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The importance of reflective practice in COIL

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The importance of reflective practice in COIL

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Reflection is a key element in a COIL Collaboration.

When?

Ideally, you will have reflection opportunities throughout the collaboration, for example, after discussions or other activities, or during a weekly check in.

Reflection is key in helping students understand how to work in intercultural teams.

It is also really important for you, as the professor, to help ensure you reach your learning objectives and that students clearly understand the purpose of doing a COIL Collaboration.

You could start by taking 10 minutes during a class to debrief your icebreaker and team building activities, helping students identify differences, develop curiosity or theories about these differences, and prompt them to take some action - perhaps asking questions of the other students or generating ideas for good communications.

How?

Reflection can be done individually, in small groups, or in a large group; it can effectively be a written assignment or a discussion.

SUNY COIL highly recommends doing reflection activities with each LOCAL group versus the combined group. Make opportunities for reflection that are LOCAL either with each individual team or individually with everyone in your local class. It is best to go local, with reflections, particularly if a conflict arises or there is frustration with cultural differences in one or both classes. This gives students the opportunity to process conflicts and frustrations without worry of escalating the issues.

Why?

By guiding students to reflect on their experiences from a local angle, you can increase their understanding of what’s going on, allow them to problem solve issues that commonly occur during COIL collaborations, help them see the cultural basis of people’s approach to work and communications, and help them develop skills in reflective practice that they can use in future situations.

In short, reflective practice empowers both you, as the professor, to guide student learning without being responsible for mediating cultural misunderstandings, and empowers students to analyze situations and develop options to move forward..

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Support your students to create EQUITY in communication, language and across your COIL collaboration.

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Support your students to create EQUITY in communication, language and across your COIL collaboration.

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What can YOU as COORDINATOR do to create equity within your international COIL projects?

1. FOR NATIVE language SPEAKERS:

Read the article (also noted below) to become aware of inequities between professors and students from the Global North ( ie technology, resource & capital rich) and Global South (less resources and money, more likely to suffer from poverty, and political violence). How can you support your instructors and students to create equity? We get into this article even more in the next column to the right.

2. FOR NATIVE language SPEAKERS:

Provide a local orientation specifically for native language speakers to include activities and reminders about language equity and support. See image 👆 above for pointers. Remind your students throughout the collaboration. We forget. ;0)

3. FOR NON_NATIVE language SPEAKERS:

Consider inviting an EFL/ESL course that perhaps includes the students in your course to follow your COIL project to provide additional opportunities to discuss concepts and practice speaking/writing about topics.

TIPS

Clarity and Simplicity: Use clear language and avoid jargon or complicated expressions. Simplicity aids better understanding, especially when there are differences in language fluency.

Use of Translation Tools: Take advantage of translation tools like Google Translate to enhance mutual understanding. However, be mindful of their limitations and verify the accuracy of translations, especially around cultural interpretations.

Respect for Cultural Differences: Be aware of cultural differences in communication. What may be acceptable in one cultural context may be interpreted differently in another. Cultural sensitivity is key.

Practice Active Listening: Foster active listening to fully comprehend messages. Ask students to repeat or paraphrase to ensure they have understood correctly.

CHALLENGES

Language Barriers: Differences in language proficiency can be a challenge. Some students may feel insecure expressing themselves in another language, affecting participation.

Cultural Understanding: Understanding cultural nuances in communication can be complicated. Cultural misinterpretations can lead to misunderstandings and impact collaboration.

Differences in Speaking Speed: Speaking speed can vary significantly between native and non-native speakers. This can affect comprehension, especially in real-time discussions.

Time Coordination: If there is a time zone difference, coordinating real-time meetings and discussions can be a challenge. Careful planning is essential.

SUCCESSES

Cultural Enrichment: Linguistic diversity adds cultural richness to collaboration. Students can learn not only the language but also customs and perspectives of others.

Development of Intercultural Communication Skills: Collaboration in a multilingual environment develops valuable skills for intercultural communication, essential in a globalized world.

Overcoming Challenges: Facing and overcoming linguistic challenges strengthens students' resilience and adaptability, crucial skills in diverse workplace environments.

Building Bridges: Successful collaboration in different languages can build lasting bridges between people of diverse cultures, fostering understanding and mutual respect.

DO THIS ACTIVITY

1. What do you do to create equity on your campus can you request support of these campus approaches for your COIL program, your instructors and in your classrooms?

2. How will you apply those ideas/activities to your instructors' COIL collaborations?

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The COIL model relies on teaching partners to plan, design and guide collaborative experiences between their students. Partnerships do not have to be perfect. They do, however, require both professors to be fully engaged, to communicate regularly, and to take responsibility for the success of the collaboration during the planning and implementation phases.  Issues of time, trust, leadership and communication are as important to the collaboration between COIL teaching partners as they are between students.

Please watch this playlist of experienced COIL professors ("COILers")  sharing their perspectives on cultivating good COIL partnerships. https://bit.ly/3gargHO

Click the + at the bottom of the column to start a new post.

What do you think are the most important considerations for partnerships after watching these videos?  Did anything surprise you?

Share your thoughts on how you will consider issues of time, trust, leadership and communication for a successful partnership.

Start to consider to have MULTIPLE partners!

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COIL Partnerships! Instructors talk about their experience.

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Embarking on a COIL Virtual Exchange is exhilarating...professors around the world are connecting across difference and introducing their students to new and...

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Let’s use the Describe - Analyze - Evaluate/Apply model (What? So what? Now what?) on a scenario that comes up often in COIL collaborations.  Read through the scenario, click + at the TOP of the column to start a new post, and:

DESCRIBE:  What’s happening?

ANALYZE:
Why is this happening? What cultural differences are contributing to this? How do you think the students are feeling about their collaboration?

EVALUATE/APPLY:

What would you do if this situation was presented to you?  Are there things you could do to prevent this from happening?

SCENARIO

One group of students:
They want to build trust by talking about personal things. We like to build trust through delivering work. We felt they were too relaxed and maybe a little lazy. We didn't know if they were doing anything. When they delivered their part of the work, we were caught off guard, because we never reached an agreement on the approach. Now it looks like we are lacking.

Their COIL partner students:
In the beginning getting to know each other was tricky. We did not know anyone, and it was large leap of unknowingness which dazed us, and we did not know what to expect. We feel as if it also happened vice-versa.

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COIL connects students across cultural differences.  To help students get the most from this experience, we need to help them understand what culture is, why its important, and how to successfully bridge differences.

You may have heard of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian Novelist. Apart from her novels, she is also known for her very popular TED Talk, The danger of the single story, in which she warns that we risk critical misunderstanding if we hear only a single story about the world.  When she talks about "stories", she's talking about different cultures, different cultural perspectives and different realities between places in the world.

If you are familiar with the The Danger of a Single Story, try this TED Talk from talking about the local / global.
When someone asks you where you're from … do you sometimes not know how to answer? Writer Taiye Selasi speaks on behalf of "multi-local" people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYCKzpXEW6E

Please watch the videos by clicking the image of Chimanda above, and the link for Taiye Selasi as well.

Click the + at the top of the column to start a new post.

1. What are your reactions to the ideas she brings up in her talk?

2. How will you convey the importance of intercultural skills to your students?

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED

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UNESCO defines culture as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, that encompasses, not only art and literature, but lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs (UNESCO, 2001)

Watch this quick video from UNESCO Canada -  What is culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SidKFCZ65ik

Now consider some student views of what culture is from participants in exchange programs with the US: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57KW6RO8Rcs

Even though UNESCO has an established definition of culture, UNESCO delegates to their conference in Ottawa still had trouble describing and defining it. Students from different countries who lived in the US and adapted to US culture also had varying ways to describe it.  So how do you talk about culture with students?

Perhaps you want to have your students progress in their awareness. Here is a video about the path to learning about culture https://vimeo.com/859869078?fl=pl&fe=sh

Unless your course is focused on the study of culture, you don’t have to get into extensive definitions of culture. It’s usually sufficient for students to have an idea of what culture is so they have the vocabulary and framework to discuss cultural differences. You can focus on some of the aspects of culture that will impact the ways they interact with their peers during their COIL Collaboration.  We’ll explore some of these aspects in the next column and during our synchronous session, but first, let’s look at how we can help students understand why expanding your cultural frame of reference is important.

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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

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One of the key first steps in a COIL Collaboration is to develop trust among students.  Helping students gain a sense of who they are as people goes a long way towards team building.

