Collaborative online international learning between Spain and Mexico: a microlearning experience to enhance creativity in complexity

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to analyse the creative competence of students before and after a microlearning experience carried out in a collaborative online international learning (COIL) environment between Spanish and Mexican university students in the field of education and entrepreneurship. A single-group quasi-experimental design with pretest and posttest measures was adopted. The composition of the group was natural and included a total of 57 students who participated in the COIL experience. The duration was three weeks, where students from both countries were linked together in the development of a microlearning project. The Creativity Self-Efficacy Scale was used as a data collection instrument. The microlearning activities through COIL developed the creative competence of the participating students. In particular, the groups from both universities improved their scores on the creative competence in the post-test compared to the pre-test measure. The limitations of this study were linked to the sample loss of some cases, as some students did not complete the post-test measure. The main implication of the study was to demonstrate that COIL experiences are suitable for developing certain skills in students, such as creative competence or cooperative work. COIL experiences break down the barriers of physical space and give students an active role, allowing them to fully develop competences and offering an intercultural perspective, which encourages open-mindedness and understanding of the world.