The Office of International Affairs (OIA) launched the Global Teaching and Learning Initiative in autumn 2020, a suite of virtual programming that inspire cross-cultural engagement inside and outside the classroom. In partnership with international liaisons within Ohio State colleges and units, while promoting all modalities of global education, OIA has been involved in developing experiences and opportunities for students, faculty and staff, using online experiences.
The Office of International Affairs and the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning have created a learning community to promote Collaborative Online International Learning/Virtual Exchange (COIL/VE). The aim is to support instructors in designing new global and intercultural student learning experiences in virtual modalities. These new programs, which may be course-based or project-based, should connect Ohio State students with their peers around the world through collaborative learning and meaningful intercultural interactions in a virtual space. Please contact Cindy Jiang for more information.
To support a wide variety of recently developed virtual experiences through its Global Online Learning Initiative, the Office of International Affairs hosts a series, Global Education through a Virtual Lens, to share insight into the value of online collaborations for students and faculty.
The first of the series, Global Learning Going Virtual: An Introduction to COIL Virtual Exchange, featured keynote speaker Jon Rubin, director of COIL Consulting, explored the rationale and ramifications of COIL Virtual Exchange practices as they are evolving in our changing landscape. The second in the series featured Ohio State faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and the Fisher College of Business sharing their experiences teaching COIL courses at Ohio State.
The Office of International Affairs and the Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures sponsored a Global Teaching and Learning grant competition during spring 2021 to develop internationally focused learning and cultural exchanges at Ohio State, using a variety of platforms and mediums. Seven faculty were awarded the 2021 course development grant.
The Global Online Learning Scholarship was created by the Office of International Affairs for Buckeyes interested in pursuing a virtual education abroad program or global learning experience. While coping with challenges of COVID-19 and its global impact on travel and international exchanges, the Office of International Affairs offers ways and means of staying globally engaged and earning international education credits. The Global Online Learning Scholarship will provide from $250 to successful applicants to be applied towards the cost of their virtual experience.
Over 200 students have participated in global online experiences from short-term faculty-taught COIL courses to international internships since autumn 2020. The majority of the students reported that they would recommend their experiences to fellow students. Learn more about student experiences by reading about engineering students’ virtual collaborations with partners in Honduras in spring 2021 and tune into the Buckeyes Abroadcast podcast.
Online global experiences play a vital role in campus internationalization. To ensure a coordinated and comprehensive strategy is employed for the success of every Ohio State approved online global learning program, a wide variety of specialized services are provided by the Office of International Affairs. These services are essential to manage and enhance the development and implementation of international online programming for all Ohio State students seeking to expand their global knowledge and experiences.