Learning & Teaching

COIL Topic/Theme 

A reflection on the impact of an internationalisation experience via a digital platform on students and lecturers. A Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Case study

Partner Institutions

1. University of Glasgow¹
2. University Niccolo’ Cusano, Italy²

Course Co-ordinator/staff involved

Gabriella Rodolico¹

Mark Breslin ¹

Anna Maria Mariani²

College/Subject(s)

College of Social Sciences, School of Education, UoG

Length of Exchange 

4 weeks in 2020-21 and 4 weeks 2021-22

Language(s) 

English, Italian

Size of cohort

Participants: year 2020-21 (Post Graduate)

18 Year 3 undergraduate students studying at the UoG, School of Education on the Master of Education (MEduc) ITE programme.

12 undergraduate Italian student teachers and 4 postgraduate students attending the course ‘Science of Education’ at UNC Italy.

Participants: year 2021-22UoG (Undergradute)

21 Year 3 undergraduate students studying at the UoG, School of Education on the Master of Education (MEduc) ITE programme.

70 to 75 undergraduate Italian student teachers and 4 postgraduate students attending the course ‘Science of Education’ at UNC Italy.

Level (e.g. Pre hons, hons, PGT)

Please look above

Goals/ILOs

Intended learning only COIL sessions (do not confuse with course’s PIPs ILOs).

Description of project

Introduction to the project:

This initiative engaged educators from the School of Education at the University of Glasgow and the University Niccolo’ Cusano in a cooperative effort to co-produce and co-deliver a sequence of four Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) workshops sessions. The primary emphasis of these workshops was the integration of a Health and Well-being (H&WB) theme into a year 3 elective course as part of the wider Programme Master of Education (MEduc) ITE programme , with the objective of enhancing student comprehension and practical application of this subject matter.

The COIL component underwent a two-year development process, comprising a piloting stage in the first year and an improved and defined stage in the second year. During the piloting stage in the first year, delivery methodologies were tested and refined. In the second year, these piloted methodologies were consolidated into a more structured and sustainable approach.

In the initial year, key elements such as mutual enrichment, active participation, co-operative teaching, and a topic of common interest were identified (Rodolico et al., 2022a). In the second year, the teaching team further refined their model by incorporating elements from the SUNY COIL model, as suggested by the SUNY COIL Center . This enhanced model was then applied in various international settings, leading to an improvement in outcomes and informing a final COIL model (Rodolico et al., 2022b)

Year 1 session 2020/2021:

Conducted amidst the comprehensive lockdown of 2020, year 1 focused on the topic of common interest of parental engagement in primary school education. This theme was chosen not only by virtue of its inclusion as a key area within the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for Scotland but also due to its global significance in the context of widespread home-based education necessitated by the prevailing global pandemic.

The workshops seamlessly blended traditional lectures with student-led components, transitioning from live online lectures to breakout room sessions. Here, students collaborated on a Project and Problem-Based Learning task, forming the core of the COIL aspect throughout the entire 4-week project duration. The key focus of these sessions was problem-based learning, immersing students in a real-life scenario where they addressed the challenge of promoting parental engagement in their children's education, considering the cultural differences and similarities between both countries.

Within their respective groups, students worked cohesively toward a common goal: creating and presenting a final PowerPoint presentation on parental engagement that honored and valued the cultural aspects and educational structures of both countries, fostering mutual enrichment. Furthermore, students were required to present their PowerPoint presentations live in a peer and tutor-supported discussion session. This live presentation was then integrated into the assessment agenda of both countries, respecting the identity of both higher education institutions. For the University of Glasgow, School of Education (UoG SoE), it served as a formative assessment aligned with the original course documentation. Simultaneously, for the University of Niccolo’ Cusano (UNC), it constituted a summative assessment in accordance with their assessment agenda.

In addition, their responsibility extended to translating acquired knowledge into practical application. This involved reflective consideration of what was learned and how the learning occurred, ultimately resulting in the formulation of comprehensive 'plans for learning' or 'lesson plans' intended for implementation in their prospective classrooms.

