Digital Learning Approaches for Teaching International Trade Policy: A Data-Driven Educational Framework Based on Ecuador's Economic Trajectory (1979–2024)

The study of international trade policy offers an effective entry point for strengthening economic literacy in higher education, particularly when students work with real historical data and contemporary analytical tools. This article introduces a digital learning framework designed to support the teaching of Ecuador’s trade policy trajectory from 1979 to 2024. The proposal combines historical and institutional analysis with the use of open macroeconomic datasets, in- teractive visualisations, and data-handling activities. These resources were integrated into a learning environment that encourages students to examine policy cycles, changes in export composition, and the evolution of regulatory arrangements through evidence-based inquiry. The approach builds on cur- rent discussions about data literacy and the pedagogical value of ICT in disciplines that traditionally rely on document analysis and descriptive methods. A small-scale implementation with students of economics and the social sciences suggests improvements in their ability to interpret economic trends, connect policy decisions with long-term development outcomes, and use digital tools to support their reasoning. The findings illustrate how complex economic processes can be transformed into accessible learning materials, offering a model that can be adapted to other educational contexts where public policy and digital learning intersect.