International Perspectives on Systems Thinking Pedagogy: Reflections on the Global Polytechnic Alliance’s Virtual Learning Project

Abstract

In a dynamic and ever-evolving world, where ecological, socio-political, and economic crises increasingly shape our lives, demand ever more rapid responses, and AI unsettles established approaches to and assumptions of education and knowledge, higher education—and specifically polytechnic education—is tasked with developing future-oriented pedagogies that build students' capacity to act with critical insight, empathy, values, and deep awareness of interconnectedness. This paper shares the experience of the Global Polytechnic Alliance's (GPA) Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project as one such pedagogical case. In this inter-institutional initiative, systems thinking, teamwork, and interdisciplinary, international collaboration provide a framework for exploring complex global issues and reimagining how they could be addressed.