C OLLABORATIVEO NLINEI NTERNATIONAL
L EARNING

Sophia University

Ochanomizu University

University of Shizuoka

Sophia University

Vice President for
Academic Affairs
Professor Juro Otsuka

The Collaborative O nline Inter national
Learning (COIL) Project at Sophia University
began in 2018, funded through the MEXT
“Inter-Universit y Exchange Project ”. The
purpose of the project is to incorporate COIL in
Sophia’s international education programs, incollaboration with ten partner institutions in
US, Ochanomizu University and the Universityof Shizuoka.
COIL is applied in the following four areas.

Greetings

1. Enhancing the quality of study abroad
programs by coupling with preparatory andfollow-up sessions using COIL. 2. Virtuallyconnecting classrooms, in which students fromvarious locations collaboratively learn whilefaculty members also collaborate for effective
pedagogy. 3. The consortium of the three
Japanese universities provide incoming
st udent s opp or t unities to st udy uniquecontents by the three universities. 4. Seeking
ways in which COIL can be a means to tackle
with educational inequality at multiple levels.
In this brochure you will find examples of how
we have used COIL to connect classrooms.
With COIL, students can access global learning
regardless of their curriculum, financial
situation, or travel restrictions due to the global
pandemic. While the initial MEXT funding
focuses on US-Japan network, this project has
expanded and given us oppor tunities toco n n e c t w i t h o t h e r co u n t r i e s , s u c h a s
Mongolia for COIL courses by Department of
Nursing, and Myanmar in collaboration with
Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL). You will find afew examples of such initiatives in here as well.

01

Ochanomizu University

University of Shizuoka

Trustee and Vice President

Vice President

Professor Yasuko Sasaki

Professor Akihiro Okumura

O r i g i n a l l y fo u n d e d i n 1 8 7 5 a s t h e fi r s t

Boasting a beautiful view of Mount Fuji, the University

institution of higher education for women inof Shizuoka is located in Shizuoka City, approximately

Japan, Ochanomizu University is a national

one hour from the center of Tokyo by bullet train. The

university cooperation located in the heart of

University of Shizuoka is a public university sponsoredJapan’s capital city, Tokyo. Ochanomizu

by the Shizuoka Prefecture, where it has played an

University’s endeavors to provide “a place

active role in local community development since its

where all women motivated to learn can real-

founding over 30 years ago. The University hasize their dream.” Over the past 145 years, theapproximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate

university has forged a new path in women’s

students and more than 300 faculty members. The

education, becoming the highest ranked

university consists of five schools: Pharmaceutical

women’s university in Japan.

Sciences, Food and Nutrition Sciences, International

A distinguishing feature of the university is its

Relations, Management and Information, and Nursing.

highly advanced curricula, with all education-

Shizuoka Prefecture prides itself for its production ofal courses and programs taught in small classtea, automobiles and automobile parts, musicalunits. Indeed, Ochanomizu University offers

instruments, optical products, among other foods andthree undergraduate courses ( “Letters andtechnologies. The University’s campus is also ideally

Education,” “Science,” and “Human Life andsituated near Mt. Fuji and the Hakone resort area—

Environmental Sciences”) and six post-

popular tourist sites—as well as many hot springs andgraduate programs ( “Comparative Studies ofhistorical attractions.

Societies and Cultures,” “Human Develop-

Involved with the COIL Program since 2018, themental Sciences,” “Gender and Social Scienc-

University of Shizuoka has conducted COIL classes withes,” “Life Sciences,” “Advanced Sciences,” andPortland University, the University of California, Davis,“Cooperative Major in Human-Centered

the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, andEngineering”).

Gonzaga University in the United States, as well as

Having joined the COIL program in 2018,

Dornogobi Medical School in Mongolia. Approximately

Ochanomizu University has participated in

300 students have participated in COIL classes. The

several initiatives with universities in the

University has played a primary role in the organization

United States, particularly Vassar College, as

and implementation of field studies under the COIL

well as other parts of the world. Suchprogram in Japan, including organizing field trips toinitiatives have included online classmajor Japanese manufacturers, medium-sized local

exchanges, student exchange, and joint

craft companies, and tea ceremony experiences. COIL

forums. The university continue to promoteparticipants—mostly American exchange students and

COIL as a valuable tool for international

local students from Shizuoka—found these experiences

student exchange in the so-called “newhighly satisfying. The University of Shizuoka hopes tonormal” of the pandemic era.

