Innovation and diversity in the HEI's approach to teaching and learning (including flexible learning pathways) should accompany the development of the entrepreneurial mindset and competences across all departments and programmes. This can be achieved through:

• Offering tailored entrepreneurship courses across all subject areas and levels of study
• Supporting curriculum change to stimulate and develop entrepreneurial mindsets and skills through new pedagogies, student-centred, cross-disciplinary and practice-based learning (e.g., MOOCs, living labs, the use of case studies, games and simulation)
• Providing support and training to staff in creating and restructuring new curriculum related to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education
• Providing mechanisms for students to engage in review and feedback on courses
• Introducing new mechanisms for supporting students, including experiencing starting new ventures within the students’ formal education or delivering entrepreneurship education with practising entrepreneurs
• Ensuring that all learning opportunities are designed and delivered to be inclusive and sustainable

The objective of entrepreneurship education is the systematic and effective development of enterprising individuals, who are responsible towards the society and communities they live in. For the practical implementation of entrepreneurship education, however, this must be narrowed down into broad learning objectives and practical aims, such as creative thinking, self-initiative and responsibility, tolerance for and overcoming failure, and commercial literacy for business creation and growth.

This list of learning objectives concerns entrepreneurship as a key competence for life (Oslo Agenda) as well as future entrepreneurial behaviour in the specific context of business creation and development. Currently, it is common to find a mix of these objectives within a single course but without a proper consideration as to which didactics, pedagogies, teaching methods, learning environments and materials would best match which learning objective and practical aim. Differentiating the different learning objectives and practical aims – in the educator’s minds and in what and how he or she teaches entrepreneurship – is thus a necessary step towards a more systematic approach.

In an entrepreneurial HEI, entrepreneurial teaching therefore influences the dominant tradition and methodology of teaching and learning in the institution. Educators need to be aware of the impact on students of non-traditional pedagogies (e.g., place-based learning, problem-based learning), and what the requirements are for practicing these in terms of preparation, resources, and approaches to learning outcome assessment. This requires time, the availability of training and training material as well as teaching resources, such as teaching material and guidance for how to assess learning outcomes.

Not all educators will initially feel comfortable with entrepreneurial teaching and the use of pedagogies in which students have a greater say in teaching and more responsibility in learning. It will be important to provide them with assistance and continuous training to deliver blended education with traditional academic teaching and new methods such as student-centred, problem-based learning and experience orientated education. This will enable teachers to develop familiarity with a ‘learning by doing’ approach including learning in practice in the form of internships and various learning activities outside the classroom.

A key success factor in developing entrepreneurial mind-sets and skills across an HEI is the dissemination of interdisciplinary activities in education and research. These activities promote creative thinking as a result of exposure to different views, concepts and learning practices. However, organising interdisciplinary events is often challenged by conflicting learning outcome requirements (ECTS), incompatible time schedules, and the lack of institutional support. Facilitating interdisciplinary education and research activities, support and encouragement from top-level and faculty/department management is of critical importance.

The establishment of academic positions will help to promote entrepreneurship development in teaching and learning. An example is a chair or professorship in entrepreneurship. Such formalised entrepreneurship champions can support further work on developing an entrepreneurial spirit in the institution.

The development of entrepreneurial teaching and learning across the institution will require a transformational change that promotes new pedagogies, student-centred and practice-based learning as well as new forms of learning outcome assessments. This new approach will take time and require steady and significant investment of resources as the model of education in an entrepreneurial higher education institution is fundamentally different from typical higher education learning.