For many people and cultures, finding something they have in common with others they work with provides the foundation for trust.

Let's try that here - let's see what we have in common.

Click the plus sign and tell us about some things you like to do outside of work.

Be as specific as you can, for example, I like to tend a flower garden, or I like to listen to jazz music.

Don't forget to add your name!

Comment on your colleagues' posts and build on what they say.  Let's see if we can find 3 things we all have in common.

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Consider your partner's world as you embark on this relationship...

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Consider your partner's world as you embark on this relationship...

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Consider how to create equity between you, your instructor and their partner  especially if one of you is in the "Global North" and one is in the "Global South".

We are seeing in COIL projects a frustrating trend of students interpreting their partners' actions inaccurately and assuming their partners are lazy when they don't respond or participate. There is a clinical term for this behavior, the fundamental attribution error (FAE): the tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underemphasize situational factors when judging others' behavior, often assuming actions stem from character rather than circumstances. Coined by Lee Ross, this cognitive bias leads to unfair judgments, damaged relationships, and flawed decision-making.

Take a moment and read this Positionality website, 6 cultural awareness approaches and this article from COIL Coordinators and professors in the SUNY COIL Global Partner Network.

https://engineerinclusion.com/what-is-positionality/

https://www.theedadvocate.org/6-ways-teachers-can-foster-cultural-awareness-in-the-classroom/

https://journal.unicollaboration.org/article/view/38199

An unspoken truth: faculty (in)equity in the context of invisible violence: virtual exchange case studies

Authors

José Luis Jiménez Figarotti, Catholic University Andres Bello, Caracas, Venezuela

Suba Subbarao, Oakland Community College, Detroit, Michigan, US

Eleonora Bagatelia, Oakland Community College, , Detroit, Michigan, US

ACTIVITY

1. Consider your position and what that brings up for you...

2. Consider 2 things you can do to support your partner and their students?

3. Consider 2 things you can do to support your local students to think well about your partner and their students?

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What is positionality? - Engineer Inclusion

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The way we see and understand the world influences how we interact with others, make decisions, and interpret others' actions. To be equitable and inclusive leaders, educators, or humans, we must understand how our identities bias our perceptions. This free downloadable PDF provides definitions and explanations of several social identities and scaffolds an exploration of your positionality.

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Welcome & Getting Started, Questions? PLEASE ASK! 

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Welcome & Getting Started, Questions? PLEASE ASK! 

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Welcome to the COIL Foundations workshop!  By the end of this  3 week workshop, you will have a better understanding of how COIL works, how to develop a successful partnership with your COIL teaching partner, reflection techniques for deepening student learning,  and how you can help your students develop their intercultural skills through online collaboration.

All you need for this workshop is included in this Padlet or via a link. If you have not used Padlet before, watch the video above.

Content for each week is labeled in the column header.  There are generally 2-3 topics/activities per week. Posts with activities you need to complete are highlighted in yellow.

This workshop includes asynchronous work and one synchronous meeting per week, together requiring about about 1 -2 hours per week.

Keeping up with the activities and providing feedback to your peers are important to both creating community and to understanding what works and doesn't work from a participant perspective, so we really encourage you to participate actively.

That being said, being flexible is one of the main ingredients for COIL success!  If you fall behind, jump back in and catch up as soon as you can.

Please ask any general questions you have, anytime, by posting them in the Water Cooler column (the last column all the way to the right).

To receive a CERTIFICATE for this course, you must respond to each activity in yellow. You must also Make at least 1 comment on your peers responses in all the activities in YELLOW.

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We want to model what your students need to do with their teams. Especially when electricity or connecting to the group is unstable, we want to have you be able to connect with a colleague from somewhere else in the world that might have a more stable infrastructure.

But we realize all of us are vulnerable. We suggest that you have at least 2 buddies.

We will use this Buddy System for our ZOOM sessions in case power goes out at one location or if someone wants to check in about class.

If you lose power or cannot be on our ZOOM call, tell your buddy, if you can, contact them through the agreed upon app so you can stay connected to class. Otherwise, there is a RECORDING to watch at a later date.

Note your name

Your prefered Chat tool - Slack, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, Signal

How to connect with you on that tool

Your time zone

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Before we get started, let's review the basics of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).

Can be created in any discipline; interdisciplinary collaborations work well

Encourage active student learning and teamwork

Include an emphasis on cross-cultural interactions and understanding

Typically run for 5-8 weeks

Are a graded activity in each participating class

Are usually mostly asynchronous with some synchronous activity

Can use any technology tools that serve the learning goals

Typically, a COIL collaboration  lasts for several weeks during the course, running as a class project during that time.  Most of the work your students will do on their COIL Collaboration happens outside of regular class time.

COIL is designed by you with your COIL teaching partner, and therefore can be designed to meet the overall learning objectives of your class.

For more information on COIL, see https://online.suny.edu/introtocoil/suny-coil-what-is/

Here also is a course layout
showing all the parts to a COIL Collaboration https://padlet.com/sunycoil/copy-of-intercultural-negotiation-in-international-business-4ya1s0oi0c9cx535

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If you have not made an account with Padlet, please be sure to post your name!

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Effective COIL collaborations follow a recognized progression through specific phases.

1. The team building phase includes introductions and icebreakers, along with discussions and activities designed to help students get to know and feel comfortable working with one another online and across cultures.

2. The discussion phase includes comparative discussions and organizing the project that teams of students will be working on. This phase continues to build student teams, but focuses the work on the course topics to prepare students for effective collaborative project work.

3. The project phase is the main activity for the collaboration. This is the time that students apply their knowledge, create something together or have substantive discussions around the topic of the collaboration.

4. The concluding phase includes presentation of work completed, in any format agreed upon by the collaborating professors, final reflections, and concluding.

Please note that for maximum benefit, reflection should happen throughout the COIL Collaboration.

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Maybe you have a colleague in mind with whom you have worked before.  Perhaps your university has relationships through which they will help you find a partner.  Or perhaps you don't have anyone in mind yet.

One thing to bear in mind is that COIL collaborations can work well in related disciplines, and between quite unrelated disciplines.  Focus on what you want students to get out of the collaboration, including the process as well as the content, and you may find that an interdisciplinary pairing would work very well.

A  key to having an effective partnership is for you to understand how they work and communicate with a partner, and to be clear about what they are looking for in a COIL partnership. Examples can include language proficiency, comfort with ambiguity, teaching style, communication style, expectations for interaction with students, flexibility, subjects or topics of study, etc.

One way to get this clarity is to create a partner profile. This can be useful even if you have someone in mind, but is particularly important if you need to find a partner. The SUNY COIL Center creates partnership bulletins to help interested professors  find COIL partners. Each professor  needs to create a profile to be included in the bulletin.  Profiles should be fairly specific but not too narrow,  and are built from prompts.

Here is an example of a strong profile - complete, indicating some flexibility. https://bit.ly/2ZXdnax

Here is an example of two weaker profiles - one too specific, one too broad.

https://bit.ly/3jK9ca3

After looking at the examples, identify what you think makes a strong profile.  What information is important to include? What would you look for in a partner's profile?

Click the + sign at the end of the column to start a new post, and write your COIL partnering profile.

Provide feedback to your colleagues.

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Watch UCAB COIL Video of the students explaining how to do COIL.

Share what is exciting to you about what they say.

Why is it important to hear the students speak in their native language?

Did you figure out how to hear what they are saying in your language? You can use subtitles through YouTube.

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Documental: Innovación Educativa en Tiempos de Crisis (segundo corte)

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RECORDING

SLIDE DECK

RESOURCES

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Hi everybody! Welcome welcome! I am so glad that you’re here.My name is Hope Windle. I will be the facilitator for this course. A little bit about myself... I like to sit on a big ball while I work instead of a chair it keeps me focused. I really like dark chocolate. I have a cute dog named Bagel and we go on big walks every day in the woods near where I live. We walk a couple times a day so that I can breathe in the day and nature, even just to hear birds and see the trees. I don’t think the dog gets sick of it. He likes to chase frogs. I love to meet people from different places. There is something about it that gets me so excited! Especially when we first meet through technology, I love reading about each person and then to meet you on ZOOM is so fun. An added bonus is to meet in person.. like at a conference or visiting each others' schools. The whole process is so exhilarating! I don't live near the ocean but I love the sounds, smells and floating in water of any size, either to swim or kayak or just walk alongside a river or creek.