continue developing such COIL program initiatives
going forward.
02

MODEL CASE 01

Chisa Hara
Project Associate Professor, Institute for Global Leadership,
Ochanomizu University

In 2019, students from Ochanomizu University

scores at exams,

joined the collaborative online international-In global society, what happens in part oflearning (COIL) class on international education

the globe influences another, culturally differ-offered by Sophia University and Loyala

ent part of the world. Education should

Marymount University.

enhance students’ understanding of these

Offered by Ochanomizu University, “Develop-

different cultures and influences based onment and International Cooperation” isegalitarianism and inclusiveness.

aimed at students interested in global issues,-In

especially in the developing world. The classunderstanding local culture is important, as is

discusses a range of issues based on

sharing common values such as gender equal-

field-based research, including education,ity. This can result in conflict. For example, local

health, poverty, and the role of international

culture can be opposed to girls’ education,

cooperation.

which is an important component of gender

On November 11, 2019, 20 students participatedequality. How do we understand and resolve

in a COIL activity. After watching a video

this situation? Discussions between interna-interview with NGO staff members with ample

tional and local NGOs usually find a way toexperience in education in Africa and Asia, thecompromise and develop a view rooted both instudents engaged in open discussion among

the local and international without falling into athemselves while posting their comments on
SNS.
The students’ discussions covered broad rangeof topics related to education, including thefollowing:-In the current world, education is expected toequip students with the capacity to cope with achanging society. However, in reality, educationin both developing and developed countries is
outdated that students study for getting better03

respecttointernational

cooperation,

simple dichotomy. Such efforts enable cooper-from different environments and cultures.

ation that reflects both views, making it more

While the students from the three universities

constructive.

have common interests—namely, education in

The COIL activity resulted in increasing diverse

thecomments regarding education, sustainable

cooperation—they have diverse experiences indevelopment, and international cooperation.

and out of the classroom. The students tried to

The students revealed the following impressions

utilize their experiences in expanding andof the activity:

deepening their discussions, which seems to be-At first, it seemed difficult to post comments as I

an attitude sorely needed in contemporary

liked. I was afraid to post “incorrect” comments.

multicultural society.

developing

world

and

international

But, after reading the comments from otheruniversity students, I found that there were no
incorrect comments, and I enjoyed posting
comments freely.
-The replies to my comment from the students at
Sophia and Loyola Marymount universities
were very encouraging and useful in deepening
my understanding.
-Although all students from the three universities
watched the same interview, we have diverse
views. Exchanging these diverse views led to thebuilding of shared understandings with people04

MODEL CASE 02

Junko Kurokawa

Sato, our UCD counterpart, lectured on theProfessor, School of

the concept of “Theoretical Science” to effectively

effectiveness of computer simulations. He used

Pharmaceutical Sciences,connect a wide range of topics ranging from

University of Shizuoka

medicines. Further, Mr. Bardia Ghayoumi from

Newton’s apple to the development of new
UCD explained the simulation of heart arrhythmia; this lecture was followed by a question and

On June 12, 2020, we conducted the COIL project

answer session. It is apparent that the use ofin collaboration with University of California,

computers will increase rapidly in fields such as

Davis (UCD), in the following two courses taught

medical applications and education. Further, we

by me: “Advanced Biometrics and Molecular

discussed how the overall model of society would

Analysis” and “Advanced Medical Pharmacy.”

inevitably be altered by the use of computers in

From the University of Shizuoka (US), 35 students

different fields. The students were quite inspired

participated in the project from their homes

by the lecture by Dr. Sato, who is at the forefront

through Zoom. UCD is a prestigious researchof research on such changes.

institution that ranks high in international
university rankings and has been maintaining an
institutional exchange agreement with US since2011. Further, in recent years, UCD’s Departmentof Pharmacology and US have been conducting
international collaborative research on heart
function simulation. Since 2019, we have beenusing COIL in these courses, which cover various
research topics.
The AY2020 session was conducted as part of“Computational Pharmacology,” in which Dr.

