you definitely can’t figure out the reasons. So, in my opinion, the newer the case, the better. (Student 1)

[Our course] includes the example of McDonald’s using artificial intelligence and augmented reality technologies to train employees to fry chicken. Of course, I can say that it is an example that can inspire students’ entrepreneurial spirit. The original example itself is very creative … it is really happening, it aligns with technology, and it complies with tech trends. But to be honest, it is still an old case, because it feels like some news I saw about 2 years ago. If you look at the current situation, including the upcoming launch of Apple’s new Version Pro, [change is] happening every day. (Student 7)

Moreover, some students highlighted the value of studying small and medium-sized companies for constructing relatedness among the students. For example, Student 4 observed that:

As business all begins from something small, our cases can be more down-to-earth or smaller ones, which don’t require high startup funds, to better help students ‘take the first step’. Big companies might make people feel it’s unachievable, too far away from them.

Student 10 expressed a similar idea:

If we talk about large companies, their growth and development may not be particularly relevant to ordinary people. Because, if an ordinary person wants to start a business, they need to start small and grow step by step. So, I think that if we want to foster an entrepreneurial spirit, the best examples would be ordinary people’s cases, starting perhaps with a small restaurant and gradually growing. A couple could start a small restaurant and then gradually expand and open a chain. Those cases might be more realistic and practical.

Using entrepreneurs’ stories

The students proposed using entrepreneurs’ stories as a strategy to foster learning. This method boosts the students’ relatedness with the cases, enhancing their learning engagement and understanding. For instance, Student 2 proposed that:

If I were the teacher preparing the learning materials, I would investigate the experiences of some famous entrepreneurs. I would start by finding relevant cases from news media, such as Forbes. I would research when they started their business, what they initially did, what companies they created, and how they made so much money. Then, I would create a case study around this … [so that students can learn] from the success stories of these accomplished individuals and draw lessons from their experiences.

Student 8 also suggested that:

I may find some successful entrepreneurial cases for students to understand the experiences and stories of these entrepreneurs. I believe that the entrepreneurial spirit of successful entrepreneurs, their entrepreneurial background, their journey, and the factors that contributed to their success can all inspire students. Therefore, I wouldn’t likely choose a case of business failure for the students. Rather, I might lean towards successful entrepreneurial cases for the students to analyse. In the process of this analysis, students would learn about the background, process, and factors of successful entrepreneurship.

The students were also inspired by online resources for entrepreneurial stories. For example, Student 6 mentioned online bloggers:

I’ve seen many online bloggers share their entrepreneurial experiences. In a classroom setting, [the teacher] could invite entrepreneurs who are part of a startup team or who have already succeeded. They can be at various stages of entrepreneurship. They could serve as guest lecturers and share their experiences with the students.

Meanwhile, Student 10 suggested using edited documentary footage to present entrepreneurial stories:

I’ve seen a series of online videos before. That series of videos specifically focused on successful entrepreneurs and how they’ve climbed from the bottom to their current heights step by step. When I watched it, I felt pumped, ha-ha. It really stirred up my spirits. These materials can be shared with everyone. All these materials can be clipped from the Internet, thus significantly reducing the duration to about 20 to 30 min, which is quite good and presents the content completely. The entrepreneurs may come from different industries. This might inspire everyone’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Supporting entrepreneurial experiences

Seven students suggested providing opportunities for virtual entrepreneurial experiences to enhance their psychological need for relatedness. Some interviewees encouraged using the students’ imagination to construct these experiences, as Student 2 commented:

I might ask the students to write an essay, where they imagine they’ve just won a lottery of 1 million. They are to outline how they would use this 1 million to become a successful entrepreneur or to make successful investments. They need to discuss which industries they would invest in and what they would do with this money … For instance, they could invest the 1 million in McDonald’s or use the 1 million to invest in Luckin Coffee. The students can then use their imagination to explain why they would invest in a particular industry, including what they find appealing about it, and then elaborate on these points in an essay.

Similarly, Student 4 proposed creating case studies to improve student creativity:

I think another method might involve allowing students to create cases based on their interests. Each student has their own dream job or dream company, or ideas for their own business. Currently, I haven’t done this, but I could hypothetically create a case study. For example, I could imagine that I’m opening a flower shop, which is my ideal business. Originally, we were supposed to analyse existing real-world cases. However, to enhance creativity, we could allow students to create their own case studies. They could then analyse and optimise these self-created case studies for a second time.

