Reflect - Act - Transform: Digital Entrepreneurship as a Learning Tool for the 21st Century Graduate
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62338/323gbv05Keywords:
Digital Entrepreneurship, Experiential Learning, Transformative Learning, EducationAbstract
In today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, higher education institutions face the growing challenge of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical applications to prepare graduates for the demands of the modern workforce. Literature emphasizes the importance of developing an entrepreneurial mindset in the digital age while noting that traditional teaching methods often fall short in cultivating real-world readiness. Experiential learning is viewed as vital for students’ development, and studies highlight both strengths and gaps in Malaysian entrepreneurship education. Therefore, this study explores how digital entrepreneurship acts as a dynamic experiential learning platform that fosters critical reflection and perspective transformation. Grounded in Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, the study adopted a qualitative design involving 20 purposively selected student entrepreneurs from various academic disciplines. Data collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Findings show that sustained engagement in digital entrepreneurship promotes deep self-reflection, challenges existing assumptions, and cultivates adaptive thinking and behavior. Participants noted the improvements in skills that are frequently undeveloped in traditional classroom learning, including crisis management, independent decision-making, creativity, intercultural communication, and self-confidence. The findings show that digital entrepreneurship is a life-changing educational experience rather than just a way of developing skills. With practice through real-world challenges and interactions, students develop the motivation to experience mindset transformations. This approach not only increases comprehension but also fosters hands-on experience and higher-quality education, which encourages lifelong learning, boosts marketability, graduate competitiveness, and enables rapid curriculum development. This paper advocates embedding experiential digital entrepreneurship in higher education curricula to better equip graduates as reflective, proactive, and resilient contributors in the 21st-century digital economy.
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