Expanding Global Horizons: Leveraging COIL to Enrich Student Experiences Abroad
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v37i3.1124Keywords:
COIL, experiential learning, high-impact practices, intercultural communication, intercultural competence, study abroadAbstract
Higher education institutions have made significant strides in internationalization strategies as they have prioritized initiatives that promote student exposure to diverse cultures while enhancing their intercultural competencies (de Wit & Hunter, 2015). Study abroad programs have been highly valued as strategies that provide linguistic and cultural immersion opportunities to prepare students to contribute to an increasingly globalized world (Maharaja, 2018; Mu et al., 2022; Stebleton et al, 2013). At the same time, implementing Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) as an internationalization tool in undergraduate courses has proven beneficial in promoting intercultural learning and enhancing intercultural communication, in addition to providing cost-effective options for students who cannot study abroad (Rubin, 2016). Studying abroad has been extensively examined and studies focused on COIL continue to emerge; however, scholarship on the simultaneous impact of both approaches on students’ intercultural competence and cross-cultural adaptability is scarce. This qualitative study sought to address this gap by exploring how undergraduate students perceive COIL while participating in a faculty-led study abroad program in South America. The data revealed four key themes: heightened cultural awareness, strengthened sense of global connection, enhanced intercultural communication skills, and appreciation for lifelong learning. The findings demonstrated that COIL fostered a transformative experience for the students while studying abroad as they enhanced their cultural awareness and communication skills. This reinforces COIL's capacity to enrich study abroad programs and cultivate globally connected learners.
Abstract in SpanishLas instituciones de educación superior han avanzado significativamente en sus estrategias de internacionalización, ya que han priorizado iniciativas que promueven la exposición de los estudiantes a diversas culturas, para así fortalecer sus competencias interculturales (de Wit & Hunter, 2015). Los programas de estudios en el extranjero se valoran como estrategia que brinda oportunidades de inmersión lingüística y cultural, y que prepara a los estudiantes para contribuir en un mundo cada vez más globalizado (Maharaja, 2018; Mu et al., 2022; Stebleton et al., 2013). Por su parte, la implementación del Aprendizaje Colaborativo Internacional en Línea (COIL, por sus siglas en inglés) como herramienta de internacionalización en cursos subgraduados, ha demostrado ser beneficiosa para favorecer el aprendizaje y la comunicación interculturales, además de ofrecer opciones rentables para los estudiantes que no pueden estudiar en el extranjero (Rubin, 2016). Los estudios en el extranjero han sido ampliamente investigados mientras que los centrados en COIL continúan emergiendo; sin embargo, la literatura sobre el impacto de la implementación simultánea de ambos enfoques en la competencia intercultural de los estudiantes es escasa. Este estudio cualitativo abordó esa brecha y exploró cómo estudiantes subgraduados perciben la implementación de COIL en un programa de estudios en el extranjero, en América del Sur. Los datos revelaron cuatro temas clave: aumento de la concienciación cultural, fortalecimiento de la conexión global, ampliación de la comunicación intercultural y apreciación por el aprendizaje permanente. Los hallazgos demostraron que la implementación de COIL propició una experiencia transformadora para los estudiantes durante su estudio en el extranjero, ya que amplió sus competencias interculturales y sus habilidades comunicativas. Esto refuerza la capacidad de COIL para enriquecer los programas de estudios en el extranjero y formar aprendices interconectados globalmente.
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