Key Elements of COIL Sessions Workshops:

Year 1 2021/2022:

The workshops were fully online and structured in accordance with the conceptual framework delineating exploratory, learning, and creative workshops, as proposed by Sufi et al. (2018).

The content was aligned with the four key aspects identified by Rodolico et al. (2022): a topic of common interest (parental engagement for year 1), mutual enrichment, active participation, and remote cooperative teaching. Several meetings ( about 6 to eight 1-hour meetings) were attended by tutors from both countries to create and organise material designed to cover four two-hour online workshops, supplemented with an additional 36 asynchronous notional hours, delivered in a hybrid format.

Another pivotal factor was the designated timeframe between sessions. This deliberate allocation aimed to foster communication and stimulate the collaborative exchange of ideas among participants. Additionally, individuals were afforded the autonomy to choose their preferred online communication platform, be it social media or other tools, in consideration of their individual, professional, and institutional perspectives on the pedagogical use of such communication tools (Purvis, Rodger & Beckingham, 2020).

Year 2, 2021/2022:

These sessions employed a hybrid methodology due to the differential stages of lockdown regulations in the UK and Italy. While the University of Glasgow students experienced in-person instruction within an IT laboratory as the UK emerged from lockdown, more than 70 Italian students underwent online instruction from their homes, given the prevailing full lockdown restrictions in Italy (Figure 1).

The shift in the topic of common interest occurred, transitioning from parental engagement to the impact of a healthy lifestyle on learning. This change was initiated in response to a request from the UNC, aiming for a more general topic that could foster greater similarities and discussions between participants from both countries. Tutors, recognising the value of this adjustment, specifically chose to delve into the theme of food and health. This decision was intentional, acknowledging the significant relevance of this theme in schools in both Italy and Scotland.

In Year 2, the pedagogical delivery methods mirrored those utilized in Year 1. However, a notable challenge in COIL Year 2 revolved around effectively managing the sizable participant pool and ensuring each group had an adequate number of students proficient in both Italian/English and solely English speaking (Scottish students). The setup involved 16 small groups, with approximately 8 being mixed groups and the remaining 8 consisting solely of Italian students. This arrangement was considered essential by our Italian colleagues due to the opportunity for their students to attend live English sessions and the necessity for them to develop proficiency in English as a Second Language and self-efficacy (Mariani, Rodolico, Breslin, and Marsico, 2023, in press). Simultaneously, Scottish students had the chance to enhance international and global learning, aligning with the American Association of Colleges and Universities AAC&U’s VALUE rubrics [VALUE Rubrics | AAC&U (aacu.org)].

To help support any language barriers students had the initiative to devise inventive communication strategies, such as utilising Google Scholar and employing hand signals among other methods to support communication.

Teaching Team and Pre-COIL Sessions Meetings:

The teaching team consisted of Annamaria Mariani, a native Italian speaker; Mark Breslin, a native English speaker; and Gabriella Rodolico, a bilingual native Italian and English speaker. While Rodolico's educational background was in the Italian system, her primary teaching experience was in the Scottish system at every educational level form Primary to Secondary school to Higher Education. Together, they facilitated and supported both cohorts of students using a cross-country approach that incorporated both languages. The team ensured that sessions were tailored to fit the cultural norms of both countries.

For instance, the first session followed a student-centered pedagogical approach expressed through active learning and was presented in English for Scottish student teachers. Simultaneously, it was translated into Italian and delivered with a lecturing style for the Italian cohort of students.

Anticipating potential barriers and as described above, the teaching team held several pre-teaching meetings to address any challenges. These sessions were dedicated to collaboratively designing the COIL sessions with a dual-purpose objective benefiting both institutions. Detailed discussions and assessments were conducted on the curriculum and assessment criteria of each institution. The team delved into the pedagogical approaches and teaching methods employed in both countries, defining priorities and strategies for learning and teaching, and outlining the internationalisation strategies of both institutions. This comprehensive exploration aided in refining the session contents and resources, considering the educational strengths of both countries and fostering a platform for mutual enrichment.