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FACE TO FACE - Synchronous Connection

We will have weekly synchronous meetings to participate in COIL activities and answer questions.

Each meeting is one hour long.

Each meeting will prepare you for the synchronous part of your COIL project.

All meetings will be recorded and posted on the Padlet platform.

Please join us on Tuesdays on the following dates. Mark your calendar.

We will always meet at this ZOOM link

Meeting 1: Tuesday, June 9th, 4 - 5pm ET (8 - 9pm UTC)

Meeting 2: Tuesday, June 16th, 4 - 5pm ET (8 - 9pm UTC)

Meeting 3: Tuesday, June 23rd, 4 - 5pm ET (8 - 9pm UTC)

We span across multiple time zones!

Check this Time / Date Meeting Planne r to make sure you have the right time.

I will also send you calendar invitations.

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Send your Certificate request to hope.windle@oneonta.edu

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Send your Certificate request to hope.windle@oneonta.edu

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To receive the COIL certificate for this course, you need to participate in ALL of the YELLOW BOX activities ... posting your ideas, peer responses, curriculum activities and reflections.

You will receive the certificate once you have posted and we can acknowledge your participation in the online course space in addition to your wonderful presence in our ZOOM meetings.

As you know, we are just mirroring what YOU as instructor, would observe and note the work of your students.

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Maybe you have a lot of experience with reflective practice and have an approach that works for you.  If so, great!  Feel free to use that in your COIL Collaboration.  If you don’t have a lot of experience with reflective practice, a model and technique that works well is Describe - Analyze - Evaluate.

Describe

What happened?  Describe the situation without adding emotion or evaluation, as if you were an outside observer.  Who did what?  What was said?  Where did this take place?

Analyze

This is where we really try to understand what’s going on. Why do I think this happened?  What do I know about the cultures involved and how they are influencing the situation? Can I make connections to situations I’ve encountered before?  Try to generate theories or ideas about what’s going on and why.  If I don’t really understand why something happened, how do I become better informed?

Evaluate/Apply

What did I learn from this?  What does it mean going forward?  How do I apply what I learned from this situation next time?  Are there generalities I can take from this?

An easy way to remember this is:

What? = Describe

So What? = Analyze

Now What? = Evaluate/Apply

Note that in a situation where emotions are high, you may also want to add a short time for students to react.  This will acknowledge their feelings, but keep the focus on What- So What - Now What.  If you add a reaction time at the beginning, students should use "I" statements and keep the reaction focused on their feelings, not on what they perceive as happening.  For example, "I was really frustrated" or "I felt disrespected" without assigning blame allows students to express their emotions before moving onto the reflection prompts.

Click the link below or on the video at the top of this post to learn about the What - So What - Now What reflective practice in education. https://youtu.be/vGyjF9Ngd8Y

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What is a Critical Reflection? Introducing the “What, So What, Now What” Model

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Aspects of culture that impact COIL collaborations

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Aspects of culture that impact COIL collaborations

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There are many aspects of culture that need attention for your students to explore during a COIL collaboration.

First, before the COIL project starts, consider having your students warm up to thinking about cultural differences by examining their own cultural identity. Here above is a Positionality, Intersectionality, and Privilege mnemonic that can inform a personal identity map that each student can create from a template. You can choose from many on the web. Consider a form of this exercise for students see the difference between given, chosen and core identities and how that is impacted by the wheel and intersection of power and privilege.

In the teambuilding phase, you will likely want your students to have some comparative discussions to explore cultural differences, such as the role of students and professors, transportation, food, recreation, etc. These are good ways for students to discover both differences and similarities.

Once students start working on the main activities of the collaboration, different aspects of culture play into the way students will work together in teams. Issues of trust, time, leadership and communication are the areas of cultural difference that students (and collaborating professors) are most likely to encounter in a COIL Collaboration.  Helping your students understand and work comfortably with differences in these four areas will greatly contribute to a positive outcome. These four areas are informed by different underlying cultural realities.

These realities have been described by various theories, including:

Collectivism - Individualism

High Context - Low Context communication

Task-based or Relationship-based orientation to work and trust

For example, a person with a relationship-based orientation to work and trust is likely to see time invested in getting to know someone as very productive because that’s ultimately how they will collectively succeed. Someone with a task-based orientation and a low-context communication style may see leadership in that same group as cutting off the “chit chat” that the first person sees as relationship building, and instead directing people to the tasks that need to be completed, which is their idea of efficient use of time.

Check out these short articles for more illustration:

Task-based and Relationship-based orientation:

https://cqsavvy.com/build-trust-relationships-across-cultures/ FIND BETTER ARTICLE

Collectivism - Individualism

https://www.andrews.edu/~tidwell/bsad560/HofstedeIndividualism.html

We will explore culturally informed communications styles in the next column, and we will discuss all of these aspects more during our synchronous meeting.

Please note, when we talk about culture as applied to a nationality, we are, of course, talking in generalizations. There are a lot of variations among people and groups in any culture,  but for the purpose of illustrating aspects of cultural differences here, we will use broad generalizations. Please feel free to use a different lens or frame of reference in your posts.

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My Name: Hope

My Chat tool: WhatsApp but happy to learn others

How to connect with me: +1845-658-3676

Where you are located: New York, USA

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Please share your email or WhatsApp and or LinkedIn

to connect as partners or just stay in touch !

Here is mine

hope.windle@oneonta.edu

WhatsApp

+152 845 658 3676

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hopewindle/

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Padlet  is a tool for sharing and collaborating. Click anywhere in this column to be able to scroll down the column.  To expand posts, which may make them easier to read on a computer screen, hover over the upper right corner of the post and click on the three vertical dots that appear.

To start a new post, click on the "+" sign at the TOP of the column.

While you are writing a post, click on the icons that appear in the bottom of the post  to add photos, voice, and video.

You do not need to have a Padlet account to use it, however, if you are not logged in, please be sure to add your name to your posts so we know who you are - otherwise you will be listed as anonymous.

If you need more help, visit the Padlet support center at https://padlet.com/support

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Low-Context for Clarity? High-Context for Sincerity?

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Low-Context for Clarity? High-Context for Sincerity?

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Should we be looking at this in a slightly different way?

Are there parts of the COIL project where low-context communications are preferred (e.g. student assignment instructions) and other parts of the project where high-context is preferred (e.g. getting to know each other Ice Breaker activities)?

What do you think?

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Cite this guide: Oxner, A. & Bandy, J. (2020). Teaching International Students. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-international-students/.

International students enrich higher education by bringing their languages, cultures, and perspectives to their peers and, in so doing, heighten social awareness, cultural literacies, and broad intellectual development for everyone (Wong 2018; Luo and Jamieson-Drake 2013). However, while international students contribute much to their classrooms and campuses, they also confront many challenges. Adjusting to higher educational settings is a challenge for students from any cultural or academic background, but international students often face additional difficulties. While they, like any student, must find ways to succeed academically and socially, they also must do so often in a foreign language and within legal systems and cultural landscapes that may be unfamiliar. The resulting cultural alienation and confusion, in addition to financial and cultural pressures to succeed, can cause their college experience to be riddled with uncertainty and anxiety. The classroom experience is also challenging, since international students often confront a culture of teaching and learning in higher education that is substantially different from that to which they are accustomed.

For educators to aid international students in negotiating their lives in higher education and thereby to enhance a multicultural and cosmopolitan campus culture for all, it is imperative for instructors and staff to better understand the challenges of international students and how to develop inclusive spaces of teaching and learning. In recent years, the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching has hosted a series of conversations with international students and faculty. The following guide represents many of the concerns raised in these discussions and suggestions for how educators may best support international students, and in so doing, enhance their campus. This guide also explores inclusive teaching practices that can be incorporated into classrooms across a wide array of disciplines and teaching contexts.

Terminology

Throughout this guide, we use the term "international student" to encompass a wide variety of experiences, but we recognize that this is imprecise and that students who may fall into this category are highly diverse, with varied experiences of language, formal visa status, citizenship, and cultural familiarity. Some international students were not born in the U.S., but may have attained U.S. citizenship and be heritage English speakers, and thus may not see themselves as international students. Others may have competencies in English as a second language (ESL) and a student visa, but may be less familiar with American culture, thus identifying clearly as an international student. These students and many others we refer to as international students for the sake of addressing some common experiences, but we recognize that they may prefer to identify as an English language learner (ELL), someone using English as an additional language, immigrant, bilingual student, another term, or some combination. In what follows below we will attempt to address teaching and learning issues with some precision, even as we hope this collection of insights will support international students from across many experiences with highly varied identities.

