1st Edition
The Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange Implementing, Growing, and Sustaining Collaborative Online International Learning
This is the authoritative guide to implementing COIL Virtual Exchange, conceived, and co-edited by one of the originators of this innovative approach to internationalization, Jon Rubin. COIL, the acronym for Collaborative Online International Learning, is a central modality of what has come to be known as virtual exchange. Since its first iteration in 2002, it has gradually established itself as a mature pedagogy that is being increasingly implemented across the world and is validated by a growing body of research. COIL Virtual Exchange at its most essential is a bi-lateral online exchange involving the integration of existing courses across two, or sometimes more, institutions that are geographically and/or culturally distinct. To launch a COIL VE course, the instructor of a class at a higher education institution in one location links online with a professor and his or her class in another region or country. Together, their students engage and develop joint projects, usually over a continuous five to eight-week period. Compared to the limited number of students worldwide who can engage in study abroad, COIL VE potentially opens up more equitable and inclusive participation in international education and intercultural experiences to all students, involves them in rigorous disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies, and promotes close and constructive engagement with students with different cultural perspectives.While many COIL courses are launched by individual instructors, based on their research connections and online outreach, they are being increasingly supported and led by dedicated COIL Coordinators who facilitate virtual exchanges and provide professional development. This comprehensive guide covers COIL VE pedagogy, provides examples of what takes place in the COIL classroom, and explores what instructors and staff need to know to facilitate and support a variety of COIL courses across the curriculum. It addresses how institutional stakeholders, especially those in leadership positions, can develop and embed a successful COIL initiative at their institution. It offers varied perspectives of COIL viewed from different institutional and cultural vantage points -- from research universities, community and technical colleges, and university systems -- and describes how COIL VE is developing in five different world regions, presenting eleven case studies.The book concludes with a guide to thirteen global organizations that support COIL and other forms of VE. Additionally, the book provides links to the COIL Connect for Virtual Exchange website (https://coilconnect.org) which includes an updated directory of organizations, an expanding database of faculty and institutions participating in COIL and looking for partners, course templates, survey data, and case studies.This book offers faculty and administrators across the world -- whether formally involved in international education, in service-learning and community engagement, or wanting to incorporate a cross-cultural perspective in their disciplinary courses -- theoretical foundations, guidance on effective collaboration, and the strategic and pedagogical considerations to develop robust COIL VE courses and programs.
List of Figures List of Tables List of Boxes Foreword—Hans de Wit How and Why the Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange is Linked to the COIL Connect for Virtual Exchange Website—Jon Rubin Survey Graphics Data Sources Utilized in this Book—Jon Rubin, Sarah Guth, and Alena Anishchanka Acknowlegments Part One. Introduction to COIL Virtual Exchange 1. Preface to an Evolving International Educational Landscape—Jon Rubin 2. The Limits of International Education Mobility and the Emergence of COIL—Harvey Charles 3. Situating COIL Virtual Exchange Within Concepts of Internationalization—Jos Beelen and Stephanie Doscher 4. Collaboration. Why It Is Central to COIL and How to Integrate It Into Practice—Jon Rubin Part Two. What Institutional Leaders, Senior International Officers, and Internationalization Champions Need to Know About COIL Virtual Exchange 5. Introduction—Jon Rubin 6. Preparing Your Institution to Develop an Equitable COIL VE Environment—Jon Rubin 7. Developing COIL Infrastructure and Forming a Core Team. Initial Steps—Jon Rubin 8. Developing Effective International Institutional Partnerships for COIL Virtual Exchange—Jon Rubin 9. Structuring COIL Activities from Start to Finish. Developing a 3-Year Plan—Jon Rubin 10. Taking COIL Virtual Exchange to Scale. 