Enhancing Intercultural Skills Through a COIL Experience
Mejora de habilidades interculturales a través de una experiencia de aprendizaje colaborativo internacional en línea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v27n1.113511Keywords:
collaborative online international learning, intercultural skills, internationalization of the curriculum, pedagogical innovation (en)aprendizaje colaborativo internacional en línea, habilidades interculturales, innovación pedagógica, internacionalización del currículo (es)
This paper describes a case study of instructional strategies employed in a collaborative online international learning experience between students from Colombia and the US to increase their understanding of cultural tolerance. The study aimed to examine student perception of their intercultural skills development, particularly in recognizing both cultural similarities and differences, as previous research suggests that students struggle with identifying differences, focusing only on similarities in exchanges. Data were collected from transcriptions of student reflection recordings and their final presentations and were analyzed using the intercultural competence dimensions and subdimensions framework. The findings suggest that participants developed cultural awareness of differences, openness, and tolerance of their own and their partners’ cultures and increased their teamwork skills.
Este artículo describe un estudio de caso sobre las estrategias de instrucción implementadas en una experiencia de aprendizaje colaborativo internacional en línea entre estudiantes de Colombia y Estados Unidos, enfocada en aumentar la tolerancia cultural. Se examinó la percepción de los estudiantes sobre el desarrollo de sus competencias interculturales, especialmente para reconocer similitudes y diferencias culturales. Investigaciones previas indican que los estudiantes suelen centrarse en las similitudes más que en las diferencias. Los datos, recopilados de transcripciones de reflexiones y presentaciones finales, se analizaron con el marco de dimensiones y subdimensiones de la competencia intercultural. Los hallazgos muestran que los participantes desarrollaron una mayor conciencia de las diferencias culturales, la apertura y la tolerancia cultural y mejoraron sus habilidades de trabajo en equipo.
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