Teaching Techniques

Class Discussion

Class discussions can provoke anxiety in any student, but international students and English language learners may feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others due to language barriers, a lack of familiarity with social or cultural cues, differing educational backgrounds, and other factors. You may consider generating discussions that meet the following goals:

Transparency. Due to cultural differences across educational systems, some international students may be accustomed to a teacher-centered classroom (i.e., the instructor directs most classroom activities, often through a lecture-based model). When they enter classrooms that emphasize modes of self-directed or collaborative learning, such as student-led discussions, they may need additional help understanding the rationale and structure for participation.

Clarify expectations. If categories such as "discussion" or "participation" appear within your syllabus or grading policy, it is important to define your expectations at the beginning of the course. What does participation look like in your discipline or in your particular classroom? Communicate with your students about why you require active participation, especially by describing the benefits you think it brings to the learning process. It is also helpful to be very practical and transparent about what goals you have for discussion and what skills you are assessing through student participation.

Incorporate multiple forms of participation. If verbal full class participation is not essential to your course goals, consider offering alternative participation strategies such as small group discussion, think-pair-share, individual meetings with the instructor, informal blogs, discussion board posts, after-class email exchanges, or other assignments that allow students to demonstrate their engagement with course content.

Distribute questions. Providing potential discussion questions before class gives students time to reflect and formulate more complex responses.

Group Work

Research shows that collaborative practices and learning communities benefit traditionally underrepresented students by encouraging engagement between learners of diverse backgrounds, leading to increased multicultural competence (Soria and Mitchell 2015). You may consider the following techniques as part of a strategy of realizing these practices:

Diversify group work. Asking students to turn to a classmate or form a group can create opportunities for peer education and can be a helpful discussion strategy. However, students sometimes can self-segregate or gravitate towards other students like themselves, so consider organizing group discussions or projects intentionally to promote more diverse groups and dialogues throughout the course.

Organize study groups. If students have an assigned group and meet frequently either in-class or for study sessions, they may form a classroom community and develop closer relationships with other students, aiding their learning. They can ask their peers for additional help rather than having to approach the instructor if they feel intimidated. Implement a check-in or other way to regularly assess the effectiveness of the student groups. This is particularly useful for international or ELL students who may need more assistance developing proficiencies in language or cultural competencies.

Group projects. High stakes group work may be difficult for international students. If a grade is attached to group work or collaborative projects, a student may feel like a burden if they do not understand how to contribute. Consider using group work for low stakes brainstorming so that students can build a rapport with their classmates and even potentially practice language learning in an informal setting. Also, consider giving individual students, particularly international students, clear roles (e.g., facilitator, devil's advocate, notetaker) and assignments as part of their group work. Learn more about using roles in group work.

Assessing Student "Engagement"

If a student looks disengaged or is not participating verbally, that does not necessarily indicate passivity or a lack of engagement or understanding. In many cultures, students are accustomed to high degrees of deference to faculty, and thus may be habituated to listening actively but quietly, avoiding eye contact, and not initiating dialogue. For faculty who are more accustomed to students who make eye contact or who challenge with questions or critique, this can appear to be disengagement. Rather than reading these cues as disengagement, instructors could determine student understanding through:

Classroom assessment techniques. Incorporate activities such as minute-papers on what they have learned and/or their remaining questions or issues that are still unclear (i.e., "muddiest points").

Guided prompts. Instructors could use reading notes, digital social reading assignments, quizzes, discussion boards, blogs, and reflection papers that are tied to a prompt that requires application, critique, and/or synthesis. Rather than participating verbally, students would thus be given the opportunity to respond to course content through a variety of mediums.

One-on-one meetings. Faculty can require individual check-ins with all students to ensure they are engaging and developing towards the learning objectives. However, because international students may be unaccustomed to this as a teaching practice, it may help to clarify their function and what may be required of the students.

Instructor Presentation/Performance

International students or English language learners may need to translate language in their head as the instructor speaks, or they may need extra time to take notes in another language. In order to communicate effectively with all students, instructors can develop a clear teaching or presentation style that incorporates slower speech, accessible questions, and pauses for reflection. These techniques are elaborated below:

Speaking style. Experts in any discipline may unconsciously speak quickly because they are familiar with their subject and they may extemporaneously pursue tangential subjects with cultural references that are unique to their home culture. International students can best understand these topics more easily if the instructor uses slower speech, clarifies culturally specific references, and pauses periodically for reflection and note-taking time. It is worth noting that changing your speaking style too much may be unnecessary and/or insulting, since it may appear patronizing. Consider clarifying and slowing your speech, and then check in with students a few weeks into the course to evaluate whether your presentation style is effective. This could be done through an anonymous Google Form or poll that is distributed to all students.

Question format. It is useful to check in during instructional time in order to gauge understanding, but students often feel uncomfortable asking or responding to questions in front of their peers for a variety of reasons. They may respond more willingly to open-ended questions such as: "What part of the previous explanation is still unclear?" These types of questions invite students to acknowledge gaps in understanding (rather than asking a question such as, "Are we all ready to move on now?"). More specific questions that intentionally assess student understanding are far better than general ones designed to simply move class along. Pause for 10-15 seconds before transitioning to the next topic. This will provide students with the time necessary to process, reflect, and respond, especially if they have less language or cultural familiarity with the subject. Instructors could also create a "questions/feedback" discussion board or quiz on their course management system, in Google Docs or Forms (note: in China the Google platforms are not accessible), or encourage/require individual office hour check-ins.

Explanations of major assignments. Provide both written and verbal instructions for all assignments. International students or English language learners may have to translate the instructions as the instructor speaks, so they may miss some material. Restate important ideas throughout the lesson and vary the phrasing/terminology as information is presented.

Closed captioning. If PowerPoints, Google Slides, or other slideware are being used during a class period, consider providing closed captioning for this content. Some English language learners might be more familiar with written language than with spoken words. With captions, students also have the opportunity to go back through the slides later to read through what they may have missed, or to translate unfamiliar concepts/phrases when they have more time.

Curriculum Design

Curricula appears differently across diverse cultural and educational contexts. International students should not have to do all of the work of adjusting to the U.S. classroom-the instructor can adapt some of their course materials to better support students from a range of backgrounds. Some suggestions for a culturally responsive curriculum design are provided below:

Varied assignment structure. Implementing a variety of assignments and building some student choice into their subjects/formats can help students from different backgrounds find relevance and meaning in the course through multiple or personalized access points. For example, an international student may not be comfortable taking timed quizzes or exams in a second language but might perform well on an untimed written assignment. Additionally, a student may not feel comfortable writing an essay on American history events but might feel more engaged if they could choose a historical event from another cultural context. Assessing students through multiple forms is likely to also assess multiple skills and abilities, so instructors may benefit from using different formats (papers, tests, quizzes, projects), media (written, audio/video, digital), and both formative and summative assessments throughout the course. However, if you offer students choice, it would be helpful to be exceedingly clear with all students, international or domestic, about what range of options might be available, with examples.

Consider the limitations. Interrogate popular/traditional assignments within your discipline and assess their effectiveness for international students. For example:

Oral presentations. Public speaking can be daunting for students from any background, and international students may be especially uncomfortable speaking in front of the class due to language barriers or unfamiliarity with the practice. Alternative presentation formats could help students access the material more easily. For instance, instructors could consider assigning group presentations with specific roles that require different levels of public speaking (i.e., one student could design the presentation while another conveys most of the information to the class).

Off-campus work. Some courses require internships, community service, volunteer work, or service learning. These requirements can pose issues for international students who have limitations based on their work visas. Moreover, some international students may not have a driver's license, understand the city bus system, or have access to other forms of transportation. Check in with your students to make sure they are all able to participate in these activities, and arrange alternative assignments if necessary.

Language expectations. Consider grading based on content more than grammar/mechanics. Also, be mindful that English language learners may not be as familiar with academic English, disciplinary jargon, or local/colloquial language.

Writing assignments. If English is their second language, your students may be spending quite a lot of time at the Writing Studio, the English Language Center, or other campus centers. Consider offering extra credit if they provide evidence that they are using campus resources. Reach out to them to offer additional support if they seem uncomfortable taking advantage of these resources for whatever reason.

