Can we learn together? Challenges and opportunities of teaching public administration in a binational classroom in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

How can Latin American students learn more effectively how different governments address similar public problems? This region shares similarities in terms of culture and history. However, Latin American students study only their public policies and public administration based on the notion that each administrative system has its own particularities. This paper analyzes the results of a comparative learning experience among undergraduate students of two universities in the region, taking advantage of the “virtual” classroom that emerged amid the COVID-19 crisis. In this context, we developed a semester-long group project with students from two universities: Chile and Colombia. The results presented in this paper show that the activity was successful and meaningful for the students. This article intends to present this pedagogical experience and add to the limited literature on the pedagogy of public administration in Latin America, particularly the application of active learning techniques in a public affairs classroom.