Internationalization of the Curriculum through Virtual Mobility

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.2165925260615

• Palavras-chave: virtual mobility, internationalization, curriculum

• Keywords: virtual mobility, internationalization, curriculum

• Abstract:

  Since the COVID-19 pandemic and the adaptations implemented to deal with it, education in general and higher education in particular have undergone a revolution with the widespread adoption of virtual tools as a means of carrying out many activities that were previously done exclusively in person. One of the areas where the greatest use of these tools has been observed is in remote communication between institutions to carry out academic activities such as webinars, conferences, and congresses, among others. Thus, virtual mobility, through mirror classes and COIL projects, although already being explored by some pioneers, received a significant boost as a result of the aforementioned circumstances. In this regard, this paper presents a case study of the internalization of the curriculum through virtual mobility, specifically a collaborative project using the COIL methodology. It was carried out among final-year students at a public university in Paraguay and in the state of Texas in the United States of America. Through a comparative education project called "International Perspectives on the Curriculum," teacher training students from both universities were able to explore the curriculum taught in their local contexts and compare it with a third international context. According to the evaluations carried out by the students participating in the project, this experience allowed them not only to learn more about their own curricular context, but also to place it within a broader international context. This case has implications for teacher training in an increasingly globalized and technology-mediated world where critical thinking skills for sustainable development in transnational contexts are increasingly important and valued.