Join a tri-campus community to enliven your classroom through global virtual exchange: UW Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Fellows 2024
OVERVIEW
Critical digital literacy and virtual collaboration skills are more important than ever in tackling global challenges such as ideological divides, the impositions that borders place on the movement of peoples, media misinformation, and the disruption of ChatGPT and other emerging technologies. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an innovative way to traverse boundaries and make the “classroom learning” experience globally connected.
COIL is a virtual exchange pedagogy that fosters global competence through development of a multicultural learning environment, linking university classes in different countries. Using both synchronous and asynchronous technologies, students from different countries complete shared assignments and projects, with instructors from each country co-teaching and managing coursework.
Since 2014, the UW COIL Fellows program has been supporting faculty in developing and implementing COIL modules in their courses with structured training, a community of practice and a stipend. The goal is to integrate COIL throughout the UW curriculum, and make this local form of global engagement, which doesn’t necessitate travel, a regular part of UW’s academic offerings. Virtual exchange has become a key part of the University of Washington’s global engagement strategy on all three campuses and at universities worldwide. Building on several years of collaboration between the Bothell and Tacoma campuses, COIL Fellows is now a tri-campus program, with the Seattle campus joining Bothell and Tacoma to support COIL Fellows in 2022.
“I really appreciate the well-planned workshops! The materials are really informative and thought-provoking; the workshop time was used effectively and we engaged in meaningful conversations with our fellows.”
Screenshot of a February 2022 COIL Fellows workshop.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
- Faculty of all ranks and from all schools, who teach at the UW full-time and are interested in developing a course collaboration with an international partner during 2024 and/or 2025.
- No prior experience or international connections are required.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The program spans two years. The first portion, held entirely online in Winter and Spring 2024, focuses on course development. The second, Summer 2024-Summer 2025 and beyond, focuses on implementation. We’ve learned that it takes about a year to identify a suitable course, connect with an international partner and plan out the COIL modules together before a collaborative course can be implemented. We also repeatedly hear from previous COIL Fellows that running their course a second time is much more fulfilling: building on strengths and refining what didn’t work well, without the significant start-up effort required the first time. We will give preference and provide additional support to Fellows who intend to teach their COIL course multiple times, or adapt their COIL modules to a different course.
Fellows are expected to actively participate in seven COIL Fellows community of practice workshops (online), set up at least one 1:1 consultation, and complete several asynchronous assignments during Winter and Spring Quarter of the first year to deepen their understanding of COIL pedagogy, begin applying it to their own course, and cross-pollinate ideas with others. By the end of Winter Quarter, Fellows will also begin working with their international partner to plan out their COIL module.
Additional community meetings (one or two per quarter) will continue during the second year to allow a space for sharing progress and troubleshooting challenges.
PROGRAM SUPPORT
The community of practice is facilitated by a team from Bothell, Tacoma, and Seattle, including:
- Todd Conaway, Instructional Designer, Learning and Teaching Collaborative, UW Bothell;
- Natalia Dyba, Director of Global Initiatives, UW Bothell;
- Chris Lott, Learning Designer, Office of Digital Learning, UW Tacoma;
- Muindi F Muindi, Senior Program Manager, Office of Global Affairs, UW Seattle
- Vanessa de Veritch Woodside, Interim Executive Director, Office of Global Affairs, UW Tacoma;
Fellows can expect support in developing their course content, finding an international partner, and exploring appropriate technology tools. Perspectives and tips from previous COIL Fellows are integrated into asynchronous materials in Canvas and some community of practice meetings.
A $1,200 stipend will be paid out as a salary supplement in two installments: the first $600 upon completion of the course development stage, which includes active participation in the community of practice, COIL partnership worksheet and course syllabus; the second $600 during the quarter that the COIL course is taught. Funds can be used for professional development and/or travel expenses related to the COIL collaboration (for self or international partner).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications are due Thursday, November 30, 2023.
The application is completed online via UW Tacoma’s Qualtrics system and includes the following components:
- About the applicant: Name(s), faculty appointment/ title, department/ school, campus, e-mail, link to online CV.
- About the proposed course: Working course/project title, UW course number, and quarter when the course would be implemented.
- Short responses addressing:
- Description of (desired) international partner: country or region of the world, area of focus, level of students. Include a brief history of any contact or discussions to date with potential partner(s), if applicable. It is not necessary to have identified a partner at the time of application.
- The applicants’ interests and goals for developing a COIL experience, including the impact of COIL modules on student learning and engagement.
- Anticipated challenges and benefits in project development and implementation.
- Any prior experience with COIL (optional).
An endorsement from the Dean or Division Chair showing support for the applicant and the proposed COIL-enhanced course as a long-term curricular offering must accompany each application. The endorsement, which is completed via a separate Qualtrics form, aims to:
- Confirm that the applicant is set to teach the proposed course or approved to be developing a new course.
- Confirm that the applicant (as opposed to another instructor) is expected/ very likely to teach the proposed course more than once. State any conditions for subsequent iterations of the course.
- Name any additional support that the school/ unit is providing or willing to provide to ensure successful implementation and continuation of the COIL project.
SELECTION
Proposals will be evaluated by a committee of UW faculty and staff based on the following criteria:
- Commitment to internationalizing the classroom and strengthening ties with international partners.
- Clear articulation of how COIL activities will deepen student engagement and lead to improved learning outcomes, especially the development of global perspectives around course content.
- Interest in developing own intercultural competence to foster understanding and create equitable partnerships.
- Persuasive evidence that the course will be successfully implemented within the expected timeframe. Preference will be given to applicants who intend to implement their COIL modules at least twice.
Applicants will be notified of their selection by the end of Autumn Quarter.