We have a number of Advanced English courses on the go and have recently launched a synchronous IELTS preparation course, but we do not rest on our laurels at the studyFIT English Learning Support service. Having won a tightly contested tender earlier this year, we have created a bespoke course on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) for the BeCOIL Project, which is a joint undertaking of nine universities in Berlin.
The course is now available on the FernUniversität’s Open Moodle platform.
The brief was to design and create a self-study course to be taken by lecturers from Berlin’s universities and other national and international partners, inducting them into the world of COIL. Collaborative Online International Learning is an innovative approach that connects students and educators from different countries through virtual exchange. This method entails educators from at least two institutions creating a course which is undertaken jointly by students of the participating institutions. Unlike virtual mobility whereby students take, for example, a MOOC from an overseas university, in COIL virtual exchange the students do not register at the partner institution. The COIL component is simply embedded into a pre-existing curriculum, and it can consist of a short engagement over the course of a few weeks, a semester-long module or it may even be longer. Flexibility is the name of the game.
At the heart of COIL is a project which the students carry out in small groups with their international peers. In order to produce the deliverable – be it a joint business proposal, a pitch deck, a software program, a report, a website, a film or whatever is appropriate to the subject, theme and course level – the students engage in problem-based learning, thus enhancing their communication skills whilst immersed in the curricular subject matter.
At a time when many institutions have set internationalisation goals, COIL is an excellent means to expand one’s teaching and research networks. The opportunity to share experiences with academics and students from abroad not only enhances students’ intercultural awareness, but also affords them the opportunity to participate in meaningful discussions on how to address global problems that affect us all. It allows instructors to add real-world tasks to the course assessments so that students can put their understanding of theoretical concepts into practice.
COIL methodology can be adapted to many disciplines, hence the BeCOIL Project’s wish to add a self-study course to their canon. Created by Dr Prue Goredema, the Project Manager of the English Learning Support service of the FernUniversität in Hagen, the course is now available for all interested parties on Open Moodle.
In all, it takes around six hours to work through the material, and having passed all the quizzes, one can download an autogenerated certificate of accomplishment. The course content consists of video lectures, readings and exercises, and because it is self-paced, one can sign up and get started without the pressure of a deadline. It is likely that you’ll race through the six units, as they are replete with explanations of how to go about creating a COIL course, information on where to look for a partner institution and examples of good practice. By integrating COIL into the curriculum, lecturers can deliver a diverse and enriching learning experience. You’d do well to join the course without delay!
