Pedagogical innovation and school coexistence: The OVA as a catalyst for empathy in the multigrade classroom

Abstract

This study aims to strengthen school coexistence and empathy among 4th and 5th grade 
students at Institución Educativa Boquía, San Gabriel campus, through the implementation of a 
Virtual Learning Object (VLO). The thematic review is grounded in a multidisciplinary framework 
that integrates Law 1620 on school coexistence, Galtung’s peace theory, and Siemens’ 
connectivist learning theory, establishing a dialogue between ethics and technological 
innovation. The main argument holds that relational difficulties in multigrade classrooms—
exacerbated by population mobility and aggressive behaviors—can be mitigated through the 
use of interactive digital tools that function as conflict mediation laboratories. The critical 
analysis reveals that, although technology is often perceived as a distraction, in this context it 
operates as an essential pedagogical scaffold that facilitates decision-making and assertive 
dialogue through the simulation of moral dilemmas. The study concludes that the use of a VLO 
not only energizes learning processes but also transforms classroom culture by enabling 
students to internalize recognition of the “other.” Its primary contribution lies in proposing a 
replicable intervention model for rural settings, where gamification and interactivity become 
effective vehicles for fostering more empathetic, resilient citizens capable of building peace 
from their everyday realities.