Models. Using academic articles or other professionally written examples could intimidate or discourage students. Providing approachable, but effective student examples of major assignments could serve as more inclusive models, alongside clear language about how the models are exemplary and how they might be improved.

Syllabus design. The syllabus serves as the introduction to your course for many students. Offer clear expectations or directions for each component of your course such as discussion, participation, and major assignment descriptions. Examine your textbook or reading selections and assess whether these course materials reflect a diverse array of cultural reference points. Consider including an inclusivity statement or list of community guidelines, particularly if you are teaching a discussion-driven course.

Rubrics. Consider using rubrics to clarify criteria by which assignments will be assessed, and expectations for different levels of performance. Rubrics can have any format or content you want to provide, but should be intentional in their representation of the criteria of assessment you will use. Transparent rubrics can be helpful to all students as they seek to do their best on assignments.

Special considerations for online curriculum design. Faculty can help to ensure that international students who are learning online (especially from other countries) can receive equitable treatment.

Discussions. In hybrid classes especially, faculty may privilege in-person dialogue over those participating via video conferencing (such as Zoom). When international students are disproportionately participating online, this privileging may have the effect of excluding them (and their online peers) from conversation. Please endeavor to give time and opportunities for online students to contribute to the discussion fully, and not include them marginally (e.g., only at the end of the dialogue). Also, in online or hybrid courses, please be attentive to time zone issues as international students may be contributing to the discussion late at night or early in the morning, which could affect their participation. International students need rest to keep up with their assignments and maintain good physical and mental health. Therefore, you may choose to set alternative sections for international students. Another solution is to not make synchronous sessions mandatory, and instead create equitable opportunities for asynchronous class participation, for example through discussion forums, notetaking documents, and video.

Asynchronous materials. It is good practice to offer course materials that students can access asynchronously so that they have more control over when (and how) they view the content. For example, consider providing transcripts of your lectures or links to reading materials that you discuss verbally. Also, consider transforming any presentational elements you currently perform in synchronous meetings into asynchronous materials that students may review independently. This can have the added benefit of focusing synchronous discussions on the forms of teaching for which they are best suited, namely interactive dialogue and collaborative learning.

Accessible online platforms. Avoid selecting an online platform that may exclude international students. Google platforms, for instance, are not available in China, so others may be worth using if Chinese students are participating in the course. Check-in regularly with all students to ensure they have the resources needed to succeed.

Scheduling. Consider offering office hours, exams, and synchronous class meeting times in time slots that are convenient to both you and your international students in different time zones.

Online testing. Learning management systems (Canvas, D2L, etc.) provide instructors with tools to create tests and quizzes that students complete through the online platform. Some limitations exist in these tools:

Many testing tools have built-in plagiarism detectors that can pose challenges for international students (see the "Academic Integrity" sections below).

When creating an online test, faculty can typically choose between several question formats (multiple choice, long-form response, short answer, etc.). For each type of question, the instructor should clarify their expectations in terms of length and content. Some question formats may be unfamiliar to students who have not previously enrolled online.

Instructors also should consider the benefits and drawbacks of imposing a time limit on quizzes or tests. Consider your course goals and determine whether or not speediness is a desired learning outcome. Research shows that white students are more likely to succeed in a timed exam than minority students (Henderson 2004; Curcio, Chomsky & Kaufman 2014) and that women's performance diminishes on exams with time pressures (Ayshford 2020). Eliminating time constraints can help students who need to translate questions, identify definitions for unfamiliar terms, or otherwise engage with the course content on their own timeline.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity refers to the exchange of ideas and knowledge that is honest, trustworthy, fair, respectful, and responsible (International Center for Academic Integrity 1999). Practically and most frequently, the term denotes work that is undertaken honestly without plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, or cheating. Plagiarism or academic dishonesty appears differently across academic institutions and cultures. International students may not be familiar with U.S. plagiarism policies-in some cultures, borrowing or repeating someone else's ideas can be viewed as a form of flattery (Scollon 1995; Simpson 2016). Additionally, some Asian cultures "encourage collectivism, memorization, and group work," so students studying in Western countries "may face difficulties when adjusting to academic standards that encourage individualization" (Simpson 2016). Offer an overview of plagiarism or academic integrity within the context of your course and your culture, or use that provided by Vanderbilt's English Language Center, which you can see here:

Assess the penalties. If you know or suspect that a student has plagiarized, invite them to participate in a conversation about academic integrity. Consider allowing the student to re-do the assignment or revise the plagiarized sections, rather than failing them for the assignment or the course.

Plagiarism software. If using a plagiarism detector like TurnItIn or SafeAssign, explain this process to students and justify your use of these programs. You may choose to enable the setting that allows students to view their own TurnItIn/SafeAssign reports so that they can see how frequently they are integrating research or outside sources.

Defining plagiarism. Invite a member of the the English Language Center, Writing Studio, or Office of Student Accountability into your classroom to discuss plagiarism or academic integrity, since this could be beneficial for all students. Again, the ELC has created this useful tutorial on academic integrity that draws insight from across Vanderbilt's campus community.

Getting to Know Your Students

Our diverse students bring with them many perspectives that can become part of campus academic and social life, but only if we understand them and integrate them into our work as educators. To help students find belonging and contribute to our classrooms and campus life, U.S. students and faculty need to gain familiarity with each other's cultural backgrounds and perspectives. To help all of your students through this process of multicultural exchange, you can integrate getting-to-know-you strategies throughout your course. Activities like those listed below can help generate a classroom community in which students recognize and value the personal and intellectual contributions of others:

Icebreakers. Icebreakers can be a useful way to introduce students to both the instructor and their classmates. However, instructors should strive to create ones that are culturally inclusive. For example, if asking about students' origins, be conscious of phrasing. Rather than asking, "What's your name and what city/state are you from?" instructors could simply ask, "What is your name and where are you from?" In this way, the instructor is not assuming that all students are from the United States, and students from different countries do not have to offer additional explanations about their origins. During the icebreaker activity, instructors can also avoid questions that require students to speak in front of the class for long periods of time in case they are uncomfortable with public speaking or are unfamiliar with this practice.

Unconscious bias. As you learn more about your students' unique identities, avoid making assumptions:

Some students will not identify as an international student, even if they are not from the United States. While their cultural background does affect their life as a student, it may not always shape or define their classroom behaviors or student identity.

If a student has a less common accent, discloses that they are from another country, or does not communicate in the way to which you are accustomed, don't assume that they will not succeed in your class or understand the material. Simply check in with them throughout the course, as you would other students, to make sure they are on-track.

Some international students find that faculty members are unwilling to learn more about them because it requires extra effort or because the instructor assumes that they will not have enough in common with the student. Demonstrate your interest in your students' individual backgrounds and perspectives by valuing their contributions during class discussions, conversing with them during office hours, or researching their country/culture.

Be willing to admit when you have a question about a student's background or experience. Acknowledge that you want help if you experience a misunderstanding but avoid expecting the student to do all of the work of teaching you about their culture-do the necessary research for yourself as well.

It is useful to incorporate current events into your course; however, the expectation that international students will know about U.S. popular culture can result in exclusion and miscommunication. Instructors should try to be mindful of not presenting the U.S. experience as a universal experience, and consider providing extra context for the cultural references used in class.

Recognize that some international students may need to spend a great deal of time conducting additional research to fill in any contextual gaps. If you are teaching an American history course, for example, students from different cultural backgrounds may have to do extra work to keep up with the course material. Consider checking in with students at the beginning of the semester to gauge their background knowledge, and provide resources that may help them succeed.

Names. Take the time to learn your students' names and pronounce them as correctly as possible. Avoid making jokes about how "impossible" their name is to pronounce, or how you will "never remember that name." If they prefer to use an English name, respect that decision and use the appropriate/preferred name. If you need assistance in learning how to pronounce their name, do not hesitate to ask upon your introduction to the student.

Information sheets. Consider distributing a student survey or "student information form" that asks students relevant questions about how you can help them to feel comfortable and thrive in your course, including, but not limited to, their prior educational experience, their interests in the content of the class, things that would help them to succeed in the class, preferred names and pronouns (see the English Language Center's pronoun guide), or anything else they might care to share. This could help you to get to know not merely your international students, but all students, and can guide your teaching in ways that are more personalized and meaningful.

