Purpose: The aim of this paper was to analyse the creative competence of students before and after a micro-learning experience carried out in a collaborative online international learning (COIL) environment between Spanish and Mexican university students in the field of education and entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approach: A single-group quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures was adopted. The composition of the group was natural and included a total of 57 students who participated in the COIL experience. The duration was three weeks, where students from both countries were linked together in the development of a micro-learning project. The creativity self-efficacy scale was used as a data collection instrument.Findings: The micro-learning activities through COIL developed the creative competence of the participating students. In particular, the groups from both universities improved their scores on the creative competence in the post-test compared to the pre-test measure.Research limitations/implications: The limitations of this study were linked to the sample loss of some cases, as some students did not complete the post-test measure. The main implication of the study was to demonstrate that COIL experiences are suitable for developing certain skills in students, such as creative competence or co-operative work.Originality/value: COIL experiences break down the barriers of physical space and give students an active role, allowing them to fully develop competences and offering an intercultural perspective, which encourages open-mindedness and understanding of the world.

Educational systems are now focusing on skills enhancement, such as creative thinking skills (CTS), as a means of long-lasting, significant learning. To this end, some universities and higher education institutions incentivize active learning (AL) strategies as CTS developers. Indeed, a positive link among creative results, time availability, and the educational environment has been reported; however, it is mainly based on qualitative and perceptual results. For this reason, we present this comparative, quantitative study in the context of a Mexican high school, weighing the effectiveness of the flipped learning and gamification teaching strategies against a conventional approach. The study revealed no differences in the learning environment; instead, the type of activity and the teamwork interaction affected CTS the most. However, those who participated in the learning Strategies (LS) evaluated themselves higher than their peers in the traditional classes. These results highlight the independence of CTS toward the referred LS and set a departing point for further research addressing the course activities’ qualities seemingly related to CTS enhancement.

The gender digital divide (GDD) is a phenomenon that refers to the inequalities and differences between men and women in accessing the digital ecosystem in various environments, such as the scenarios of Education 4.0. Bridging the GDD in access, use, and appropriation of technologies would promote the digital inclusion in spaces traditionally dominated by men. A systematic literature review was conducted using seven databases, considering Scopus and Web of Science. Through this, the factors with the most significant impact on the widening of this type of gap were identified. The findings suggest that the elements that limit the GDD are (a) access and use of technologies, (b) social barriers, and (c) gender stereotypes and roles. On the other hand, factors that need to be considered for the digital inclusion of women were identified as follows: (a) the mode of interaction with technologies, (b) digital competencies in Education 4.0, (c) the mode of technology‐mediated teaching and learning, (d) digital competencies in the workplace, and (e) digital participation. It is concluded that more digital inclusion strategies are needed to reduce the GDD, thus requiring greater participation from society and universities to achieve digital equity.

The digital divide is a multiple phenomenon that visualizes inequalities in the access, use, and appropriation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) of disadvantaged groups to others. There are currently several digital divides, such as a) the Gender Digital Divide (GDD), b) the generational digital divide, c) the disability digital divide, d) the educational digital divide, and e) the geographic digital divide. Specifically, the Gender Digital Divide exhibits a digital divide between women and men. This issue can be increased or decreased depending on the specific background of each woman. This study aims to provide a current and comprehensive overview of recent studies about the gender digital divide from 2017 to 2021, identifying key topics that require further exploration for a complete understanding of the topic through a systematic mapping. Findings show that recent studies have focused on analyzing the differences and inequalities between women and men regarding access, use, and appropriation of ICTs. For future years, it is needed more research on the subject.