1. A Virtual Incubator to Promote Information
Technology Innovations
Abdullah Konak Sadan Kulturel-Konak
Penn State Berks
Reading, PA

2. Penn State Berks
 2,800 undergraduate students with about 800 of
them reside on campus
 15 baccalaureate degrees and first two years of 160
Penn State degrees
 Entrepreneurship Minor (E-Ship) since Fall 2009
 Two NCIIA grants
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

3. E-Ship Minor Learning Objectives
 Demonstrate communication skills (verbal, non-
verbal, and written skills) needed to share innovative
product/ideas.
 Identify opportunity including seeing market
possibilities and the product/idea from a customer’s
perspective.
 Define and solve problems.
 Work in a team environment.
 Demonstrate appropriate critical thinking skills
requisite in an entrepreneurship environment.
 Demonstrate ability to be an “ambidextrous thinker”,
Virtual Incubator @ Berks
one who can appropriately blend rigor with creativity.

4. Motivations
 We assume that students have the technical
knowledge and skills and try to provide them with
Entrepreneurship knowledge and skills.
New ideas,
Knowledge
Engineering & Skills Seizing
opportunities New
Technology Ventures
Programs
Innovative
thinking
Business skills
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Education &
Programs
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

5. Challenges in IT Education &
Innovations
 Strict IT policies on campus computers
 Lack of secure computing environments to test
critical tasks
 Challenges to dedicate specialty computer labs to
the exclusive use of E-teams for extended periods of
time
 Projects limited to a semester time frame
 Limited access to specialty software and operating
systems
 A steep-learning curve
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

6. A Solution: Virtual Computers
 Virtual computers are software emulators of fully
functional operating systems (OS).
 Multiple OS can be simultaneously run on a
single host.
Virtual PC1 Virtual PC2 Virtual PC2
(LINUX) (Windows XP) (WS 2003)
Host (Lab
Computer)
Virtual Network
`
Virtual Machine Software
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

7. The Collaborative Virtual Computer
Labratory (CVCLAB)- Penn State Berks
 The CVCLAB aims to provide students with an open
learning environment in which they can experiment
with high risk operations without any concern.
 http://ist.bk.psu.edu/cvclab
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

8. Virtual Incubator @ Berks (VIB)
 Virtual IT resources dedicated to the exclusive use of
E-Teams over extended time periods to prototype
their IT-based innovation ideas.
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

9. Objectives
 Instill entrepreneurship spirit into IT students

 Shorten the lead time from idea to prototype
 Pre-configured computers
 Software repository
 Tutorials
 Engage entrepreneurship students in local business
and community needs for economic development
 Business and community partnerships
 Internships
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

10. Target Technologies
 Distributed object computing with an emphasis on
database and web applications
 Application development for mobile devices
 Open source technologies
 Data mining (Big Data)
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

11. An Example
 LMC Software Solutions, Inc.
 Innovative Product: A Development and Operations
Platform
 Needed to test their products on various operating
systems, Solaris, Windows Server, and Linux
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

12. Challenges
 Rapid changes in IT
 Creating policies that make both our students and IT
happy
 Recruitment
 Competitions
 Integration into classes
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

13. Experiential Learning Model
 Claim: Activities designed as step-by-step
instructions that guide students through challenging
tasks do not achieve complete learning.
 Research Question:
 What are the best pedagogies to design hands-on
activities for virtual computer laboratories?
Virtual Increased
Computer Student
Activities
Learning and
Laboratories Motivation
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

14. Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984)
•Hands-on activities
Concrete
Experience •Projects
•Tutorial
Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
•Review questions
•Short discussions
•Lab reports
•Generalization Questions •Peer-to-peer interaction
Abstract
•Open ended questions Conceptualization
•Quiz
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

15. Research Plan & Experimental Setup
Control Treatment (Kolb’s
Model)
Class Treatment Control
IST 110-I 19
IST 110-II 15
IST 110-III 19
IST 110-IV 17
MIS 204 5
IST 220-I 12
IST 220-II 7
Total 44 50
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

16. Data Analysis
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

17. Results
The Smaller,
The Better
Virtual Incubator @ Berks

18. Discussions
 We can foster more comprehensive learning by
including all stages of Kolb’s Experiential Learning
Cycle in hands-on activities.
 Design activities based on an inquiry-based
framework rather than a cookbook methodology.
Virtual Incubator @ Berks