Office Hours

Approaching instructors for help can be intimidating to many students, but international students may not be accustomed to meeting individually with perceived authority figures due to differing cultural practices. Visiting an instructor's office or asking questions without being prompted might feel disrespectful to some students. Encourage students from all backgrounds to seek individualized attention when needed:

Offer multiple forms of help. Rather than reserving office hours for course-related topics, use this time to have general conversations with your students. Learn about their interests and experiences and check in with them about their emotional well-being.

Alternative terminology. Consider using a term such as "Student Hours" or "Conversation Hours." Framing it this way might reduce the anxiety students feel from approaching authority figures in their own space.

Manage personality expectations. Be patient with students who resist being familiar or chummy. International students, as well as students who are simply reserved or introverted, may express themselves differently when speaking individually with a faculty member, or may not know what relationships are appropriate. Consider providing students with clear guidelines on what you believe to be the appropriate professional relationships you wish to establish with students Some students may also regard Office Hours as remedial-consider requiring all students to attend Office Hours once or twice throughout the semester so that individuals do not feel singled out or penalized.

See the Center for Teaching's Office Hours guide for additional resources.

Cultural and Social Awareness

Cultivating a culturally responsive classroom can enhance learning outcomes by generating support and awareness for international students' unique experiences. Instructors can demonstrate their commitment to student success by considering:

Sense of belonging. Maintain a list of international student clubs and other campus resources (a preliminary list can be found in the next section). If an international student appears isolated, recommend these resources so that they can feel socially connected to campus communities. Please see the English Language Center's weekly digest with a list of campus events and resources for international students seeking engagement and belonging.

External factors. Recognize that international students might face additional stressors:

Their families might be very far away, making it difficult to travel home for holidays or family emergencies. This can lead to feelings of isolation and/or guilt.

Health insurance coverage. It is more expensive for international students (versus U.S. citizens or domestic students) to seek financial assistance for medical attention and mental health needs.

The onus for integration is often placed on international students. They are pushed to integrate into U.S. culture or are tasked with teaching others about their cultural values and educational tenets. Domestic students can reach out to international students rather than placing the majority of social burdens on them. Domestic students could attend international student events on campus, invite them to participate in small group discussions, and specifically ask them to share their opinions or experiences. Faculty can normalize this effort in their courses by being intentional with how they organize and facilitate group work, assigning and discussing texts from a variety of cultural origins, offering extra credit to students who participate in culturally diverse events on campus, and incorporating activities on unconscious bias into their curriculum.

Campus Resources

The Provost's Office for Inclusive Excellence (OIE) serves Vanderbilt's communities of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty. Working to create and assess progress towards inclusive excellence, we are committed to embracing our diversity and achieving a more equitable Vanderbilt through partnership and collaboration. The OIE prioritizes the various needs of our diverse groups by building opportunities for more voices to be heard and valued within the Vanderbilt community-at-large.

The English Language Center (ELC) offers contextualized noncredit English language courses, workshops, language resources, and one-to-one Academic Speaking, Academic Writing, and Pronunciation consultations to students and faculty who use English as an Additional Language, regardless of their level of proficiency. The ELC strives to help international students achieve their academic, professional, and social goals.

The Global Education Office (GEO) is committed to preparing global citizens by providing innovative and high quality international learning experiences that build on Vanderbilt University's commitment to academic excellence, global engagement and community service.

The International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) fosters the education and development of non-immigrant students and scholars to enable them to achieve their academic and professional goals and objectives. ISSS provides advice, counseling, and advocacy regarding immigration, cross-cultural, and personal matters. ISSS supports an environment conducive to international education and intercultural awareness via educational, social, and cross cultural programs.

The Office of Leadership Development and Intercultural Affairs - Dean of Students initiates, develops, and implements multicultural education in the areas of policies, services, and programs for the entire student body.

International Student Council. Vanderbilt University's International Student Council (ISC) is a non-political and non-profit student organization. The goal of ISC is to unite all the undergraduate and graduate international students on campus, and acts as a programming platform to promote cultural diversity to the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities. ISC dedicates to promote mutual cultural and intellectual sharing among international students and American students, to promote the welfare of international students, and to work as a liaison between ISSS and international students.

International Student Organizations provides information on organizations sponsoring programs and offering support systems for international students at Vanderbilt. Includes social events that bring multicultural awareness and increase international/domestic student connections on campus.

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend a special thanks to Tanushree Sarkar, Qinyuan Gu, Elianys Martinez Rodriquez, Mohammad Meerzaei, Iriza Baranyanka, Adriana Calderon, Aya Abou-Jaoude, Yuki (Chengxin) Hu, Dr. Akshya Saxena, Ben Tran, Rahn Huber, Melissa Thomas-Hunt, Tiffany Green, Xiu Cravens, Lijun Song, Hoaxiang Luo, the staff of the English Language Center (particularly Susan Barone and Jim Cracraft), the staff of the Writing Studio (particularly John Bradley), as well as Vanderbilt's the International Student Council, Asian Studies Student Association, Undergraduate Chinese Association, Korean Undergraduate Student Association, Association of Latin American Students, Middle Eastern Student Association, African Student Union, and others who participated in interviews and panels, shared their perspectives, and contributed to the information provided in this guide.

References

Ayshford, Emily. " Making Science More Equitable, Starting with 101." Symmetry (2020).

Curcio, Andrea, Carol Chomsky, and Eileen Kaufman. "Testing, Diversity, and Merit: A Reply to Dan Subotnik and Others." University of Massachusetts Law Review, vol. 9 (2014).

Henderson, William. "The LSAT, Law School Exams and Meritocracy: The Surprising and Undertheorized Role of Test-Taking Speed." Texas Law Review, vol. 82 (2004).

International Center for Academic Integrity. The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity. October. (1999).

Luo, Jiali and David Jamieson-Drake. "Examining the Educational Benefits of Interacting with International Students." Journal of International Students vol. 2, no. 3 (2013).

Scollon, Ron. "Plagiarism and Ideology: Identity in Intercultural Discourse." Language in Society, vol. 24 (1995).

Simpson, Denise. " Academic Dishonesty: An International Student Perspective." Higher Education Politics & Economics vol. 2, no. 1 (2016).

Soria, Krista and Tania Mitchell. " Learning Communities: Foundations for First-Year Students' Development of Pluralistic Outcomes." Learning Communities Research and Practice vol. 3, no. 2 (2015).

Wong, Alia. "Should America's Universities Stop Taking So Many International Students?" The Atlantic, 28 June 2018.

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This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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by Alex Oxner and Joe Bandy Print Version Cite this guide: Oxner, A. & Bandy, J. (2020). Teaching International Students. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-international-students/. Terminology Teaching Techniques Curriculum Design Academic Integrity Getting to Know Your Students Office Hours Cultural and Social Awareness Campus Resources References International students enrich...

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CLASSROOM TIPS - Remember to get your partners' and your students' names correct! 

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CLASSROOM TIPS - Remember to get your partners' and your students' names correct! 

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So important to pronoun peoples' names correctly! Thank you Naomi Sigg. For virtualexchange, remember to share this with your students. microaggressions like these add up to no trust and not good team work. Everyone wants to make a COIL project work so keep this in your toolbox!

and

Here are ideas to better serve your international colleagues and students in your synchronous VIDEO sessions

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Language as cultural expression vs means of communication

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Language as cultural expression vs means of communication

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We have considered the cultural basis of communication styles. What about language?  Language and culture are closely related. The words we have in our language help us describe the world around us and help us organize our thoughts to make sense of it. Vocabulary can both reflect culture and define it.

Among people who speak the same language, slang, idioms and accents create a sense of group identity - whether that’s a national, regional or local difference, or identity in a group defined in other ways, like ethnic groups, organizations, social class, etc. Using language as cultural expression can be a way to include people in a shared identity, but can also exclude those who don’t have the shared frame of reference.

In a COIL Collaboration, we need to help students think about language as cultural identity and as a means of communication. This is particularly important if the language of the collaboration is the primary language of only one group. To get students introduced to the idea of language as identity and communication tool, you can have your students greet the other students in that group’s language as part of the icebreaker. Students can then talk about greetings, for example, how they would greet a teacher, a grandparent, a close friend, a stranger.

Attached is some advice from the University of Kansas about communicating with people if proficiency is unequal. These tips can be helpful to share with your students, and can be helpful reminders for yourself if you and your COIL teaching partner don’t have the same level of proficiency in the language you will use for communications.

