COILing Across a Decade10th Anniversary COIL conference

April 2016(Coffee club)

Sabine McKinnon Anne Smith

Michael Bromby

What is COIL? http://coil.suny.edu/

Center for Collaborative Online International Learning at SUNY SUNY is largest comprehensive uni in US 64 campuses, nearly 500,000 students started in 2006; non-commercial 24 SUNY campuses 28 Global Network partners worked with 50 HEI’s from around the world published 24 case studies

SUNY

The COIL approach form of virtual exchange and globally networked learning brings together geographically distant academics and

students from different cultural backgrounds to communicate and collaborate through online communication tools

from 4 weeks to entire module promotes interactive shared coursework, emphasizing

experiential learning Students get to know each other while developing

meaningful projects together broadens and deepens their understanding of course content builds cross-cultural communication skills and international

awareness through engaging with the perspectives of peers from abroad

Encourages interdisciplinary approach

3 GCU presentations at COIL conference1. Sake and Irn Bru: Using COIL to

internationalise entrepreneurship education in Scotland and Japan (Kansai University, Osaka) (Anne Smith and Sabine McKinnon)

2. Scale and Polish or Scales of Justice? Filling the gap in interdisciplinary teaching (SUNY Monroe Community College) (Michael Bromby)

3. Pecha Kucha 20 slides for 20 seconds Assessment and feedback for asynchronous discussion (Michael Bromby)

• Wikispaces: interactive online platform for student engagement in assessment– Gather data and share with Kansai partners– Produce comparative group report

• Skype/Facebook: Communication tools to interact on project

The question of tools

Interaction on FacebookXXXXXX

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Synchronous interaction on Skype

Interaction with Wikis

Method:

Entry questionnaire

• Establish perceptions of cultural awareness and subject knowledge

Assessment set up

• Design assessment to incorporate test with a feedback/feedforward system

Communications set up

• Set up Fb page to encourage social learning, set up Wikis with tuition for formal learning, set up skype for planning communications

Cultural and Knowledge lectures

• Delver knowledge based lectures and guest lecturer delivered session on Japanese culture

Workbook on IIP

• Prepare work booklet for Kansai and GCU students

Exit questionnaire

• Review level of Cultural Intelligence and Subject Knowledge

Entry questionnaire

• Establish perceptions of cultural awareness and subject knowledge in pre-intervention survey

Assessment set up

• Design assessment to incorporate test with a feedback/feedforward system

Communications set up

• Set up Fb page to encourage social learning, set up Wikis with tuition for formal learning, set up skype for planning communications

Cultural and Knowledge lectures

• Deliver knowledge based lectures; guest lecturer delivered session on Japanese culture

Workbook on IIP

• Prepare work booklet for Kansai and GCU students

Exit questionnaire

• Review perceptions and subject knowledge in post-intervention survey

Reference

McKinnon, S., Smith , A. and Thomson, J. (2015) A Window to the World: Using Technology to Internationalise Entrepreneurship Education, Journal of

Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, Vol 3, issue 3, pp.15-23

http://jpaap.napier.ac.uk/index.php/JPAAP/issue/view/12

Learning from the conference

COILing across differences is the most rewarding

• Geographical

• Disciplines

• Levels of study

Examples from conference: COILing across countries

Potsdam University and Tecnologico de Monterrey

SUNY and Bilkent University San Jose State University and

Allama Iqbal Open University De Paul University ; Symbiosis

International University and University of Dubrovnik

SUNY and Hanze University of Applied Sciences

SUNY and Universidad de Cartagena

COILing across disciplines

SUNY Oswego and Tecnologico de Monterreyo project management o multimedia design o creative writing / theatre and script writingo electrical engineering Task: create a design for stage set

COILing across disciplineso Marketing and Engineeringo Law, opthalmic dispensing and dental assistantso ‘common good projects’ with 30 international

partners o Psychology and teacher educationo Archaelogy and New Media Arto Criminology and Photography

Challenges Different institutional contexts Different pedagogic approaches Different levels of familiarity with tools Different levels of student commitment Composition of international groups Time zones Assessment Language

Feedback from students

“As a result of this module I feel that I have learnt a lot about not only Japanese culture but also the Scottish culture as well. I also feel that it has improved my intercultural skills as I now want to learn more about different cultures throughout the world.”

“ (Conducting business in Japan) is very different from Western ways; to be successful in Japan one would require a very good prior working knowledge of cultural sensitivity and awareness . As a result of this module I actually feel it is something I could go ahead and do with much more confidence than before.”

“My knowledge of Japan has improved but their culture is so different from Scotland’s – I feel that there is probably more to learn over a longer period of time.”

What can we learn from the Japanese way of conducting business?

“(They are) very polite .”

“Patience is important and can lead to long-term working relationships. Respect is highly valued.”

“We could mimic the ways in which they do business such as building respectful relationships with companies before deciding to trade with them.”

“To always be humble and respect your peers’ views and opinions. Don’t be too brash or boastful.”

Benefits

Learning outcomes achieved in innovative way: students demonstrated understanding of developing entrepreneurial organisations through innovation practice in international settings

Enhanced intercultural literacy, curiosity and sensitivity through real-world international group working

Enhanced confidence with tools and processes involved in collaboration with remote partners → employability

COIL is real world learning

“The problem is that the students might getupset. This doesn’t work. What now? But that is

entrepreneurship”.

Recommendations

Careful risk assessment in advance

Always have a plan B

Work with existing learning outcomes

Provide cultural background information in advance

Prepare a glossary of common terms

Include IT staff in planning process