Engaging Students on Virtual Global Leadership Teams

1. Aloha! Engaging Students on Virtual Global Leadership Teams Sandi Deacon Carr, Ph.D. Yoo Jin Chung, Ed.D.

2. OB460: The Leadership Challenge • SMG Leadership Course • Course design - Engagement Model • Looking to challenge students • Build leadership capabilities • Expand global interactions and diversity • Utilize technology in innovative ways

3. An Engagement Model of Learning 1. Prepare • Gain foundational knowledge, • information and ideas • Plan inquiry and generate insights • Learn how to learn cognitively, experientially, visually, through relationships, dialogue, etc. and integrate into a total learning experience 3. Integrate & Improve 2. Extend/Apply • Reflect & Assess in order to improve • Integrate, synthesize and be open to changing how we think, feel and act • Continuously validate by applying new knowledge, feelings, and actions • Probe and inquire • Think critically, creatively • Analyze and synthesize • Apply knowledge in • meaningful contexts • Practice new behaviors • Build new skills

4. What We Did Leadership Challenge • 20 students • Seniors and Juniors • SMG majors or minors • Traditional age Leadership & Management • 20 students • Seniors and Juniors • From diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences Virtual Team Leadership Training Module Project

5. The Project • Select a leadership or management topic • Design and execute a Training Module • 20 minutes to deliver • Must have research support • Must include an interactive component • Delivered simultaneously to both classrooms via video conference • Evaluate your work

6. Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership • Modeling the Way • Setting the Example • Achieving Small Wins • Inspiring a Shared Vision • Envisioning the Future • Enlisting Others • Challenging the Process • Searching for Challenging Opportunities • Experimenting & Taking Risks • Enabling Others To Act • Fostering Collaboration • Strengthening Others • Encouraging The Heart • Recognizing Individual Contributions • Celebrating Team Accomplishments

7. Getting the Teams Started • Used Google+ platform • No cost to students • Can create “communities” easily • Able to write, comment, post photos, videos, and video conference • Virtual Team building Activities • 5 different activities over 2-3 week period • Designed to: • Facilitate introductions (posting/commenting, video uploads) • Use different features of the technology tool • Start the brainstorming on the project ideas

8. Google+ Team Building Activities

9. Google+ Team Building Activities

10. Challenges • Time difference – 5 hours • Asynchronous work • Technology – differences in familiarity and use of technology tools • Diversity • Initiative

11. Resolving the Challenges • Time difference – negotiating virtual meeting times, deadlines, etc. • Asynchronous work – building trust, finding better ways to communicate (post v. video) • Technology – many moved from google+ to Facebook for better communication • Diversity – learning to work with others who have different priorities, work styles, etc. and doing so without ever meeting in person • Initiative – they had to be creative, take initiative

12. Improving Communication through Videos

13. Lessons Learned - Students

14. Lessons Learned - Faculty • Logistical Perspectives • Keeping the lines of communication open with students. • Intricate coordination with partnered faculty, coordinators, and students. • Extra planning time to ensure smooth delivery of technology-driven presentations. • Pedagogical Perspectives • Allowing students to make mistakes and encouraging them to learn from them. • Keeping emphasis on process and leadership!

15. Next Steps • Fine-tune Technology: Make the virtual communication/meeting tools more user-friendly in classrooms. • Foster Collaboration: Cross-departmental/school collaboration can contribute to increase diversity in virtual team experience. • Broaden Partnership: The virtual team initiative can not only be applied to broaden partnerships with universities abroad but also to build innovative collaboration with industry.

16. Questions?