'Lost in space': the role of social networking in university-based entrepreneurial learning

While entrepreneurship education increasingly uses various means to connect students to the ‘real world’, the impact of social networking on learning remains under-explored. This qualitative study of student entrepreneurs in UK and Sweden shows that their entrepreneurial journey becomes increasingly complex, requiring skills and knowledge not solely developed through formal or non-formal learning. Social networks, and associated informal learning, are shown to be critical in developing social capital important to the students’ entrepreneurial journey. This study exposes a key value of social networking and encourages educators to embed activities that facilitate students’ informal learning within the curriculum.