Teaching beyond disciplines and borders
A medicine-engineering COIL project between Mexico and Colombia advancing SDG 3 through technological and cultural innovation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/zv74z141Keywords:
Android development, COIL, chronic kidney disease, global citizenship, intercultural competence, interdisciplinary collaboration, International Students, metaverse, mobile health, sustainable development goalsAbstract
This study presents a longitudinal exploration of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative between Tecnológico de Monterrey (Medicine, Mexico) and Universidad Católica de Colombia (Engineering, Colombia). Across three semesters (2022–2023), 213 students and three faculty members cocreated mobile health applications addressing chronic kidney disease awareness, with each edition presenting distinct challenges: foundational collaboration (n=43), large-scale rotating cohort coordination (n=100), and metaverse-enhanced learning (n=77). The collaboration produced eleven Android applications on the Google Play Store, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3. Graduate surveys revealed high competency development perceptions (M = 4.75/5.0) in intercultural communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional preparation. Qualitative analysis revealed themes such as communication adaptation, medical domain understanding, and cross-cultural collaboration capabilities. Implementation challenges included asymmetric participation ratios and faculty workload sustainability.
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