Culturally and Contextually Adapted Co-Teaching: A Case Study of Collaboration with the Diaspora in Undergraduate STEM Education

Although the crucial role of the diaspora in scientific research and postgraduate training in Africa has been well documented, much less is known about their role in undergraduate STEM education. In this case study, we reflect on our experiences of i) adapting the content of training in order to complement local expertise and needs; and ii) adopting active learning pedagogies in an undergraduate laboratory workshop a during a short-term diaspora fellowship. For diaspora scholars, we find that it is important to align foreign and local curricular objectives at the program and course level, to adopt and adapt local models and reagents to the extent possible, and to leverage expertise in host institutions to co-teach courses. Undergraduate participants valued the active learning approach and hands-on training with equipment. A case is made for academic diaspora to begin to consider undergraduate teaching as a high-return investment when collaborating in the global south.