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Communication, Development and Cooperation

Code: 104796 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Communication in Organisations OT 4

Contact

Name:
Andrea De Santis
Email:
andrea.desantis@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

To enroll in this course, it is essential that students are genuinely interested in exploring communication approaches that aim to drive social transformation processes and contribute to sustainable development from a perspective that upholds human rights, gender equity, and global justice. Participants in this course are expected to be open to reflecting on the active role that communicators and journalists can play within international organizations, NGOs, public agencies, and projects related to international cooperation, viewing these spaces as potential professional pathways. A keen interest in understanding how media and information can serve as essential tools to highlight social issues and promote meaningful change within communities and the global context will be highly valued.


Objectives and Contextualisation

General objectives

To provide students with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to understand and apply communication as a strategic instrument in processes of human development, international cooperation, and social change. This includes the integration of communication rights, digital citizenship, and the design of participatory, community-based, and intercultural strategies in both local and global contexts.

Specific objectives

  • To understand the fundamental concepts of human development and social change to other key concepts such as global justice, human rights, gender equity, and international cooperation, as well as contemporary and critical perspectives on development.
  • To become familiar with and analyze the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), identifying their main targets, indicators, and the role of communication in achieving them.
  • To investigate and reflect on the current status of the rights to information, communication, and cyberspace, particularly regarding international cooperation processes, equitable access, and digital citizenship.
  • To critically analyze the main strategies and models of communication for development and social change, including participatory, community-based, intercultural, and decolonial approaches.
  • To collaboratively design the essential elements of a communication strategy for development and social change.
  • To reflect on the professional role of communicators in the fields of development and international cooperation, identifying potential career opportunities within international organizations, NGOs, public agencies, and local projects.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Act within one's own area of knowledge, evaluating sex/gender-based inequalities.
  • Apply specific research methodologies to formulate hypotheses, validate and verify ideas and concepts and interpret data on communication in organisations.
  • Differentiate the principal theories on communication in organisations, which underpin knowledge of the discipline and its different branches.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Work in compliance with professional codes of conduct.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Apply research methods appropriate to the field of communication when doing coursework.
  3. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  4. Display knowledge of the social, cultural and economic context in order to develop critical thinking skills and generate original ideas about that context.
  5. Establish relationships between knowledge of communication and the social sciences in the process of implementing communication strategies.
  6. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  7. Identify the issues of treatment and image facing social groups that are disadvantaged for reasons of religion, gender, etc., within the communication system in Spain and worldwide.
  8. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one?s own area of knowledge.
  9. Interpret and discuss documents on the main scientific theories within the subject.
  10. Present a summary of the studies made, orally and in writing.
  11. Present the objectives of the course to all kinds of audiences.
  12. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  13. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  14. Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
  15. Respect different religions, ethnic groups, cultures, sexual identities etc. when preparing an organisation's communication products.
  16. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.

Content

Subject topics

  • Communication, human development, international cooperation, and social change. Paradigms, models, and applied strategies.

  • Digital citizenship, technological gaps, communication rights, and activism in the era of cyberspace.

  • Models and strategies of communication for development. Participatory, community-based, intercultural, and decolonial communication for social transformation.

  • The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for communicative action and local and global development.

  • Communication professionals as agents of change. Design and implementation of communication projects and campaigns with social impact.

     

     

     

     

     

Note: The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Presentation of content, participatory seminars/workshops, debates and classroom exercises. 48 1.92 3, 1, 4, 11, 5, 10, 7, 8, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Type: Supervised      
Tutoring 8 0.32 1, 5, 2, 12, 13, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Search, selection and reading of bibliography and other resources. Personal study. Planning and developing individual or group works. 94 3.76 3, 1, 4, 11, 5, 10, 2, 7, 8, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

The teaching methodology of the course combines various types of sessions, including oral presentations, explanations of theoretical content, professional experiences, case studies, debates, and participatory seminars or workshops. The core objective is to establish and share a common knowledge base that will enable students to further explore their areas of interest and apply their learning to the topics they prioritize throughout the course.

The coursework (final project) is grounded in the principles of Service Learning (Aprendizaje por Servicio - APS), carried out in collaboration with the Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS) and social organizations.

All the information required to successfully follow the course will be provided by the teaching team through in-class sessions, tutoring meetings, and/or via the Virtual Campus.

