Experiencing the Global Dimension of Sustainability: Student Dialogue in a European-Latin American Virtual Seminar

Abstract

This article suggests as important elements of education for sustainable development an active engagement with global issues, and involvement in international communication and cooperation. As there is a dearth of learning settings that offer and stimulate an interactive dialogue between learners from the North and the South, this paper proposes as a possible model the International Virtual Seminar ‘Sustainable Development in Europe and Latin America’, which involved participants from Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Germany. Results show how students experienced the global dimension of sustainability; and that they improved their competencies crucial for international communication about and cooperation in sustainable development. The findings also indicate the main challenges faced by students during their learning process.

Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development, Global Learning, Virtual Learning, Intercultural Learning, Intercultural Dialogue, Competence Development