Another technique that COIL professors use is to have posts in the dominant language of both groups. That is, if the primary language of one group is Spanish and the other is English, students have to post in both languages.  If they don’t have proficiency in one of the languages, they need to use available tools, like Google Translate, to assist.  This can help give all students the perspective of communicating in a language that’s not primary to them and generate conversation about language and communication. You can do this for one or more discussions, even if you agree on one language for the collaboration. It does require some guided reflection to help students unpack the experience and apply learning going forward - more on that next week.

Click the + column to start a new post.  If you have experience communicating across languages, share some stories, tips, challenges and success you’ve had that could help your students and your colleagues as they prepare their COIL collaborations.  If you don’t have a lot of experience, do you have concerns, questions, things you’re looking forward to?

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When we become nervous about considering language equity we forget to enjoy the fun mash-ups and play that can happen..

Here are a few very short videos celebrating languages:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9fmJ5xQ_mc

https://youtu.be/9Wi9Dfhqd1A

Here is a website reminding us to bring the languages together, rethink and remove English dominance. https://www.msudenver.edu/writing-center/faculty-resources/linguistic-white-supremacy/

ACTIVITY

Can you think of a fun activity to celebrate the languages in your COIL collaboration?

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Whether you will do a 3 week collaboration or 6 weeks..

Where it fits in your own course?

How do I grade the other students?

slide of range of collaborations that you can do

slide of timeline of a course and the COIL collaboration alongside

1. Here is a logistics chart for you and your partner to make a copy and share together your information for when you want to COIL. We discuss in our COIL Design workshop.

Collaboration Logistics Plan

docs.google.com

2. Review this template of prompts to create your collaboration

COIL Templates - Mastery Level

COIL Templates Mastery Level Includes assessment metrics

docs.google.com

3. Review this example of the progression of partners working together that you can review and emulate

Virtual Exchange Planning COPY to USE

Virtual Exchange planning

docs.google.com

4. Collect and consider the icebreakers that align with what you and your partner are thinking to do for your project

5. Consider how best to introduce the concepts of the collaboration and the benefits to your students with your school's COIL Coordinator, Career Counselor, Alumni COIL students, Language professors.. people to bring in to prepare your students to participate with others from another part of the world.

ACTIVITY

Brainstorm what course you might COIL.. consider what course that your students need more hands on experiences to better understand a concept

ZOOM ACTIVITY

In a breakout room, consider your course and your partner's course, what could be the UN SDG that connects the two content areas?

Here are some examples...

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Here is a Example to visualize how to organize your COIL project. Think about this example as the structure to integrate the cultural connection of COIL: the essence of your COIL project.

https://padlet.com/jojimene2/clon-de-transmedia-derechos-humanos-s88lqkulogjmyez5

Here is another course in English.

https://padlet.com/sunycoil/4ya1s0oi0c9cx535

If you would like more examples to consider check out our SUNY COIL ambassador page with a project example for each ambassador located on their page if you click on their image https://coil.suny.edu/ambassador-program/

Take a look.

Consider all the sections. Answer the following questions.

1. What section(s) is important?

2. Anything surprising you?

3. What do you think you won't need?

4. What do you think is missing?

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Introducing the concepts of collectivistic and individualistic cultures can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) project. In individualistic cultures, such as Canada and the United States, the emphasis is on personal achievement and autonomy. Conversely, collectivistic cultures, like many in Asia and Latin America, prioritize group harmony and collective well-being.

When facilitating a COIL project, I begin by explaining these cultural dimensions and how they might influence communication styles, decision-making processes, and teamwork dynamics. For instance, individualistic students may focus on personal contributions and direct communication, while collectivistic students might prioritize group consensus and indirect communication.

By discussing these differences upfront, students can better understand their peers’ perspectives and adapt their collaboration strategies. Additionally, I emphasize the importance of seeing each team member as an individual, avoiding stereotypes, and conducting regular reality checks to ensure respectful and effective intercultural interaction. This approach fosters a richer, more empathetic learning experience for everyone.

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This short clip helps to better understand this concept that can be apart of our COIL conversation. Please share Videos and your comments here

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Think of an activity that you might want your students to do during their COIL collaboration.  If you don’t have an activity in mind, pick one of the activities you suggested for the sample pairings in the Exercise your Creative Muscle column.

List the types of interactions you want the students to have.  Consider the relative importance of student interactions (communications tools), a collaborative space, and other aspects.

What are the desired outcomes and outputs (product, portfolio, presentation, etc.) for this activity?

What technology tool characteristics would facilitate these outcomes and outputs?

1. Here is the link to a google spread sheet that lists many online tools that are available - this list is certainly not comprehensive and you can feel free to use a tool that does not appear on the list.

2. Select a tool that you think could be effective and take a deeper look.

3. Do a bit of research into the particulars of your tool. By reading through the website of your tool and doing a quick Google search you should be able to find information and user feedback that will help you understand how well this tool aligns with your needs.

4. Click the + sign to start a new post.

5. Tell us which tool you selected, why you picked it, and how well you think it would work for your purposes.

6. Please give enough context from the questions above to help others understand your needs.

7. Read through what your colleagues have learned about their tools.

8. Comment, share your experience if you’ve used the same or similar tech tool, make suggestions about how they could resolve any concerns they have.

Here is the link again

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRy4LnkS9Sr0LSCyrD6tp2DY65wLauEHzchBi3sZg1NwAvFvhhTCX9It2ZsBbZcz7SDrbA4qkxMHY6U/pubhtml?gid=506430650&single=true

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Communication Platforms:

Text-based chat: We'll primarily use text-based communication through popular platforms like WhatsApp, Viber, or Facebook Messenger, depending on regional preferences. This allows for asynchronous communication and easy access on mobile devices.

Video conferencing: For real-time discussions and collaboration, especially during the class launch, we'll leverage video conferencing tools like FaceTime or Zoom.

Collaboration Tools:

Google Workspace: We'll utilize Google Docs and Slides for collaborative document creation and presentations. This offers real-time editing, cloud storage, and accessibility from any device.

Canva (Optional): For presentations with a more visual focus, Canva can be an alternative for creating engaging presentations.

Video creation: For textile projects, we might explore creating short videos to showcase their work. We can discuss specific video editing tools as needed.

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Now that you have seen a COIL Project example ... Here are other documents you can adapt and implement in your own COIL project process.

SUNY COIL Logistics Chart

This logistics chart for your instructor partner teams is essential in the start of their collaboration to consider dates, student demographical information and much more. We use this chart in our COIL Design workshop. Collaboration Logistics Plan COPY to USE

SUNY COIL Project Prompts

Review this template of prompts for your professors to create their collaboration COPY to USE

COIL Planning Progression

Review this example of the progression of partners working together that you can review and emulate

Virtual Exchange Planning COPY to USE

courtesy of a SUNY COIL member, Cosette Joyner, Texas State

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QUESTION:  We have students from all over the country and from other countries as well. Right now, our course is completely asynchronous as a result.  Do you have suggestions for how we handle the synchronous parts of COIL projects?  I can see challenges even with small teams who must meet together synchronously.

Don’t get me wrong, I think the synchronous parts of the projects would be essential.  However, our directors are concerned about how we can handle the many time zones among our own students, let alone our partners’ students.

Communication

One big aspect to doing COIL is the importance of gaining responsibility for each other and learn how to work together as a team with your instructions, modeling how you and your partner work as a team. Share with your students how you and your partner connect not only through the course, AND email but also by a chatting tool.. Whether Slack, WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram.  Here is the Student Orientation and a team communication document that you can revise and use as needed with students to solidify their connection.

Community Agreement

Having your students create their own Community Agreement is a powerful way for them to create structures, boundaries, and build their relationships. We reviewed this in the slides from Week 2's Zoom session.

Scheduling

We want the students to figure out how to work together straddling the different time zones. As part of the process of working together, have each team take into account the particular time zones of their group and determine when works for all to meet. I recognize what you noted, that your students are in different time zones in the US and around the world. This is part of the collaboration. Making the scheduling work. Allow time for the students to figure this out. They can use the Time and Date Meeting planner. You can have each team create and complete a communication document as noted above offers a structure for them to solidify their connection. You and your partner also can facilitate an easy process by recognizing the time zones of your students and putting them into teams that are in somewhat compatible time zones. Having your students work together on this builds the trust of the team. Have them figure this out once you determine the teams.

