Office of International Affairs

Virtual Exchange Learning Community

Ohio State faculty and instructors interested in learning how to design a global and intercultural learning experience with international partners are encouraged to apply the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)/Virtual Exchange Learning Community, which will take place autumn semester 2024.

A partnership between the Office of International Affairs and the Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning, the COIL learning community will support instructors in designing new global and intercultural student learning experiences in virtual modalities. COIL virtual exchange programs, which may be course-based or project-based, should connect Ohio State students with their peers at home and around the world through collaborative learning and meaningful intercultural interactions in the online classroom. Instructors who plan to design general education theme courses with intercultural learning integrative practices are of particular interest for this cohort.

Fifteen Ohio State faculty and instructors have been selected to participate in the 2024 Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) community where they will design and integrate virtual global and intercultural learning experiences into general education and disciplinary curricula. Participants will learn how to design an interculturally mediated collaborative project with international partners. Throughout autumn semester they will develop skills that will enable them to create appropriate intercultural learning outcomes, find resources for online learning and administer valid and reliable assessment measures. Each participant will receive a stipend to be used for course development, materials and professional development.

Important Dates and Online Application (currently closed)

Learning community meetings will start in August 2024. The expected time commitment is approximately five to eight hours each month. All meetings will be synchronous and online via Zoom. Participants will be expected to read all materials (articles, book chapters, case studies or videos) and review resources provided by facilitators prior to the group 90-minute meetings.

  • Applications deadline: April 30
  • Notifications to applicants: May 24
  • Commitment forms due: August 12
  • COIL courses or projects are expected to be completed by December 2025
  • A final report will be submitted and should include information about the COIL/VE course implementation, student learning outcomes and how the grant funds were used: May 1, 2025

Applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of faculty and staff from the Office of International Affairs and the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Apply now. 

Additional Information

Funds will be distributed to the applicant’s department within two weeks after the budget proposal is approved.

Eligible expenses

Opportunities and materials that further your own professional development as you design and prepare to teach a COIL/VE course. This includes participating in training on intercultural communication or training in facilitating intercultural learning, taking the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), the purchase of books and support to attend conferences on teaching that include sessions with an intercultural focus. You may also use your funds for resources that will support you or your students in their intercultural knowledge building and global learning. Some examples include using the Global Competence Certificate modules in your course, intercultural assessments or books. Participants will submit a budget proposal for approval prior to the distribution of funds.

Course design

Instructors will refer to backwards course design and will direct participants to appropriate resources for assistance.

Teaching endorsement

This is not an approved pathway toward any of the current teaching endorsement offerings. However, participants may be able to use this project for Instructional Redesign.

Instructional redesign

Participants who are a tenure-track, clinical, teaching or practice faculty or full-time lecturers (75% appointment or greater) and have completed the Teaching @Ohio State Carmen Course, these COIL courses/projects are eligible for instructional redesign. Visit drakeinstitute.osu.edu for details.

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