Multicultural Observations in a Three-University Global Distributed Software Development Course: A UML Case Study

In our increasingly interconnected world, software engineering students need increased exposure to not only state of the art technology, but to its usage and development in multicultural environments. This paper reports on findings from a global software engineering course taught at three universities in Japan, Germany, and Indonesia. Questionnaire and interview data gathered ex-ante (before) and ex-post (after) the semester about cultural dimensions and UML usage are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The perceived importance of cultural dimensions was compared to previous two-university classes. Experience reports from instructors are described. Unique dynamics in students’ perception of cultural dimensions could be observed. UML challenges self-reported are consistent with previous research findings. An ex-ante to ex-post comparison supports the implementation of real-world projects taught in PBL-style. These findings together are presented as best practices and lessons learned.