2004-2020—Jon Rubin, Katherine Wimpenny, BrendaGarcía Portillo, GianMario Besana, Eva Haug, Jami Leibowitz, Osvaldo Succi Jr., Albina Szeles, and Ruth O'Brien Part Three. What Instuctors and Support Staff Need to Know About COIL Virtual Exchange 11. Introduction to What Instructors and Support Staff Need to Know About COIL Virtual Exchange—Stephanie Doscher andJon Rubin 12. Strategies for Engaging Faculty With COIL Virtual Exchange—Sally Mudiamu 13. Professional Development for COIL Virtual Exchange. Why, How, and Who?—Stephanie Doscher 14. Professional Development for COIL Virtual Exchange. What Should It Entail?—Stephanie Doscher 15. Communicating Successfully Across Differences within COIL Virtual Exchange—Darla K. Deardorff 16. Assessing Intercultural Learning Outcomes in COIL Courses—Darla K. Deardorff 17. Matching Students. Strategies for Maximizing Inclusion and Success—Stephanie Tadal and Maria Marino 18. Information Technology Tools for COIL Virtual Exchange—Nicole Simon and Angélica Santana Fierro Part Four. Perspectives on COIL Virtual Exchange 19. COIL Development at State-funded U.S. University Systems—Dan Nolan 20. The Implementation and Sustainability of COIL at Research and Research-Aspiring Universities—Carrie Prior and Sake Jager 21. COILing at and With Community and Technical Colleges—Joan Landeros, Susan Jagendorf-Sobierajski, Kathleen M. McKenna, Lynda Carroll, Marcia Blackburn, Camila Maria da Costa Kami, Liesa Kyer, and Olga Aksakalova 22. COIL Country Focus—Thomas Buntru, BrendaGarcía Portillo,Verónica Rodríguez Luna,Ana Cristina Biondo Salomão, Osvaldo Succi Jr.,José Celso Freire Jr., Simone Hackett, Eva Haug, Keiko Ikeda, Veronica M. Onorevole, Lavern Samuels, Vinay Rajah, and Lize-Mari Mitchell 23. Organizations Supporting the Broader Virtual Exchange Field—Chesla Ann Lenkaitis Part Five. Case Studies. How Students, Teachers, and Other Learners Benefit 24. Case Studies. Voices of Students and Teachers—Elena Douvlou, Kelly Tzoumis,Giséle Manganelli Fernandes, John Shanahan, Nila Ginger Hofman, Shweta Sinha Deshpande, Christie A. Klimas, Odair Almeida, John R. Chapin, Fiona Rossette-Crake, Jon Rubin, Tuli Chatterji, Friyana Munshi, Kathryn Berlin, Khadija Rubaiyat Tasmia, Janiek de Vries, Rana Altayan, Tonnie van Genugten, and Steffanie M. Munguia Part Six. Conclusion. The Future of COIL and Networked Education 36. Conclusion—Jon Rubin Editors and Contributors Index
Biography
Jon Rubin, founder and former director of SUNY’s COIL Center, is director of both COIL Consulting and COIL Connect for Virtual Exchange (https://coilconnect.org) a web initiative that supports institutions committed to COIL Virtual Exchange. He co-facilitated four iterations of the COIL Leadership Institute between 2017-2021, with the American Council on Education and later with Florida International University. Sarah Guth is the President of UNICollaboration, a cross-disciplinary professional organization for telecollaboration and virtual exchange in Higher Education, and teaches English as a Foreign Language at the University of Padova, Italy where she has implemented virtual exchange (VE) for two decades. She was the Program Coordinator at the SUNY COIL Center from 2013 to 2014. She currently focuses on the role of professional development in VE and the integration of VE into internationalization-at-home strategies. Stephanie Doscher is Director of Florida International University’s Office of Collaborative Online International Learning (FIU COIL). She also serves as Program Evaluator for the university’s Title VI-funded Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean National Resource Center. Stephanie’s work focuses primarily on organizational leadership and strategic planning, professional development, and integrative curricular and co-curricular design to enable global learning for all. Her research interests concern global learning instruction and assessment and the relationship between global learning, social innovation, and inclusive excellence. Stephanie advises a wide range of colleges and universities and presents engaging workshops for faculty and staff on methods for realizing their unique visions for transformative global learning. In addition to her co-authored article with Hilary Landorf, “Defining Global Learning at Florida International University,” recent publications include “Global Learning for Global Citizenship” in Human Developmen
An array of educational modalities are emerging that enable all students, even those unable to travel abroad, to meaningfully explore the international dimensions of their chosen disciplines and develop intercultural competencies needed for the future. Among them, Collaborative Online International Learning, or COIL, leverages virtual exchange to enhance international learning and engagement in this new era. Edited by one of the originators of COIL, this timely volume offers the definitive guide to COIL programming.
