Graduate Sustainability Students Collaborate with Environmental Communication Students in Galapagos

Students in HPU’s M.A. in Sustainability (MASUST) program collaborated with Environmental Communication students at the University of San Francisco’s Galapagos campus (Ecuador). The five-week Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activity provided MASUST students with an interdisciplinary opportunity to analyze management approaches to key sustainability issues in Hawaii and Galapagos. 

The experience involved a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning, virtual learning platforms (e.g., Padlet), and multiple languages. It required each university cohort to facilitate online discussions about concepts and case studies in their geographic region. One of the MASUST students commented on the experience, “I am thrilled to see that university students from different cultures are able to overcome a significant language barrier and produce meaningful academic work. Our shared passion contributes to the common goal of developing sustainable mindsets and practices throughout the Pacific.” 

Contact Adam Burke, Ph.D., (aburke@hpu.edu) for more info about the COIL learning experience or HPU’s M.A. in Sustainability program.

Photo of HPU and USF students discussing sustainability issues over Zoom.