African Instructor/Expert perspective
Please note: Though the interviews comprised ones with instructors and experts, there is a distinction. In-country instructors work directly with the program, while experts work with a second organization, and provide expertise to the program. The terms might be used interchangeably or in conjunction, throughout this section.
The African In-country course instructors/experts describe themselves as “conduits” and “bridge builders,” filling gaps in knowledge for students, and “providing a true picture reflection of happenings on the ground.” (Personal interview, November 2019) [14]. The in-country African instructors/experts are the “feet on the ground” - they provide information on realistic and relevant contexts since the students are unable to visit the countries during the course. One expert recalls a comment they heard from a course mentor - “I attended the student presentation - I thought that they (the students) had been to that country. It is almost as if they (students) had been there.” (Personal interview, November 2019) [14].
The experts appreciate the uniqueness of the course structure in allocating a prominent place for expertise from Africa. “The program leverages the value of Africa. “We leverage our knowledge to guide students to examine various problem statements and existing approaches and apply their learning from the course to the formulation of solutions that are creative, sustainable, and apply to the local context.” (Personal interview, November 2019) [14]
The African instructors recognize gaps in knowledge by the students and there is the perception that sometimes such gaps might be overstated. One expert pointed out that students enquired about mobile phone usage amongst the youth in their country, which might be perceived as a legitimate problem from the “Western” sensibility. However, the expert pointed out that the “(continent) is global, phones are coming in from China.” (Personal interview, November 2019). [14]
The African instructors also indicate that sometimes students come in with preconceived notions and tend to apply their own framings to problems in Africa. Experts suggest open-mindedness - “come with an empty cup,” the expert in East Africa says (personal interview, November 2019).[14] “That way, when something new is poured in, you can learn from it.”
The African Instructors are instrumental in establishing interaction processes and meeting schedules with the students. They emphasized that this consistency in interactions is important in the development of ideas, and the continuity of the learning process. Each week, the team discusses new ideas. The African in-country Instructor vets each idea and suggests pathways for further exploration. Where the need arises, the primary in-country African instructor connects students to other experts, through a careful introduction process. “(I) personally meet other experts especially from organizations doing work around a similar concept the students are studying - I tell them about the students' focus. Through (Skype) calls, (I) introduce both the expert and the student team. (I) tell them about moving forward, (and) validate the ideas. “I do the groundwork to see that they are on the same page before they meet.” (Personal interview, November 2019) [14]. The in-country African Instructors ensure that the interaction with other experts is optimal for everyone.
All the three interviewed in-country African Instructors have been appreciative of the progress that students have made through the semester. They attribute it to systematic information seeking, thoroughness in utilizing information towards project goals, and flexibility. An expert said, “One of the best things about working with the team was how they were available to take part in the calls with them having to be up early in the morning given the different time zones. I was also very understanding when the team wasn’t able to take part in Skype calls. We would then have email interactions with a list of inquiries that I responded to. They (the in-country African instructors) let the student teams freely share their knowledge and then guided them on the best path. They also let the students ask questions when they needed verification” (personal interview, November 2019).[14]
The East Africa expert recommends “checking one’s biases” (expert interview, November 2019) and presenting evidence to students to validate claims. They also recommend making the most credible material and literature available to students, so they (students) come up with viable solutions. The role of the expert is to be a guide and mentor, and encourage fact, evidence, and expertise-based decision-making.
Faculty
The course faculty view the in-country African instructors as being instrumental in providing practical information. “They strengthen my teaching,” one-course faculty says (personal interview, November 2019)[14]. There is also clear role demarcation between the course faculty leads and in-country African course instructors. While the former provides theoretical and pedagogical framings, the latter are important to establishing the local context. Students have breakthrough moments when they read literature, tie theories and practical information together, and realize, “You know what, the books are actually right” (faculty instructor interview, November 2019) [14].
Both instructors view international networks and expertise as being integral to courses of this nature. “You wouldn’t be teaching an international course if you didn’t have international work experience - you should be able to reach out to somebody - if you can’t then it is an indication that you shouldn’t be teaching that course.” (Faculty instructor personal interview, November 2019). The course faculty also confirm that the in-country African instructors are integral in establishing the appropriateness of focus. Some topics are culturally sensitive - and it wouldn’t be appropriate for a group from a different cultural context to intervene.
The course faculty acknowledge that the quality of projects has improved since engaging with the in-country African Instructors. “We have always had superstar students - you can do anything with them. (However), the quality of good work has also become consistent.” (Faculty instructor personal interview, November 2019) [14]
The faculty allude to an improvement in the level of sophistication in discussions, which didn’t exist in classrooms some years ago before having the in-country African Instructors. The different pedagogies keep the discussions sufficiently radical, but also practical, which is “all right, things are messy, but here are the tools, and here is the information to do something about it.” (Interviewer comment during personal interview, November 2019) [14]. The faculty instructors also repeatedly exhort students to state their interaction goals to the African instructors, so that such interactions are considered part of the learning process.
Students
Students view their interactions with Global South experts as part of their personality growth. One of the two students interviewed noted that through navigating cross-cultural interactions with the African instructor, they have learned to “reach out to contacts, ask questions in meetings, raise concerns, make suggestions, summarize ideas into messages, and more.” (Student email interview, November 2019) [14].
The students also mention that the in-country African instructors are important in validating secondary information, obtained through online research. Even the most respected peer-reviewed journal articles might fail to capture cultural nuances (student email interview, November 2019)[14]. “For example, one of the in-country African instructors suggested a marketing plan, which helped our group further refine our intervention (student email interview, November 2019). The students recognize other advantages of in-country African Instructors - the need to make fewer assumptions based on secondary research material, and the ability to find specific in-country skills relevant to the intervention (in this case, it was to find an Internet company in-country to design a website relevant to the solution).
The other interviewed student attributes the presence and expertise of the in-country African Instructor as being instrumental in situating the geopolitical and socioeconomic contexts of the city that their team focused on. The “on-the-ground assessment” was important in clarifying assumptions and gaps in knowledge (student email interview, November 2019) [14]. The student was also appreciative of the perspective from the in-country African Instructor in understanding a highly localized situation. “I have a better understanding of what daily life is like in a country and city in the middle of a (situation) and the drive of many people in (the location) to better themselves and their community, despite the (situation). This is very inspiring.” (Student email interview, November 2019) [14]. (The words in the brackets are the researcher’s own and replace words that might purport to specific identities and locations.)
One of the interviewed students remarked, “Partnering with another organization and another country has given me leadership skills, improved communication skills, bravery, a more open mind, and a stronger work ethic.” (Student email interview, November 2019) [14]. They also view this course as a first step to “firm up some of my passions.” (Student email interview, November 2019) [14]. The other student appreciates the instrumental role the course has played in developing cross-cultural skills to engage with “unfamiliar ideas, situations, and cultures.” (Student email interview, November 2019) [14]. They highlight the development of entrepreneurial skills, business model development, polishing communication, and public speaking skills, and responding to constructive criticism. They also recognized the role of the course in developing “cultural respect, and a broader, more diverse world view.” (Student email interview, 2019) [14].