Proposing a Multi-Stakeholder Lens to Examine Global Community-Based Design Projects.

One implementation of global, community-based engineering-student design projects invites students to engage in remote design practice. While it may not be feasible to physically bring an entire engineering design class to an international location for direct interaction between students and various stakeholders, a meaningful global experience can still be educational and beneficial for all stakeholders involved. Recognizing that the impact of community-based projects extends beyond just the students to numerous stakeholders, this paper proposes a multi-stakeholder lens to examine the roles, interactions, motivations, and responsibilities of stakeholders in a global, community-based design project. The lens was developed, in part, through a case study of a global design project that connected a first-year Canadian engineering design course, a rural Kenyan preschool, a non-profit organization, and additional stakeholders from both Kenya and Canada. The paper, authored by three stakeholders involved in the case study--the course instructor, a Canada-based community partner, and a design student--concludes with recommendations on how to incorporate global projects in a domestic setting. By adopting a multi-stakeholder lens, the focus shifts from being myopically student-centric to an inclusive experience for all stakeholders, fostering partnership in the design process and achieving a broader range of objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]