Documenting their interactions

Have your students record their synchronous sessions or document with screen shots and check ins of the team.

Weekly Check-ins

Your weekly facilitation of each team's communication is crucial to the success of the project and to address micro-agressions and frustrations as they happen. Every week you are coaching the local team members of each group. You will be checking in with each team's local members with their reflection = What?So What?, Now What?

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Understanding High / Low Context Communicating Styles 

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Understanding High / Low Context Communicating Styles 

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Let’s compare and contrast Low Context AND High Context communication.

Low Context communication

is direct.

Meaning is conveyed primarily by the words themselves.

Summarizing and repetition of key points are used to ensure that messages are clear.

The relationship between individuals, particularly in an educational or work setting, does not have much impact on how things are communicated; there is no assumption that we have shared understanding so I need to say what I mean.

High Context communication

is in-direct

relies on shared understanding to derive meaning.

Non-verbal cues are very important, such as tone and body language.

It’s the overall context of the communication that leads to understanding, not reliance on the words used.

WATCH & READ

Here’s a video and a blog post that focus on high context and low context communication.

Understanding Cultural Communication Differences:

https://youtu.be/ouhStVMCpmY

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W9iLrfyq20&t=6s

How to recognize and navigate in communicating between high and low context https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kujUs_6qeUI

A blog post written by a Polish woman living in the UK: http://www.projectabroad.eu/the-culture-map-communication-low-and-high-context-cultures/

POST A RESPONSE

Now think about your students and their communication styles with students from another country, culture

Are your students/is your culture generally High Context or Low Context?

Will your students expect short, frequent, direct questions and comments that clearly state their opinions? OR Would your students be annoyed or offended by short direct communication?

Would they expect that type of messaging after they have developed a sense of team, or would that communication style help them develop a sense of team?

1. Click the + to start a new post.

2. Reflect on communications as it relates to the COIL project you want to develop. This could be your own communication style, the expectations of your students, experiences you have had working with people with different expectations for communications, or considerations you will bring to developing an effective COIL teaching partnership.

3. Please share any questions, concerns or tips you have.

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this is an opportunity to think beyond what you have currently two people who you can tap who have similar goals and initiatives in their programs…

The more people who know about what you’re doing on campus, people who are excited and supportive of this sort of endeavor of bringing cultures together, bringing an international perspective to your students within the classroom, the opportunity of a high impact practice/experiential program, the better success you’ll have

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RECORDING

SLIDE DECK

RESOURCES

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RECORDING

SLIDE DECK

RESOURCES

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Deep Dive into Intercultural Competence as a Co-Constructed approach by Dr. Amy McHugh. there is a Reflective SURVEY example, page 39

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Deep Dive into Intercultural Competence as a Co-Constructed approach by Dr. Amy McHugh. there is a Reflective SURVEY example, page 39

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Review this Partnering Bulletin for partners

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RVuYXeeWS0ezzi2n7zECzLlo4QoGvMC_/edit#heading=h.xyfonrbdweoc

Email people that seem like a match for you. Remember that your project can be cross-disciplinary!

Consider a colleague that works in another country.

Consider connecting with multiple people so that you have back ups and alternatives.

Consider your project to be simple and flexible

Consider multiple projects for your course so that you can pivot to a project if something falls through or doesn't work with the 1st approach.

Consider asking your International officers for partner ideas.

Consider the time zone range that seems to work best for you.. and look for partners in that range.

Consider signing up for the next Partnering Fair / Partnering Bulletin. We run them 4 times a year.. February, May, September and November

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SUNY COIL Partnering Bulletin February 2026.docx

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Students need support around specific areas

What to expect with an international, intercultural, team based project and exchange ?

How will I know I am doing the work correctly?

What’s in it for me? How can I succeed? How can I prepare to be a digital professional?

Where can I access the information?

There are lots of resources you could include in a student COIL orientation.  Here are a few...

SUNY COIL Student Orientation https://sunyolis.libguides.com/sunycoil/start

Redundancia Game

For native language speakers to experience what it is like to speak a second language

Cultural exchange area

A dedicated section for cultural exchange could be added to your online work place to encourage students to share aspects of their own culture and learn about their peers' cultures. This could foster deeper cross-cultural understanding.

Language guidelines section

Given the emphasis on language and communication, maybe a section of the online project space outlining language guidelines, including expectations for using the shared language(s) and strategies for inclusive communication, could be beneficial.

Find ways to share examples or suggested responses...perhaps broadly, not for a student team to copy and share but to gain courage in knowing they are on the path to figuring something out.

What is Culture?
https://whatisculture.org/?page_id=71

Intercultural Modules for Orientation
for students before a COIL collaboration
https://www.purdue.edu/ippu/cilmar/learning/pim.html

Survey/ Assessment
Will you use an assessment tool to capture data about doing COIL? Here is a pre and post survey questions tool, free to use from Perdue University  https://www.purdue.edu/cie/globallearning/ASKS_version3_combo.pdf

Start a new post and list the 3-5 orientation / reflection elements that are most important to be shared with your students? Click the plus sign below to create your post.  Read and respond to your colleagues' posts.

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This SUNY COIL Student Guide provides information and resources to help students succeed in COIL courses throughout SUNY. Here you will find information about the benefits of participating in COIL; tips on cross-cultural communication, collaboration, and expectations; and recommended resources for research as well as some research tips.

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Guides: SUNY COIL Student Guide: Welcome

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Information and online resources for students participating in SUNY COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). An overview of this guide and COIL

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Intercultural Competence as a Co-Constructed approach by Dr. Amy McHugh. 

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Intercultural Competence as a Co-Constructed approach by Dr. Amy McHugh. 

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CHECK OUT the Reflective STUDENT SURVEY example, page 39 and below...

Remember to keep your questions to less than 20. or even less!!! Your students will probably ONLY do a small amount of questions.

Example critical self-reflection questions for pre-

COILVE

1. What is your culture? How do you express your culture(s)?

2. How do you identify yourself to others (to yourself, your

family, friends, wider society)? Why do you identify in that

way?

3. What are your values? Why do you think you hold those

values? How do you know you hold those values? How do your

values ‘come to life’ when you interact with others?

4. As we prepare to connect and collaborate with students in

another country, what are you most excited about? Why? What

are you most concerned about? Why?

5. Do you think the social, historical, economic histories and

contemporary realities of our country and the country we about

to engage with will impact your interactions with the students?

How? In what ways?

Appendix B- Peer-evaluation questionnaire example (adapted from

Deardorff, 2012)

Now that you’ve thought about your own intercultural competence, please think about your COIL team members and their intercultural competence during the project. Using the same list of items, please rate each of your COIL team members intercultural competence using the

scale below:

1=poor, 2=below average, 3=average, 4=high, 5=very high

Please also include an example of how a team member demonstrated (or not) each item.

(This questionnaire is based on the intercultural competence model developed by Deardorff, 2004, "Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization," by D.K. Deardorff, 2006, Journal of Studies in International Education,

10 (3), 241-266.)

Rethinking Intercultural Competence (IC): A Co-Constructed Approach to Developing and Assessing IC in Virtual Exchange

1. Displayed respect and valued other cultures

Example:

2. Displayed openness to intercultural learning and to people from other cultures

Example:

3. Displayed tolerance for ambiguity

Example:

4. Displayed flexibility in using appropriate communication styles and behaviors, in intercultural situations

Example:

5. Displayed curiosity and discovery

Example:

6. Seemed to withhold judgment

Example:

7. Displayed cultural self-awareness/understanding

Example:

8. Worked to understand others' worldviews

Example:

9. Seemed to have culture-specific knowledge

Example:

10. Seemed to demonstrate sociolinguistic awareness

Example:

11. Displayed skills to listen, observe and interpret

Example:

12. Displayed skills to analyze, evaluate, and relate

Example:

13. Displayed empathy and treated others as they want would like to be treated

Example:

14. Displayed adaptability to different communication

styles/behaviors, to new cultural environments

Example:

15. Demonstrated appropriate and effective communication in intercultural settings

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Ideas for COIL projects

from SUNY COIL Ambassadors

https://coil.suny.edu/ambassador-program/

click on any of the people and scroll down to see their projects

COIL projects from DePaul

https://offices.depaul.edu/global-engagement/partnerships/programs-for-partner-institutions/pages/GLE-Projects.aspx

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Global Learning Experience (GLE) Projects