A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for effective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
A) Classroom presentations and assignments 40% 0 0 3, 1, 4, 11, 5, 10, 2, 7, 8, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
B) Final project 45% 0 0 3, 1, 4, 11, 5, 10, 2, 7, 8, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
C) Attendance and active participation in class 15% 0 0 3, 1, 4, 10, 7, 8, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The course adopts a continuous and summative assessment system. No activity requires a minimum grade to pass the course. The final grade for the course will be the sum of the points obtained in the following assessment activities:

A) Classroom presentations and assignments: 40 points (40% of the final grade); individual or team in-person activities.

B) Final project: 45 points (45% of the final grade); team activity. 

C) Attendance and active class participation: 15 points (15% of the final grade); individual in-person activities.

Total: 100 points (equivalent to the final grade 10).

To be able to pass the subject by continuous assessment, it will be mandatory:

a) Have carried out and submitted all the assignments (activities A and B) on the dates established by the teacher. In case of justified absence for reasons of force majeure, the corresponding proof must be presented to the professors; otherwise, the activities will be considered as Not Completed.   

b) Have obtained a minimum score of 50 points (equivalent to a mark of 5.0) from the sum of all the assessment activities carried out.

c) In teamwork, the teaching staff may adopt control measures to verify the participation of each member in the common work. Therefore, the grades may be different for members of the same team, which could mean that one or more members suspend the evaluation, while the others approve it.

Reevaluation (continuous assessment)

To be eligible for reassessment, students must fulfill the following two conditions:

1) Not having reached the minimum criteria established to pass the subject;
2) Have been assessed during the semester of a set of activities, the weight of which corresponds to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade of the subject.

Reevaluation will consist of a written exam on the syllabus of the subject. 

Activities C are excluded from the reevaluation system.

 

SINGLE ASSESSMENT OPTION 

For students who opt for the single evaluation, the final grade of the course will be the sum of the score obtained in the following evaluation activities: 

A) Theoretical exam: 35 points (35% of the final grade); individual in-person activity.
B) Classroom presentation: 20 points (20% of the final grade); individual in-person activity, the same day of the theoretical exam.
C) Final project: 45 points (45% of the final grade); individual or team activity (the teams must be formed by students who have chosen the single evaluation; mixed groups with students of the continuous evaluation will not be accepted). The project must be developed during the students' autonomous work time and submitted on the same day of the exam and the presentation.

Total: 100 points (equivalent to the final grade 10).

To pass the course by the single evaluation system, it will be required:

a) To have completed and submitted all the assignments (A, B, and C) on the date established by the teaching staff. In case of absence due to justified reasons of force majeure, it will be essential to present the corresponding proof to the teaching staff; otherwise, the activities will be considered Not Completed.

b) Have obtained a minimum score of 50 points (equivalent to a mark of 5.0) from the sum of all the assessment activities carried out.

c) In teamwork, the teaching staff may adopt control measures to verify the participation of each member in the common work. Therefore, the grades may be different for members of the same team, which could mean that one or more members suspend the evaluation,while the others approve it.

Reevaluation (single assessment option)

To be eligible for reassessment, students must fulfil the following two conditions:

1) Not having reached the minimum criteria established to pass the course;
2) According to regulations, students must have been previously evaluated at least 2/3 of the total number of evaluable activities of the course.

The recovery will consist of a written exam on the entire syllabus/contents of the course.

Activity C is excluded from the reevaluation system.

 

SECOND ENROLLMENT

In case of second enrollment, students may take a single test (theoretical-practical) of synthesis on the entire syllabus and contents of the course. The grade of the course will correspond to the grade of the synthesis test.

PLAGIARISM

In the event that a student commits any irregularity that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade of an assessment activity, that activity will be graded with a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks such as information searching, locating bibliographic sources, text translations, and brief queries to clarify concepts or expand specific data. The use of AI is not allowed in the creation of communication products, critical analyses, strategic designs, or assessment activities that require reflective development or original creative proposals.

Students must identify the parts that have been generated or assisted by this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced both the process and the outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered an academic integrity violation and may result in a partial or total penalty in the activity's grade, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

NOT ASSESSABLE

Any situation in which the student does not meet the minimum participation, does not provide the required learning evidence, or does not complete the key activities necessary to objectively assess their performance in the course will be considered not assessable.

