#KeepGlobalSmith in BMGT468Z: Creating the Future through Systems Thinking and Design
- Describe your experience in the Global Classroom. What was the best part of your experience? What surprised you about your experience?
My Global Classroom experience was in my BMGT468Z class with Professor Suarez, and was conducted with students from Spain to have group projects surrounding design thinking in a hospital setting. My team had 4 UMD students and 3 from partnering institutions, and we had completed our presentations through Zoom meetings and GroupMe for texting. The best part was the different ideas that were given by the students from Spain, with certain programs and techniques brought up that we had never used in the United States. What surprised me the most was how easy it was to connect to the other team and complete the assignments. While we were on different continents, we were able to thrive as a collective and create strong bonds in order to complete our tasks.
- What challenges did you face when interacting and integrating global students in your team and what did you learn from that experience?
One of the biggest challenges was learning about how to effectively manage teams in different time zones, and conduct meetings. As Spain is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Time, we usually had to have meetings at 2-3pm our time and 8-9pm for them. This made us realize how global partnerships have to combat time differences efficiently to be successful. Another challenge were the different assignments given by the Spain teacher and Professor Suarez. Our teams had to help each other out whenever we could and often did work not specifically assigned to our class. This made us realize how different teams have different objectives, and that all teams must aid one another to complete all the tasks even if there is little direct benefit, as it ensures that the total project can thrive.
- What was something that you learned from your participation in this course that you may not have learned otherwise?
The most surprising thing was seeing how the students were impacted differently by current events, such as COVID-19. As Spain had a 10pm curfew in place for all individuals the students had to revolve their days around making it home in time, whereas the United States did not react similarly. I would have never known the struggle of the challenges brought by this, and it helped me see the assignments differently.
- What has this experience taught you about collaborating with global partners in a virtual environment and designing a solution for a real-life client?
This experience has taught me that global partnerships have their difficulties, but with the accessibility of the virtual environment and expansion of ideals given they are worth it. Working with people from around the world allows for the final projects to be far more complex and dynamic, as well as appealing to a larger demographic. While buffering and lost connections get in the way, the overall design experience is improved for the team and the client has a better solution.
- What advice would you give a student considering participating in this type of course?
I would recommend to go into global experiences with an open mind and a desire to connect with the other team. While the students are in different areas with different experiences, building bridges to understand them and their goals will help ensure that the final production is polished and integrative.
