Global Education - Enhancing Experiential Learning Between Different Cultural Backgrounds Using Bootcamps

Professor Arturo Molina, Vicerrector of Research and Technology Transfer, Tecnológico de Monterrey And Dr. Jhonattan Miranda, Researcher and Research Developer, Tecnológico de Monterrey

The education must be global to take advantage of new technologies that are already available to enhance experiential learning. It is important to develop international programs where students get the most interaction with different participants worldwide. These new teaching-learning programs require specific components and characteristics that today are enabled by 4.0 technologies, innovative teaching-learning processes, and adequate infrastructure. In the education field, these pedagogical procedures are known today as Education 4.0. In our understanding, Education 4.0 is the application of new learning methods, innovative didactic management tools, state-of-the-art technologies, and sustainable infrastructures at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). A key resource used in this concept is the application of emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance the processes of knowledge generation and its application in real situations to design and create learning expediencies taking advantage of different cultural contexts. The combination of these resources during the teaching-learning processes will support the training of critical competencies desirable in today's learners to enhance their experiential learning. 

Today, as a HEI in Mexico, Tecnologico de Monterrey is designing new teaching-learning systems and alternative credential programs based on the vision of Education 4.0. Therefore, identifying key enablers to achieve the Education 4.0 vision is necessary to guide educators during teaching-learning. A reference model for Education 4.0 has been defined, including six categories of key enablers that are used during the design and implementation of today's teaching-learning programs: 

(i) Key competencies. Identifying crucial transversal and disciplinary competencies necessary to be developed by today's students; 

(ii) Innovative teaching-learning methods. Incorporating active learning methods in educational programs with different delivery modalities (face-to-face, remote, and hybrid); 

(iii) 4.0 Technologies and current Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Implementing current and emerging ICTs considering 4.0 Technologies for remote collaboration and interaction, digital presentations and easy exchange of information and data, rapid prototype development, and common use of digital technology as platforms for rapid product development.

“ It is important to develop international programs where students get the most interaction with different participants worldwide. “

(iv) Modern Infrastructure. Employing innovative infrastructures such as facilities, flexible furniture, online services, and platforms to improve teaching-learning processes at two levels: at the classroom/home level and the institutional level;

(v) Key stakeholders. Include key stakeholders' participation in teaching-learning processes inside and outside the institution; therefore, leading actors from government, companies, academia, and society can be considered during teaching-learning processes.

And (vi) Sustainability. Enabling sustainable education and training systems by providing high-quality, affordable education with high social impact.

The reference model is used to guide professors during the design and development of new educational/training programs, redefinition of ad-hoc teaching-learning processes, and implementation of educational infrastructure under the vision of Education 4.0. As part of the initiatives and strategies to promote technological development and technology-based entrepreneurship, in 2019, Tecnologico de Monterrey launched "The Innovation Challenge Bootcamp" as an alternative credential for bachelor students. This alternative credential was designed as an intensive teaching-learning program in a Bootcamp format considering face-to-face, online, and hybrid delivery formats. It combines a systematic methodology for rapid product development with active teaching-learning methods, 4.0 Technologies, and modern infrastructures such as hologram professors, decision-making labs, 3D modeling labs, and maker spaces. The program adopts Challenge-Based Learning as a learning method; therefore, during this learning process, students are challenged to uncover promising and innovative technological product ideas and materialize them in functional and working prototypes, taking advantage of global teams. 

The Innovation Challenge Bootcamp is composed of four challenges: (i) The Imagination Challenge, (ii) The Concept Challenge, (iii) The Design Challenge, and (iv) The Creation Challenge. Then, participants are immersed in real-life scenarios from different countries and learn by doing dynamics, allowing them to reach this Innovation Challenge's goal. Therefore, during five days of development, learners participate in open innovation environments where they share experiences and work together with entrepreneurs, specialists, and other participants from different areas, backgrounds, and even from other institutions. Also, it is characterized to be composed of six main components: (i) Workshops. Participants will learn specific design techniques from specialists. (ii) Teamwork activities. Activities are designed to be carried out by teams, and they will promote competencies such as Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Innovation. (iii) Keynotes. Experts from companies will present success cases. (iv) Networking activities. Here the students have the opportunity to share experiences with other participants, experts, mentors, and lectures in a networking session. (v) Product Pitching. Participants will pitch their developed technology-based products to specialists and the audience. And (vi) Demo Day. Where participants will have the opportunity to present their prototypes in a demonstration session.

Currently, this Bootcamp has been taught in Mexico and China, and about 40 technology-based products have emerged. Through Tec's Hub facility in China, this Bootcamp has been taught four times from 2019-2022 in a different format (face-to-face, online and hybrid) with engineering students from Hangzhou Danzi University and Tec de Monterrey. 

Open Innovation activities such as co-design and co-development, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer are promoted between both countries. Furthermore, it considers the participation of strategic partners from governments, universities, and companies in both nations. 

The main objective is that students collaborate to propose technology-based solutions to current social problems with different contexts related to real-life habits in Mexico and China. At the end of this Bootcamp, participants pitch their proposed technology-based solutions and proposed their product business models. Finally, participants obtain a digital badge from Tecnológico de Monterrey to certify their participation in this learning program.

It has been observed that these types of alternative global programs are taking advantage of current technologies and new learning techniques to become increasingly agile, flexible, and responsive. Also, it was observed that applying the concept of Education 4.0 during the design process of new learning programs can be useful in considering using emerging ICTs, facilities, services, and systems. Finally, the definition of the activities and evaluation to be performed in new learning courses can be guided by applying Education 4.0. 

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