Below we provide some further details of the COIL sessions.

Co-development Meetings

Key Points:

• Tutors from both institutions engaged in discussions and finalised ethical approval documents for a concise case study that included students from UoG and UNC.
• Mark Breslin, in his role as the head of H&WB, delivered content to tutors from both institutes. Subsequently, tutors engaged in a thorough examination and professional dialogue of the provided materials, including PowerPoint presentations, video recordings (especially those recorded in both languages), and images designed for creating virtual classrooms. The objective was to pinpoint the essential modifications required to realise a dual-purpose contextualisation of learning through a Problem Based Learning approach.
• There was unanimous agreement among tutors that the presented material aligned with the already exisitng intended learning outcomes of the courses (PIPs for the UoG) and would significantly enrich students' learning, comprehension, and practical experience within a teaching setting.
• Tutors deliberated on the selection of feedback platforms, and a consensus was reached that Padlet would be the most suitable choice. This decision was based on its capacity for immediate feedback, user-friendly interface, and the fact that it is a free platform which could be accessed internationally.
• Tutors discussed a final detailed outline of the COIL sessions workshops. Below is a brief description.

COIL Sessions Brief Description

The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative spanned four weeks, featuring four synchronous online face-to-face sessions, each lasting for two hours. A week-long interval between each session was incorporated to facilitate group work, professional dialogue and generate the formative assessment task.

Year 1:

Session 1:

Tutors conducted separate Zoom meetings for Scottish students led by Mark and Italian students led by Gabriella and Maria. The seminar focused on 'parental engagement' in both Italian and English. Gabriella bridged language gaps by explaining the Scottish Education system and parental engagement to Italian students, facilitating a smoother transition between languages. Students read policies from both countries and discussed their thoughts using Padlet. They were then divided into groups, consisting of five UoG and two UNC students, and tasked with sharing group work responsibilities.

Session 2:

Both cohorts joined a unified Zoom meeting, where tutors explained the task in both languages. Students worked in breakout rooms, evaluating a scenario to develop a Scottish primary school improvement plan with a focus on the National Improvement Framework (Scottish Government, 2020) and parental engagement. Tutors actively bridged communication and cultural barriers, supporting learning and promoting collaboration. The task aligned with the MEduc year 3 coursework for an artifact-based formative assessment and served as the official assessment for the course. Italian students referred to the Scottish system for their final summative oral exam. Students shared experiences, focusing on the same topic, and finalized a PowerPoint presentation as a common goal. Collaboration extended beyond seminars, with students organising additional meetings using platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.

Session 3:

Each group presented their findings using a platform of their choice. Tutors showcased a real parental engagement event organized by the School of Education at UoG, exploring the implications and impact of parental engagement policies on pupils, families, and teachers.

Session 4:

Roundtable discussion on the overall experience.

Year 2:

Building on the success and reflections from Year 1, the second-year sessions were more structured. The main artifact was a PowerPoint presentation focused on the impact of a healthy lifestyle on the learning experience of primary school pupils. Tutors conducted three sessions, each with content and tasks designed to guide group discussions and progress towards the final PowerPoint presentation, creating a more focused crescendo. Various digital tools, including Padlet, Zoom polls, Jamboard, Flipgrid, and video recordings, were incorporated into each lesson (see Fig. 1).

Each session was collaboratively planned by the team, with one member leading at a time:

Session 1:

Mark delivered a session on health and well-being, specifically focusing on physical health. The session material was translated into both languages and provided to both cohorts of students before the session.

Session 2:

Gabriella led a session on the Pedagogy of Nutrition, showcasing various active learning techniques and scaffolding of knowledge.

Session 3:

Annamaria and Mark co-delivered a session on "Better Thinker Mover" and the impact of physical activity on cognitive functions.