Further, the interviewees provided different possibilities for running a virtual company to fulfil the students’ need for competence. For example, Student 1 recommended starting a hypothetical company:

You [the students] can start a company, theoretically, of course, and then you must prepare your cash flow statement and your balance sheet. Similar to a business course, you must properly prepare all these tables. Then they should be reasonable, the numbers in them, and your turnover rate all must make sense, it’s complicated, you can’t just make up numbers … For example, I was running a flower shop, and then you have to think about where your shop is located, how much is the monthly rent, how much is the cost, what is the passenger flow, what is your daily cash flow, and then they will also discuss things like your posters, the taxes you have to pay, the type of wear and tear you have to account for, you have to calculate everything.

Moreover, Student 5 proposed providing simulated entrepreneurship projects for students to execute:

We can provide case studies for students to discuss while designing some simulated entrepreneurship projects. This can help cultivate their decision-making skills through implementing these virtual entrepreneurship projects. It can also enhance their leadership and confidence, and promote their team collaboration skills, among other things.

In addition, the students highlighted the importance of having authentic entrepreneurial experiences, as discussed by Student 6:

If I were to use the case study teaching method, I believe I would guide the students directly into an actual business environment. They could experience the case in a real-life scenario or imitate a simple project based on a case study. They could achieve tangible results, such as creating some income, or experiencing the process of creation. In this way, they may gain a deeper understanding and creativity may emerge in the process.

Promoting technology-enhanced learning

Some participants emphasised that technologies enable more diverse ways of expression and can facilitate more engaging learning experiences, which satisfied the students’ psychological need for competence and autonomy. For example, Student 1 believed that ‘in education, we need to have some new technological perspectives. Only then can we come up with, and express, many new ideas’. Student 1 continued in this vein:

[In our course], we can use some technological methods to enhance the presentation of the case … Honestly, if you’re thinking about something like a Metaverse classroom in the future, or any kind of Metaverse-based education, it’s essentially about providing a faster and more vivid case solution for students learning in the Metaverse … Because the Metaverse may provide a more convenient environment for teachers in the classroom, it could allow them to demonstrate larger or more tangible objects.

Student 10 highlighted the advantage of technologies in facilitating immersive learning experiences, which promoted the students’ need for relatedness:

Let me think for a moment and put myself in the teacher’s role, to improve the CBI. My thoughts might be a bit out of the box, because our current learning activities are mainly in the classroom. Yes, my idea is that if we could organise some workshops, some hands-on activities that allow students to personally experience and get involved, this experience doesn’t necessarily mean you have to complete a certain task. It could also be combined with our digital technology to experience some games. Because there are some games that are similar to the Monopoly game, where each person is a unique character. Yes, and then you can do whatever you want within the character’s capabilities. It’s somewhat similar, but it is implemented via a computer.

Advocating for collaborative learning

Some students advocated using collaborative learning approaches to foster learners’ creativity and entrepreneurship. Communication and discussion among peers provided the students with opportunities to exchange thoughts, broaden their horizons, and enhance their ideas. Therefore, the collaborative learning approach improved students’ psychological needs for competence and relatedness. As elaborated by Student 8, ‘it [the class] could involve allowing students to work in groups, encouraging them to think collaboratively. Then, they can use their collective thoughts to tackle the entrepreneurship case studies’. Student 5 had a similar recommendation, ‘I would facilitate students’ group discussions or presentations, providing them enough time to think and express their thoughts within their teams. During this process, I may offer some guidance as needed’.

Further, Student 1 described his suggestions on the division of labour while finishing tasks as a collaborative team:

If you are in a group, you definitely need to choose a group leader, right? The group leader doesn’t necessarily have to do specific tasks. If the leader is engaged in specific tasks, and everyone is doing the same, then no one is there to tie everything together. Because the specific tasks are simple and straightforward, everyone can do the work if they spend time, right? Everyone can handle the data, but the challenging part is how to connect the data coherently. Because you need to consider the logic, you need to think and you need to focus on whether it’s consistent from beginning to end. The group leader, I think, should focus more on tying together different modules.

Student 1 summarised the main issue with CBI:

CBI, I think it’s fine, no problem. But if it involves a lot of elements [for improvement], it actually doesn’t matter, because the focus isn’t on the format. The key lies in the elements I mentioned earlier—there should be a collaborative model.

The students’ overall suggestions are summarised in Table 8.