Otago Polytechnic's school of information technology is implementing a reality television-inspired approach to third-year projects.
Students in small groups pitch their business ideas to a panel of industry professionals, gaining feedback and a better understanding of what they must do to perfect their projects for final evaluation.
The approach is based on the television programme Dragon's Den, in which entrepreneurs seek investment finance from venture capitalists.
It was trialled for the first time on almost 40 third-year information technology students at the polytechnic's Dunedin campus last week.
Proposed projects include an online system developed to encourage visitors to explore the Otago Peninsula's inter-tidal zone, an interactive application for secondary school pupils to solve everyday problems, and an athlete-monitoring application to create useful statistics about sport players' real-time locations.
Associate Prof Samuel Mann said the mock Dragon's Den was a resounding success and it was likely to become a permanent fixture within the third-year course.
A panel of eight locally-based business professionals included Audacious challenge business coach David Quinn and Upstart business coach Steven Walker.
"I found the quality, diversity and focus of the potential projects to be of a high standard," Mr Walker said.
Dr Mann said panellists were keen to review students' progress mid-year and become mentors to the budding businessmen and women.
Students also completed peer review during the Dragon's Den process, in which project presentations were limited to four minutes.
Dr Mann said it was a great exercise through which students were launched into the deep end early and made to evaluate and promote their ideas while under pressure.
The polytechnic course usually involves presentations to industry professionals at the end of the third year, following self-assessment by the students.
Dr Mann said that would still happen, but the more experience students had formally presenting an idea the better.
"In less than a year's time they will be fronting up to potential employers or investors and need to be able to tell their story in a very succinct manner," he said.
