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KU-COIL

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History

History of COIL

During the 1990s distance learning using computers began to develop as an important new educational field. In 2004 the State University of New York (SUNY) established a Cross National project to link courses throughout SUNY schools. They began to expand on this as part of a program called Globally Networked Learning which took this universities linkages outside of the USA to include universities in other countries. Originally these courses were almost entirely language focused.

In 2006 SUNY created a new Center for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to focus on these international partnerships and since then the COIL network has expanded to include a broad coalition of international higher education institutions responsible for a wide variety of courses in all possible fields.

Kansai University and COIL

In Spring Semester 2014 Kansai University offered its first COIL enhanced courses, partnered with SUNY Oswego (US), SUNY Ulster (US), and Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland). Since then, Kansai University has been expanding the KU-COIL network and collaborating with overseas partners in Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, China, Brazil, Tanzania, and other countries. In 2015 the KU-COIL support team was established as a core group of teachers and administrators focused upon developing Kansai University's COIL programs and partnerships.

Who should use COIL?

COIL courses have expanded upon an early focus on language use and culture exchange. Courses using COIL elements now cover such diverse fields as Social Studies, Politics, Business, Law, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering. As such, no matter what subject you teach, there are ways it can make use of COIL practice to enhance the skills and abilities your students are able to gain from it.

If in doubt, simply consider the following questions:

  • Do you want to make your course more international, and give your students a taste for travelling abroad in the future?
  • Do you want your students to develop their cultural awareness (of both their own and other nation's)?
  • Do you want to improve your student's language and communication skills?
  • Do you want to develop your student's abilities to work as part of a team, take on leadership roles and plan and carry out projects?
  • Do you want your students to improve their skills with and have opportunities to make use of the vital computer and communication tools that are increasingly important for both social and professional interaction?
  • Do you want to develop your own teaching skills to make use of the latest pedagogical methods and educational tools?

If you can answer 'Yes' to even one of these questions, COIL is something that you should at least attempt.

KU-COIL Types

There is no need to jump in at the deep end though. At KU-COIL we utilize three levels of COIL integration allowing teachers to start off slowly and add more components as they become comfortable with the tools and techniques.

1) Pre KU-COIL "One Time Virtual Exchange"
Your course makes use of a single virtual exchange with partners in one class (which may be supplemented by student to student exchanges outside of class time) and offers a taste of how COIL is carried out. Students and teachers will be able to experience the basic requirements of planning, scheduling and carrying out an exchange in an approachable format that allow them to get to grips with the information technology tools in a non-challenging manner.

2) KU-COIL Enhanced
This is the standard COIL exchange model which incorporates COIL activities into the classroom over the course of 4-6 weeks.

3) KU-COIL Extended
The COIL elements are integrated into the full length of your course with students and partners engaged with one another from beginning to end. These courses can be offered by Kansai University and its partners as a new and unique form of class, or integrated as a supplement to Study Abroad Mobility programs.

Getting Started

If you are interested in attempting a COIL exchange for the first time, or if you want to enhance past experiences, this section will offer guides on how to create and develop a successful course. From finding a suitable initial partner, through developing the aims and content of the course, to the use of suitable ICT tools for communication and collaboration, below you will find a variety of helpful guides and tutorials that will help you gain a clear understanding of how to approach each individual issue.

Finding Partners

The process of finding partners is not as difficult as it may first seem. There are three main options available to do so:

First, you might choose to seek a partner whom you already know, perhaps someone in a similar field or with whom you have a steady past working relationship. In this case once you approach them yourself and decide upon the aims of your exchange you can contact us to help you take it further.

You may also wish to utilize ImmerseU, a COIL partner matching site sponsored by IIGE, where instructors can seek out, plan and execute their COIL projects in an all-in-one online service. For more information please contact IIGE.

Another option is to use the COIL Network. This is a listing of teachers on a website hosted by the State University of New York’s COIL Program. The teachers there are also seeking partners in different fields for different types of exchanges and you can see if any there match the criteria you require for a partner.

Finally, you can always contact us directly, provide us with the details of what you hope to achieve and the type of partner you would prefer and we will use our own contacts to attempt to find a suitable match for you. Depending upon the number of requirements you have for a partner to meet, finding a good match may take some time so it is best to submit requests at the earliest possible stage.

Developing Courses

How Can COIL Be Used? (I-Paper, April 2019, pgs. 2-3)

How Do I Get Started COILing? (I-Paper, April 2019, pgs. 6-7)

※For more information on starting COIL at your university, download the complete April 2019 I-Paper "IIGE Whitepaper" here.

"COIL Plus" Initiative (I-Paper, October 2019, pgs. 3-5)

VE/COIL Plus Learning Effects (I-Paper, October 2019, pg. 13)

※For more information about diversity within VE practices and how an institution can apply them to innovatively create a new mobility program abroad with VE component, download the October 2019 I-Paper "Learning More About Virtual Exchange" here.