Session 4:

Students presented their findings, reflections, and engaged in lesson planning for future practice.

Fig 1

Assessment

Formative assessment.

Final Project outcome:

1. Formative assessment: Both groups of students presented the PPT and then reflected on the content and the process to create this project’s artefact as a mean of formative assessment, which would support their institutional summative assessment.
2. Summative assessment: Summative assessment: Each institution carried out their final summative assessment as per their PIPs documents (essay for the UoG and oral assessment for the UNC)

Synchronous Activities

Explained above

Asynchronous Activities

Explained above

Platform(s) used

Emails and Zoom: Mainly to organise group meetings, synchronous sessions with tutors.

WhatsApp and TEAMS:  Participants decided to create small private WhatsApp or TEAMS sub-groups based on their assigned group tasks.

Padlet for online and immediate feedback during and after sessions

Year 2 we also added flipgrip and jamboard

What worked well?

The COIL experiences garnered positive reception from students at both participating institutions, as evidenced by their feedback on the respective courses. A primary observation emanating from this assessment pertained to the discernible influence of the experience on the students' future careers as teaching practitioners. The students perceived the acquisition of a myriad of skills, particularly in the realm of overcoming language barriers, as instrumental in their professional development as prospective teachers.

These COIL projects provided an expanded student cohort with the opportunity to participate in international and intercultural educational experiences. This was particularly valuable for student teachers preparing for roles in Scottish schools, as it contributed to the development of communication skills in an international context. This preparation was crucial in equipping them for future work in classrooms characterised by linguistic and cultural diversity.

To align with broader educational priorities, this initiative aimed to cultivate an increase in both cultural and environmental empathy through educational experiences. Faculty members from both institutions collaborated intricately in the design and execution of the workshops. The Italian tutors expressed that they had ample opportunities to create a context relevant to Italy, marking the beginning of genuine collaboration.

Collaborative meetings within the partnership served as a platform for tutors to augment their professional development. Discourses encompassed challenges encountered in the educational landscapes of both Scotland and Italy, plausible solutions, examination of education policies, and adherence to guidelines. This collective engagement has yielded a more profound comprehension of the global educational landscape. The Italian tutor affirmed that the collaborative endeavor with Scotland has been instrumental in advancing understanding and progress towards the decolonization of education. Furthermore, it provided insights into the challenges confronted by nations characterised by comparable/similar socio-economic diversity and challenges.

What would you do differently next time?

Utilise a curriculum mapping tool during initial conversations to streamline discussions.

Employ a well-defined institutional learning platform for content sharing.

Engage in a clear and direct dialogue with the Senior Management Team and Directors of Learning and Teaching. Emphasise that if COIL activities do not impact Contents, Assessment, and Course ILOs, there should be no requirement to alter PIPs. In such cases, PIPs should not pose any barriers.

Links and references (optional)

AAC&U’s VALUE rubrics VALUE Rubrics | AAC&U (aacu.org)

Purvis, A. J., Rodger, H. M., & Beckingham, S. (2020). Experiences and perspectives of social media in learning and teaching in higher education. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 1, 100018.

Rodolico, G. , Breslin, M.  and Mariani, A. M. (2022a) A reflection on the impact of an internationalisation experience via digital platform, based on views, opinions and experiences of students and lecturers. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 10(1), pp. 30-41. https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/281756/

Rodolico, G. , Dashaputre, N., Brown, R. and Abodunrin, A. (2022b) Enhancing internationalisation through a remotely delivered hands-on stem challenge. A case study of collaborative online international learning with social media as medium of participatory pedagogy. Giornale Italiano di Educazione alla Salute, Sport e Didattica Inclusiva, 6(1)

https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/281758/

SUNY COIL centre SUNY COIL Center

Sufi, S., Nenadic, A., Silva, R., Duckles, B., Simera, I., de Beyer, J. A., ... & Higgins, V. (2018). Ten simple rules for measuring the impact of workshops. PLOS Computational Biology, 14(8), e1006191