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This paper reveals various approaches undertaken over more than two decades of teaching undergraduate programming classes at different Higher Education Institutions, in order to improve student activation and participation in class and consequently teaching and learning effectiveness.
While new technologies and the ubiquity of smartphones and internet access has brought new tools to the classroom and opened new didactic approaches, lessons learned from this personal long-term study show that neither technology itself nor any single new and often hyped didactic approach ensured sustained improvement of student activation. Rather it needs an integrated yet open approach towards a participative learning space supported but not created by new tools, technology and innovative teaching methods.
This chapter describes a new concept and experiences of a distributed interdisciplinary learning program for students across continents. The aim is to provide students with a truly Global Intercultural Project Experience (GIPE) by working together with peers from around the world and solving real-life client’s problems. We have received seed-funding for four annual projects to engage students from Germany (Europe), Namibia (Africa), Indonesia (Asia), and Peru (South America). In 2020 and 2021, 28 and 44 students from four continents engaged in a one-semester distributed interdisciplinary project for a Namibian and Indonesian client, respectively. Despite Covid-19 they successfully completed the project expressing deep appreciation for the learning opportunities overcoming challenges of working across widespread time zones, cultures, changing requirements, and various technical difficulties. Considering the vast learning benefits, we suggest incorporating such projects in all tertiary education curricula across the globe, while streamlining organizational efforts based on lessons learned.