COIL(Collaborative Online International Learning)

The Definition of COIL

COIL is short for Collaborative Online International Learning, which is also widely referred to as virtual exchange, online exchange or telecollaboration. When faculty members at one university conduct COIL with faculty members in universities abroad, students will engage in learning together on various subjects. Flipgrid, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and different kinds of social media platforms are common examples of ICT used in conducting COIL.

COIL Programs at Setsunan University

Faculties at Setsunan University had been conducting COIL for several years. From one-time virtual exchange to semester long COIL-based course, students were able to learn with partners abroad on a wide range of topics.

1.Virtual study abroad program

Taiwan SDGs and sustainable tourism program

Partnering with National Chiayi University, the Taiwan Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) virtual study abroad program was established in 2020. Due to restrains on mobility from the COVID-19 pandemic, students were not able to physically travel abroad. The Taiwan SDGs program was established for students to explore SDGs related issues in both Japan and Taiwan. Additionally, sustainable tourism was another theme in the program, and students explored problems caused by tourism and researched on how the tourism sector have been trying to contribute to the sustainability of tourism in their respective countries.

Brazil culture and SDGs program

Partnering with Faculdade de Tecnologia de Garça in São Paulo, the program began with an online lecture by professor Sumiko Haino from Kanda University of International Studies to introduce the historical ties between Japan and Brazil, cultural influences on both countries, and SDGs initiatives by Japanese Brazilians. After obtaining this background knowledge, students engaged in various activities to collaborate with students in Brazil over a period of five weeks. Students exchanged on culture differences and traditional food on Instagram, and co-created presentations on SDGs related issues and efforts made to tackle the problems in their respective countries.

2.Online collaborative learning programs

Overseas partner university collaborative program

Students from Tohoku University and students from overseas partner universities (Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia) worked together under the theme of culture and SDGs. For the culture part, students gave presentations to share about their life and culture using photographs. For the SDGs part, they formed groups for each theme of interest and created presentations on how to solve the issues together.

Japanese webpage: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=5290

Japanese language and culture Autumn program

Setsunan University usually accepts long-term and short-term international students during both summer and winter, but due to the pandemic, the acceptance of international students was cancelled. In response to this situation, Setsunan University offered online classes where students can experience Japanese culture such as Japanese dance, Judo, and interactions with local students. 49 international students from six countries participated in the 12 classes in this program.

Japanese webpage: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=4994

Global Communication Workshop

This workshop offered by Dr. Chu at the Global Education Center is a 10-week program provides training on communication across cultures though the means of giving presentations in formal situations. Students were provided with both opportunities to give real-time and asynchronous presentations to international audiences, as well as receiving feedback from international partners. Then, students were guided to reflect on how they could improve their presentation and language skills.

English webpage: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/english/news/2021066200.html
Japanese webpage: http://www.setsunan.ac.jp/news/detail.html?id=5200

3.COIL-based semester long course

Topics in Global Citizenship

This is the first COIL-based semester long course at Setsunan University that led students explore issues of war and poverty. In collaboration with history professor Dr. Sydney Pash at Fayetteville State University and the Hiroshima Peace Museum, Japanese and American students learned together about the Hiroshima atomic bombing through lecture, survivor testimony, research and exchanging opinions. In collaboration with English professor Dr. Helen Ditouras at Schoolcraft College, students learned about poverty in Japan and the United States of America through conducting group research and film analysis.

English webpage: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/english/news/2022036342.html
Japanese webpage: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/kokusai/news/detail.html?id=5504

4.COIL activities initiated by Global Education Center

• Berry College: TESOL methodology and lesson exchange
• Fayetteville Technical Community College: dining etiquette and business manner
• Howard Community College: reading short stories
• Monash University and Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana: intercultural communication
• National Chiayi University: sustainable tourism
• Universidad Veracruzana: gender roles, responsibilities, expectations, and inequalities

Professional development and COIL support for faculty members

To make COIL more accessible to faculty members at Setsunan University, an online professional development forum was held to introduce COIL initiatives. Steps on how COIL programs could be established and executed, along with practical examples of online global education were introduced. A presentation was also conducted at the annual Setsunan Active Learning poster session to introduce recent COIL activities. Additionally, the role of COIL coordinator was established to provide support and connect faculty members to engage in establishing COIL programs with universities abroad. Setsunan University is also a member of the JPN-COIL and COIL Connect.

English website: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/english/news/2021086214.html
Japanese website: https://www.setsunan.ac.jp/news/detail.html?id=5268