Hi, my name is Julie De Zutter, and I’m excited to share this research project conducted with Kirstin Cooprider and Chuck Winrich, titled "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Case Studies in Teaching Technology Entrepreneurship," through the Math and Science Division at Babson College.

Case-based learning is widely used in business education and has also proven effective in building critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills. Research has consistently demonstrated the value of case studies in science education, showing that they help students connect with the material, enhance relevance, and ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes.

Our study explores whether case studies can enhance business students’ understanding of how scientific knowledge drives entrepreneurial opportunities.

We developed four case studies featuring science-based companies—SpaceX, AquaBounty, Riddell, and EcoWave Power—that exemplify how scientific innovation and research fuel business ventures. Each case highlights the scientific challenge the company faces, their unique solution, how it improves upon previous approaches, and the financial metrics that support growth.

To measure learning, students completed surveys before and after engaging with the cases. Preliminary results show that case studies significantly improved students’ understanding of technology entrepreneurship and increased their confidence in connecting science to real-world business opportunities.

The next steps for this project are to revise the case materials based on instructor feedback and redeploy them in future courses. Ongoing analysis of the collected data will provide a deeper insight into the overall impact of using case-based learning to teach science and technology entrepreneurship to business students.

Thank you for your attention!