Fostering global citizenship and SDG integration through COIL in Ibero- America

Authors

  • Marina Falasca I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas "Juan Ramón Fernández" https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6585-6251
  • Elena de Prada Universidad de Vigo, Spain
  • María Cruz Cuevas Alvarez Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Mexico

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/fznjny10

Keywords:

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Global Citizenship, Higher Education, Online Learning, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Virtual Exchange.

Abstract

This article examines the outcomes of COIL en Clave ODS para la Educación Superior en Iberoamérica, a five-week online training program developed by STAR Argentina to equip higher education professionals across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain with the tools to integrate global citizenship and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives. The program employed a flipped classroom model combined with live, interactive sessions to foster intercultural collaboration and sustainability-oriented pedagogy through active and participatory learning strategies. The analysis of post-program survey responses and reflections indicates successful integration of content and a significant increase in participants’ confidence in designing intercultural, SDG-aligned COIL projects, thereby highlighting COIL as a potentially scalable strategy that supports educators in designing learning environments in which international students are positioned as active contributors to sustainability-oriented learning.

Author Biographies

  • Marina Falasca, I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas "Juan Ramón Fernández"

    Marina Falasca is a teacher trainer, author, and Full Professor at I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas J.R.F. and INSPT UTN in Buenos Aires, specializing in TEFL, multimedia learning, and global education. As Country Director for STAR Argentina, she leads international initiatives that promote sustainability, intercultural understanding, and the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into education. Marina is the co-author of Alfabetización y Competencias Transmedia (2022) and Current Trends in Global Education (2024), works that reflect her commitment to forward-thinking pedagogies. Her efforts empower educators to adopt innovative, sustainability-oriented teaching strategies across diverse learning environments. In recognition of her impact, she was awarded the 2024 Klett Award for Sustainable Development Education and the Global Education Prize 2025 by AAICEP Iberoamérica.

  • Elena de Prada, Universidad de Vigo, Spain

    Elena de Prada Creo, Ph.D., is a specialist in applied linguistics, soft skills, and international education. She teaches ESP at the University of Vigo and has been a visiting lecturer at several European universities. She has coordinated different research projects on innovation, internationalization, foreign language learning, use of new technologies, English immersion projects, interculturality, and creativity, funded by the European Commission, the regional government, and the university. She is currently the coordinator of the research group ENLIFES (English for Lifelong Learning Skills), the director of the international STAR Scholars network in Spain, and a member of the Ministry project “MAEDU” on digital entrepreneurship at universities.

  • María Cruz Cuevas Alvarez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Mexico

    María Cruz Cuevas Álvarez, PhD, is a Professor and Researcher from Mexico recognized nationally by the Secretary Office of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI) since 2019 and the State Science and Technology Council of Tabasco (CCyTET) since 2017. She serves as Co-Coordinator of the Intercultural Competence Assessment Group at the World Council of Intercultural Competence (WCIGC) and as Mexico Country Director for the STAR Scholars Network. Her research focuses on internationalization, internationalization of the curriculum, virtual exchange and COIL programs, intercultural competence, research and digital competences, global competences, and the development of hard and soft skills.

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Published

2026-02-23

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 5 (2026): Journal of International Students

Section

Special Issue: Rethinking International Education

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How to Cite

Falasca, M., de Prada, E., & Cuevas Alvarez, M. C. (2026). Fostering global citizenship and SDG integration through COIL in Ibero- America. Journal of International Students, 16(5), 101-120. https://doi.org/10.32674/fznjny10