GC Entrepreneurship course shakes up traditional online classes

August 7, 2014

Chris Isham of Chris Isham Photography, pictured right, was one of 7 guests at the entrepreneurship roundtables.

Summer 2014 saw the launch of a brand new online course focusing on Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship in the Graphic Communications Industries. The course was designed flexibility that allows students who are interning or taking classes during the day to gain additional major requirement credits, whether they spend the summer in Clemson or anywhere else in the country.
A common complaint from students regarding the experience of taking online courses is that they feel isolated from both their classmates and their instructors, which can negatively impact student success. This course designed by lecturer Erica Walker and certified by Clemson Online, uses non-traditional communication tools to increase community in an online environment. Walker was determined to set up the course to allow for the formation of community and the necessary relationships needed for students to excel in an online learning environment.
The course used asynchronous and synchronous communication tools found outside of the standard University Learning Management System, Blackboard, to aid in this goal. Students posted weekly to a Google+ community page that acted as a more interactive and visual forum. The Community page was a popular place to be on Sunday evenings as everyone began to post and write responses back and forth discussing the materials for each week. One student stated that “reading articles and participating in forums on the course material, I have found, is such a great way to learn. You get perspectives on the material from a multitude of different students. It really makes you think a lot deeper.”

Chris Isham of Chris Isham Photography, pictured right, was one of 7 guests at the entrepreneurship roundtables.

For synchronous meetings, the class used Google Hangouts. Hangouts are similar to Skype in that they host video calls, but Hangouts allow up to 15 attendees, each with the ability to contribute both over video and on the simultaneous sidebar chat. Hangouts are able to recreate the feeling of a coffee shop conversation with people sitting on couches participating in a lively bit of conversation together.
In fact, several GC graduates located around the country joined us this semester through these hangouts. Since the course was focused on the most common traits of Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs, Walker felt it was only fair to hear directly from the entrepreneurs currently working out in the industry. Twice during the summer, students gathered together virtually and participated in roundtable discussions with business owners in various Graphic Communications industries.
Guests at the events included midwest photographer Stacy Able (class of 2006); the owner of Galvanic Printing, John Moss; the founder of the marketing firm the CMO team, Cindy Woods; Greenville film photographer, Chris Isham (class of 2009); Florida-based Bob Castles (class of 2001), owner of Brightfish Labels; Bill Woods, previous owner of a large print company who is now an active counsel and advisor to entrepreneurs, located in Georgia;  and Donna Vieira, an Boston-based intrapreneur in marketing for interlinkONE.
Many students thought the roundtable events and the access they provided to speak with these entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs was a highlight of the course. All the guests were willing to be incredibly open during the roundtable events and share the real struggles and triumphs experienced as a business owner. One student said “I enjoyed our Roundtable events when we got to hear from entrepreneurs who have dealt with the hardships of their career choices and have overcome them to be successful. I really liked hearing their advice to us!”
So, don’t discount online and hybrid courses yet! The resources offered to instructors through Clemson Online help professors, like Walker, create online courses that are as unique and engaging as their face-to-face counterparts. As one students states “I didn’t think I would enjoy the online aspect of this course, but I was very wrong. Really enjoyed the articles and the group chats we had with all types of entrepreneurs.”