Integrating basic economic understanding into non-economic courses of study. An example of case-based university education for prospective biologists

The confrontation with economic education in the academic training of biologists is a challenging didactic activity. This is because, in contrast to courses of study that are genuinely oriented towards economics, only a limited workload of biology students can be provided for this area, both structurally and organisationally. Simultaneously, in contrast to other courses of study with a strong focus on natural sciences, the previous knowledge of the students is very inhomogeneous due to the different educational backgrounds in economic issues.

Therefore, the focus here should be placed specifically on the question of the methodological-didactic design and implementation of a concept for the promotion of economic education. A broad understanding of economic education that combines the teaching of economic knowledge or the promotion of entrepreneurship with elements of entrepreneurship education will be the guiding principle. From a didactic point of view, this understanding can easily be combined with an intervention model of entrepreneurship education for students without previous economic knowledge, which was also developed by Schulte (2006)*. The economic and entrepreneurial competencies to be acquired by the students should have a direct reference to the anchor subject biology, be motivating and learner-centred and be offered in settings that promote learning. Under this aspect a focus on situated teaching and learning arrangements is recommended. These should, on the one hand, simulate reality as much as possible and, on the other hand, serve as a basis for acquiring the broad set of entrepreneurial competencies. The case study method, which has been widely used in business studies for a long time, is an approach that can be counted among this type of teaching-learning arrangements. This didactic large-scale form, in Germany also known as the case study method, focuses explicitly on the outlined requirements and is characterized by learner-activating features.

* Schulte, R. (2006): Entrepreneurship-Ausbildung an Hochschulen und „Kultur der Selbstständigkeit“. In: sowi-online, 2. Ausg. https://doi.org/10.4119/jsse-367. Stand vom 5. Januar 2016.