AAACE 2021 Annual Conference

Adult learning, COIL, internationalization, virtual exchange, TPACK

Increasing international interdependency creates need for internationlizing learning experiences. This session shares lessons learned and best practices from a Collaborative Online International Learning experience between an American and a Japanese university. We share reflections from our collaboration design and implementation with practical advice for educators interested in international virtual exchange.

There is increasing demand for internationalizing learning experiences for adults in higher and adult education. The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) methodology can facilitate inter-institutional partnerships and online experiences that can increase access to traditionally inaccessible international education experiences. Using the TPACK framework (Koehler & Mishra, 2005) as a guide, we conducted a case study to explore the technological, pedagogical and curricular outcomes of a COIL collaboration between an American and a Japanese university. We learned, among other things, the importance of institutional partnerships, navigating the then uncertain technological landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to pair coursework with similar aims. In this session, we expand upon these tensions and our lessons learned form our successful collaboration amidst a pandemic.

Despite existing guidance on the COIL, the methodology ought not be prioritized over design of internationalizing the learning experience. This session aims to expand upon the tensions observed in the praxis of COIL, including practical issues in its designing and implementing processes based on our team’s experiences. We plan to present a guided reflection on initiating partnership, aligning course aims, and utilizing a breadth of emerging technological platforms and resources (e.g.: ACE, Class2Class, IIGE).