Mathematics Across Borders: the Impact of a Linear Algebra COIL Project on Students' Cultural Intelligence

This study investigates the development of intercultural competence through a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project focused on Linear Algebra, involving undergraduate students from University College Dublin and the University of Turin. The research aims to identify which dimensions of Cultural Intelligence are impacted by these mathematical activities and whether different Mathematics educational backgrounds, based on the country's schooling system, influence students’ Cultural Intelligence. Qualitative analysis of student reflections and statistical testing reveal that nearly all participants gained significant levels of cultural knowledge, while cross-cultural skills and cultural metacognition emerged less frequently. No statistically significant differences were found between institutions, indicating that the COIL experience had a positive impact regardless of the national curricula or the specific mathematical cultural backgrounds of the participants. The study concludes that shortterm COIL interventions can foster foundational development in Cultural Intelligence, providing a necessary basis for the development of intercultural sensitivity.