 


Bibliography

Basic bibliography

Cabero-Almenara, Julio, Torres-Barzabal, Luisa, & Hermosilla-Rodríguez, José Manuel (2019). Las TIC y la creación de una ciudadanía crítica e-digital. Education in the Knowledge Society (EKS)20, 10. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.14201/eks2019_20_a22

COSUDE. (2016). Comunicación para el desarrollo: Una guía práctica. Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4017TKt

Duarte Herrera, Lisbeth K. y González Parias, Carlos. H. (2014). Origen y evolución de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo. Panorama, 8(15), 117-131. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/3IdO7oW

Gumucio-Dagron, Alfonso (2011). Comunicación para el cambio social: clave del desarrollo participativo. Signo y Pensamiento, vol. XXX, núm.58, enero-junio, 26-39. Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/860/86020038002.pdf

Lombana Bermúdez, Andrés (2018). La evolución de las brechas digitales y el auge de la Inteligencia Artificial (IA). Revista Mexicana De Bachillerato a Distancia10(20), 17–25. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.22201/cuaed.20074751e.2018.20.65884

Paniagua Sánchez, Adriana (2024). La Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo en América Latina: Una perspectiva histórica. Relaciones Internacionales, 97(1), 55-72. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.15359/97-1.3

PNUD (Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo). 2024. Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 2023-24: Romper el estancamiento: Reimaginar la cooperación en un mundo polarizado. Nueva York. Disponible en: https://hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2023-24

Suzina, Ana Cristina, & Vega-Casanova, Jair (Eds.). (2024). La comunicación popular en Nuestramérica: Visiones y horizontes. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES Comunicación). Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4eFdEUm

 

Complementary bibliography

Artés Naya, Elena (2021). Reseña. Ciudadanía digital y desarrollo local. Experiencias y procesos de participación en la Unión Europea. TERRA: Revista De Desarrollo Local, (8), 791–795. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.7203/terra.8.21304

Cárdenas Tapia, Juan, y De-Santis, Andrea (2022). Redes sociales, jóvenes y educación en la revolución del asociacionismo y la participación social. En J. Cárdenas Tapia y A. De-Santis (cds.), Comunicar y educar en el mundo digital. Contribución y desafíos de la pedagogía de Don Bosco y el sistema preventivo en la dimensión virtual (pp.39-52). McGraw-Hill. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4lbBlWu

Carniel Bugs, Ricardo y Velázquez, Teresa (2018). Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible: una agenda emergente para repensar la docencia universitaria en comunicación. En: Elena Jiménez Pérez, María Elena del Valle Mejías y Andrea Felipe Morales (coords.). Los nuevos retos en Ciencias Sociales, Artes y Humanidades. Gedisa. https://bibcercador.uab.cat/permalink/34CSUC_UAB/1gfv7p7/alma991000489829706709

Fondo para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas de América Latina y el Caribe (FILAC), & UNICEF. (2025, abril 21). Voces de las niñas, niños y adolescentes indígenas de América Latina y el Caribe: una aproximación para conocer su situación [Dossier]. FILAC. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/40EyUn8

Fundación Telefónica. (2023, abril). Sociedad digital en España 2023 [Informe]. Fundación Telefónica. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/3TlVQnp

Fundación Telefónica. (2023, agosto). Sociedad digital en América Latina 2023 [Informe]. Fundación Telefónica. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4llFwPW

González Aguilar, H. (2025). El discurso sobre el acceso a la información desde Unesco [The discourse on access to information from UNESCO]. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 1-18. Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1580

OCDE (2020). Development Co-operation Report 2024. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4nzMvGb

PNUD (2025). GLOBAL 2025 Human Development Report. Disponible en:  https://report.hdr.undp.org/a-matter-of-choices

SEGBI (2024). Informe de la Cooperación Sur-Sur y Triangular en Iberoamérica 2024. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4eFmNwc

UNESCO (2014). Freedom of Connection, Freedom of Expression. Disponible en: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000191594

UNESCO-PIDC (2023). Entorno regulatorio y políticas públicas para la sostenibilidad de los medios comunitarios en América Latina. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/46r4pVu

Voces Nuestras. (2009). De todo como en botica: Manual de técnicas de comunicación participativa. Centro de Comunicación Voces Nuestras. Disponible en: https://bit.ly/4lgPGRI

 

Websites

Freedom House. Countries and Territories. https://freedomhouse.org/country

Reporteros Sin Fronteras. Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa https://rsf.org/es/clasificacion?year=2025

UNESCO. Medios comunitarios. https://www.unesco.org/es/media-pluralism-diversity/community-media (ejemplos)

UNESCO. El Programa Internacional para el Desarrollo de la Comunicación. https://www.unesco.org/es/international-programme-development-communication

United Nations. (s. f.). La Agenda para el Desarrollo Sostenible. Disponible en: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/development-agenda/  

 

Throughout the course, professors will confirm the mandatory readings, as well as provide specific resources according to the subjects dealt with. 


Software

This course does not require any specialised software. For any virtual activities, Microsoft Teams will be used.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 71 Spanish first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 7 Spanish first semester afternoon