Incorporating Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) into Common Practices for Architects and Building Engineers

Abstract

Higher education institutions and educators must provide their students with the opportunity to have global, intercultural, and collaborative experiences that will enable them to solve specific problems in different socio-cultural contexts. Industry 4.0 provides a very suitable context in which to carry out these experiences from home, thus contributing to the wider goals of environmental sustainability and global availability. This work analyzes students’ experiences and engagement when involved in collaborative online international learning (COIL), aimed at establishing how pluricultural competence can be digitally developed in the field of architecture at university level. The experiment was carried out as part of the assessments for first year undergraduate students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in architecture in Piura, Peru and postgraduate students enrolled in a master’s degree in inspection, rehabilitation, and energy efficiency in Burgos, Spain. Results show that the experience motivated participants, with 48% responding that they were very satisfied, 38% extremely satisfied, and 14% moderately satisfied. The study’s findings confirm that pluricultural competence among students can be enhanced by using virtual cooperation. The learning experience offered participants the chance to boost their confidence and communication skills and to take part in a new learning environment as well as to exchange knowledge with international peers, thereby preparing them to form part of a global environment.