Newsletter 2:


Over the past months, the GATE partnership has been turning methodology into practice. In Work Package 3 — “Creation of Learning Material Based on Methodology,” led by Hochschule Düsseldorf, we have begun building the learning content that brings our gamified approach to entrepreneurship education to life.

Rather than starting from a blank page, we built on what already works. Existing learning materials from across the partnership have been redesigned through the lens of the gamified methodology developed in Work Package 2 and we have adapted University College of Northern Denmark’s proven entrepreneurship teaching concept into an interactive, game-based format. The result is a first working simulation of the learner experience ,prototyped in Figma,  that lets us test and refine the student journey before it goes live on the platform.

What the learning experience looks like

Throughout the Entrepreneurship Journey, there are core modules as well as various optional pathways, each structured as a five-day learning journey. Instead of lectures, learners go through a series of interactive steps, as illustrated here by the Business Model module:

• • A short pre-test and reflection quiz that maps what each learner already knows about their own business.

• • A hands-on matching game where learners place real business situations into the nine building blocks of the Business Model Canvas.

• • An Interactive Canvas Builder — the centrepiece of the week — where students construct their own Business Model Canvas with guiding prompts, automatic “spot the gap” feedback, and a progress tracker.

• • A stress-test challenge that pushes learners to identify their most dangerous assumptions.

• • A peer-review and submission stage supported by structured feedback rubrics.

Throughout, XP points, achievements (“The Examined Business,” “Blueprint Complete,” “Constructive Critic”) and cohort leaderboards keep motivation high and make progress visible.

The same design logic now extends across further modules taking shape including Pitching & Communication (featuring an “AI-Investor Duel,” where learners defend their pitch against an AI venture capitalist), The Financial Journey (with a funding matcher and a budget-based validation simulator), and Communication Planning. A set of elective courses : Customer Segmentation, Process Management, Design Thinking, Prototyping & Lean Startup, and Online Marketing  will let learners and educators tailor the experience to their needs.

Co-created and industry-relevant

True to the aims of Work Package 3, the materials are being developed in close collaboration with companies, universities, and enterprises, so that the case studies, scenarios,and exercises reflect real entrepreneurial practice. Each learning set will pass through several rounds of feedback from academic and industry partners before it is finalised.

What’s next

The coming phase focuses on iterative refinement: expanding the module library, gathering feedback from students and educators. Also preparing the materials for pilot testing on the gamified learning platform (Work Package 4). We look forward to sharing the first learner reactions in an upcoming issue. Stay tuned!