UDP Internacional

30 November 2023

“It was a very exciting and fun activity.” In this way, the students of the Brand Narrative subject of the Advertising major referred to the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project that, for about three weeks, was carried out by Daniel Carrasco, a professor at the Universidad Diego Portales and Lilian Baeza, professor at American University with support from the team of the General Directorate of International Relations (DGRRII).

During the development of this initiative, which occurred in an unprecedented way in the Advertising major, the students spoke electronically with the North American students who are part of a heritage program dedicated to Latinx students participating in activities linked to your culture.

In this context, the students from both academic institutions made a brief audiovisual record that highlighted the cultural exchange that occurred during the execution of the project: “It was a very fun experience,” commented Nicolás Ponce, a student of the subject. “It allowed us to open our horizons and discover new realities,” he said.

Anastasia Vera, also a student of the subject, appreciated the event and indicated: “It was very exciting. We got to know other cultures and shared with other colleagues that we didn’t know. It was also interesting in the sense that we learned about other dishes of food and music.”

Likewise, Anoek van den Berg, General Director of International Relations, stated: “It has been a super positive experience. We congratulate the professors involved from both universities who achieved synergy between the students of UDP and American University in Washington.”

“We highlight that the teachers innovated between ‘ancient and modern’ dynamics, given that they started with an exchange of handwritten letters about cultural elements and, later, the virtual exchange was developed via Zoom, where they could learn about and delve deeper into cultural topics. ”he added.

For Professor Daniel Carrasco this was also a rewarding experience. As he said, the project not only allowed him to grow in professional terms, but also in terms of personal development: “These instances force you to put yourself in other places that are not the common ones. So, it is pure knowledge.”

“This is a process that makes us all grow: students and teachers. It invites us to open our heads, to look for new creative ways (…). It is enriching on all sides,” he said, inviting the teaching community to venture into this type of initiatives.

The COIL is a methodology that allows developing collaborative projects with professionals and students from different countries, through activities guided by a facilitator. In this sense, the General Directorate of International Relations of the UDP offers support and training sessions for teachers interested in innovating within their subjects with a COIL project. In January 2024 there will be new teacher training sessions focused on COIL, which will be held on January 9 and 11.

In April of each year, the DGRRII opens the call to apply to the Fund for the Internationalization of Learning Processes (FIPA), where the teaching community can request financial support for the design and implementation of a COIL.

Regarding the importance of these projects, the General Director of International Relations said: “This COIL pedagogical methodology allows adding value to the subjects in terms of the learning process, as well as strengthening the international network of each teacher and allowing, in turn, , opportunities to publish.”

“In the end, in these projects we all gain experience, the teachers, the students and the University. They allow us to connect with the world in a transversal and democratic way, since it does not require resources or a passport to be able to connect with international classrooms,” she concluded.