Mathematics for interculturality: Collaborative online international learning in linear algebra for finance, security and defence strategies

Activities involving virtual and blended international collaboration, encompassing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP), furnish higher education institutions with more inclusive and environmentally sustainable alternatives to conventional physical mobility schemes. This paper presents the design and implementation of a COIL project in linear algebra for economics, finance, security, and defence, co-created and co-delivered by University College Dublin and University of Turin in November 2024. The 10-hour online extracurricular activity involved 32 first-year students from both partner universities collaborating in mixed virtual teams on case studies and problemsolving tasks in real-world scenarios. After presenting the theoretical framework on which the COIL activity has been built, this paper outlines its development and implementation and concludes with potential future pathways to enhance internationalization within higher education and Mathematics Education research on this topic.