ICT Tools

The tools you will use for a COIL exchange depend upon the targets of the course you have planned, i.e. whether you want to improve students' communication, boost their digital skills, carry out collaborative research, etc. However, whatever task you wish to achieve there will be many options for you to choose from regarding computer tools and you will probably be able to find a software solution suitable for your needs and skill level. Some of the key areas, and examples of popular tools, are outlined below.

Name of Tool Feature(s) Recommended For Uses
Google Classroom Learning Management System (LMS) Virtual space for collaboration Teachers can share materials, upload assignments, create announcements, create discussion threads by posting a question on classroom stream.
Students can share materials, submit assignments, post answers and comments on classroom stream.
Edmodo Learning Management System (LMS) Virtual space for collaboration Teachers can share materials, upload assignments, create announcements, create discussion threads by posting a question on classroom stream.
Students can share materials, submit assignments, post answers and comments on classroom stream.
ImmerseU Learning Management System (LMS) Virtual space for collaboration Teachers can search for COIL partners, plan a complete collaboration, share materials, upload assignments, create discussion threads by posting a question on classroom stream.
Students can share materials, submit assignments, post answers and comments on classroom stream.
Facebook Social network Virtual space for student communication Students can post and share images and video, and utilize the comments feature as a discussion forum.
Adobe Connect Web conference tool Synchronous communication Real-time communication for student discussion, presentations, etc.
Skype Web conference tool Synchronous communication Real-time communication for student discussion, presentations, etc.
Zoom Web conference tool Synchronous communication Real-time communication for student discussion, presentations, etc.
Line Text-based chat, One-on-one video chat Synchronous / Asynchronous communication Students can share images and videos, discuss project plans and update on progress with their partner(s)/group(s).
WhatsApp Text-based chat, One-on-one video chat Synchronous / Asynchronous communication Students can share images and videos, discuss project plans and update on progress with their partner(s)/group(s).
Knovio Online presentation tool Student presentations Virtual presentations when real-time presentations are not possible. Students can record both audio and video to accompany slides and share a link with their partner(s)/group(s).

Planning

At the early stages of collaborative projects making use of online tools such as Padlet, WebWhiteboard or MindMeister are effective ways of sharing ideas and brainstorming regarding the direction a project might take. At a more advanced level software tools such as Trello or Slack allow students to learn proper project management skills such as scheduling, setting deadlines, and delegating tasks and activities.

Document Sharing

Both for exchanging materials and for working on shared files, two of the most popular solutions are Google Drive and Dropbox. Both allow users to exchange and collaborate on files.

Social Communication

The use of Social Networking Services (SNS) can make the interaction between separate classes more informal and also easier to monitor. Applications such as Facebook, or Weibo (Facebook for China) allow students to form groups where they can exchange introductions and social communication as well as coordinate file-sharing or other activities.

Direct Communication(Text)

Messaging services are invaluable for allowing students to communicate with partners quickly or at their own leisure. Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Line are all examples of popular applications that students are usually already familiar with. Others such as Snapchat (for exchanging photos) or Twitter (for sharing status or news updates to groups) can also be useful depending upon the project involved. These formats are especially useful when partners are in time zones which do not easily allow synchronous communication.

Direct Communication(Video)

When partner's schedules overlaps sufficiently to allow direct communication tools such as Skype, Zoom or FaceTime can be used to create one-to-one or group video exchanges. While by no means necessary for a successful collaboration, the impact of direct face-to-face interaction can be a powerful tool for creating a bond between groups.

Video Recording and Distribution

Whether recording direct to camera, capturing computer screenshots, or archiving in-class presentations, video tools are useful ways of preserving and distributing the final output of many project types. Software such as Flashback Express and EZvid allow students to easily create and upload audio-visual recordings of their work.

Others

Beyond these, many other useful tools exist which fulfil specific needs. Examples include SurveyMonkey (for creating online questionnaires), Knovio and Prezi (for creating and sharing presentations), Wikispaces (for setting up information repositories), ImmerseU (for matching courses and instructors, and planning and executing COIL projects), COIL BEVI (for assessment pre-, during, and post-COIL exchange), etc. Depending on the aims of your collaboration project there will likely be other tools that can also be useful for you and you can always contact us to receive our recommendations based upon your own specific goals.

Course Examples

The following are some examples of COIL courses that have been successfully carried out between Kansai University and various partners. The structures and activities involved can help offer clearer understanding of what COIL entails and help to provide teachers with models to base their own exchanges around.

Of course, all COIL exchanges should be tailored to the needs of the specific teachers and students involved, so the following should be viewed merely as guidelines that you can alter or expand on as you see fit.

"Cross-cultural Communication" with University of Al Azhar Indonesia

"Critical Thinking for Social and Global Issues" with University Malaysia Pahang