Although a relative newcomer to the higher education landscape, COIL has been a game changer in internationalizing teaching and learning. A Guide to COIL Virtual Exchange provides a comprehensive study of COIL’s unique role in internationalization and detailed advice on its implementation as well as and case studies. It is indispensable reading for practitioners and scholars to understand this remarkable tool for making global learning widely available to students and faculty.
Madeleine F. Green, Former Vice President for International Initiatives, American Council on Education
“This book is a must have for any individual or institution interested in advancing internationalisation of the curriculum, teaching and learning at home for all students. It explores both theoretical and practical issues related to COIL virtual exchange as a pedagogy for internationalisation and global learning. Written during one of the most turbulent times in recent history, at a time when it is more important than ever that all students understand the implications of globalisation for human life and experience and the future of the planet, this book offers positive, practical tools and insights into COIL for educators as well as institutional leaders and policymakers. It contains chapters authored by giants in the field, a number co-authored by professional educators from different parts of the world who have initiated, grown and sustained successful international and intercultural COIL collaborations. Importantly, the frequently ignored student voice is also included through case studies.”
Betty Leask, Professor Emeritus, La Trobe University, Australia
“With the recent unprecedented uptake of COIL because of border closures during COVID, an urgent need for resources to support and guide institutions and leaders became evident. This book addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive guide to support both new and expert COIL/Virtual Exchange leaders. It covers a wide-range of important issues to enhance the development, implementation, and sustainability of their COIL programs as well as brings together some rich and diverse geographical, thematic, and stakeholder perspectives. An important addition to my library!”
Dr. Amira El Masri, Director, Center for Global Education and Internationalization, Sheridan College, Canada
“There remains a crucial need for the higher education community to develop environmentally conscious, equitable, and inclusive ways to provide internationally-focused experiences that engage more diverse faculty and student populations. This timely book, bursting with real-world examples and practical guidance from true experts in this growing global field, provides an essential onramp for those new to COIL and Virtual Exchange, as well as detailed roadmaps for those striving to expand and sustain their existing programs.”
John E. Fowler, Senior Program Specialist and Mentor for Virtual Exchange/COIL, American Council on Education
“This book is a valuable and comprehensive resource for anyone in higher education with an interest in Virtual Exchange/COIL, either as a policy maker, a teacher or support staff. The book does an excellent job of carefully defining and positioning VE/COIL in the context of internationalization of higher education, thereby clarifying a number of common misconceptions. It further features contributions from several well-chosen experts unpacking the different perspectives needed to fully understand the characteristics and potential of VE/COIL, to integrate it in an internationalization strategy and to make it work in practice as an impactful internationalization tool. While the history of VE/COIL goes back much further, the book is timely in the sense that it integrates valuable insights gained during the COIVD-19 pandemic.”
Piet Van Hove, University of Antwerp and President of the European Association for International Education (EAIE)
“This book is a welcoming guide to a field whose moment has arrived. It is an excellent starting point for newcomers as well as a boon for established scholars and practitioners. The COIL virtual exchange community will benefit from the authors’ analysis and return to their many useful examples and recommendations over the coming years.”
Henry Shepherd, Assistant Director, Stevens Initiative
“This is the comprehensive publication on COIL virtual exchange we have been eagerly awaiting! Bringing together the institutional contextualization of COIL, the pedagogical needs and the multi stakeholder approach to help institutions build a COIL practice that can thrive and add value to their internationalization strategy. Where most publications have a geographically limited perspective, Rubin and Guth give us a peek into different global best practices, making it easier to find an example that resonates with your university. I was especially thrilled with Part Three, and the detailed and clear chapters on professional development for faculty, intercultural competence and assessment. This publication provides you the why, what and how to bring together different stakeholders to start building COIL on your campus.”
Eva Haug, Educational Advisor Curriculum Internationalisation and COIL at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