Student Voice

Shion Nagasawa
Graduate Division of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Shizuoka

own. The presenters gave us useful advice on
studying abroad, as well. It was a wonderfulexperience for us to exchange opinions with

In our class, we listened to presentations byforeign laboratories without major restrictions

Dr. Sato and Mr. Ghayoumi from UCD. It wason time and place.

interesting to learn about the research done05

in the United States on a field similar to ourDaisuke Sato
Assistant Professor, Department ofPharmacology
University of California, DavisAs a graduate-level lecture associated with
the COIL Project, I provided a remote lecturefrom California for students in Shizuoka. The

this time, both lecturers and participants werelecture was on the computer simulation of thevery familiar with remote classes.

human heart for drug discovery. First, I

Although Shizuoka and California are locatedexplained details on and the necessity of ourat almost the opposite sides of the earth, theresearch. Subsequently, a student from oursession went smoothly without encounteringlaboratory presented one of our laboratory’s

any problems with video or audio. Further,ongoing projects. A remote lecture can posesome international students at UCD attended

many difficulties to students at times, such as

online courses from their home countries. I

deciding on when to ask questions; however,imagine that online courses and remoteclasses will become highly prevalent after the
COVID-19 pandemic, although there aresome aspects of education that cannot be
implemented online. Hence, I consider this anew opportunity to accelerate both online
and offline exchanges and to foster new
activities, including collaborative research.

Student Voice

Bardia Ghayoumi

and I was able to develop

Department of Pharmacology
University of California, Davisa fundamental under-

I consider it an honor to have presented at U. of

at the end of my presen-

Shizuoka. I found the audience very attentive,

tation.

standing of my work by
answering their questions

06

MODEL CASE 03

Hiroko Kushimoto
Associate Professor, Faculty of Global Studies,
Sophia University
This is a report of the COIL project for my course,

lecture as a weekly “reaction paper.”“Basics of Southeast Asia Studies,” with Prof. Geoffrey

Padlet is a widely used shared whiteboard tool.

Ashton of the University of San Francisco. “Basics ofAnybody with a link can post or reply to comments

Southeast Asia Studies” is a new course offered inwithout any sign-up or specific app. For this course, I

English as a part of the Sophia Program for Sustain-

used Padlet as a platform for weekly reflection so thatable Future (SPSF), implemented in the fall 2020

students could read and comment on the reflections ofsemester. A “test run” of the new course was held in theother students. Padlet worked well as a communication

spring 2020 semester with a small group of current

tool, as students could ask questions that only occurred

students. In 2019, I began preparing a COIL program

to them after the lecture, with Prof. Geoffrey providing

for this course with one of the ten partner universities inanswers over the next several days.

the United States, and engaged in online communication with Malaysian students. At my request, Center for

The following exchanges are examples of the conver-

Global Education and Discovery has communicatedsations between my students and Prof. Geoffrey via

with the USF to match me with Prof. Geoffrey Ashton,

Padlet:who studies Buddhist Philosophies, including those ofStudent A: Thank you very much for giving us an

Thailand.

opportunity to learn about Buddhism in detail. Frankly

After several meetings, we decided not to involve his

speaking, it was difficult for me to study religion by

students because the topic best suits week 6 or 7 of themyself and in class, but I have now become quite

Japanese class schedule, which falls during the US

confident about it! Regarding how religion affects us, I

summer vacation. Instead, we agreed to have a live

think it really depends on which perspective we consid-

lecture on my class time (1:30 pm, Thursdays) ander. How did Buddhism affect people’s lives in the past?

planned ways to facilitate communication between

In a positive and negative way? Why is meditation

Sophia students and Prof. Geoffrey. In this respect, anused to make one empty?

entirely online lecture as deemed better than aclassroom format. Three methods were employed to

07

Prof. Geoffrey: It is great to hear about your interest inenhance discussion. First, students read a chapter

Zen. This is a very beautiful and wonderful religion andwritten by Prof. Geoffrey and were provided guiding

philosophy that is part of your own culture. Unfortu-

questions on the philosophy and practice ofnately, in Japan, Zen and the martial arts have received

Buddhadasa, an influential Thai Monk who tried toless interest because, after World War Two, Zen and theintegrate Zen philosophy into Thai Buddhism in themartial arts became associated with Japanese imperi-

early twentieth century. Second, students were asked

alism and violence, and thus lost many members.

to briefly introduce themselves as an icebreaker, andHowever, Zen is still an incredible practice that can help

then engage in discussion using the Zoom chatpeople. You cannot help people if you do not havefunction during the lecture. Third, after the lecture,

power and focus, and Zen helps develop these things.

students were directed to use Padlet to reflect on the

Please continue to investigate these things. DT Suzuki,

for example, has written a famous book on Zen called

integrating COIL into a postgraduate course.

Zen and Japanese Culture. This book made Zen

I have used COIL for the past five years in various

famous in the West. You may enjoy reading it.

courses, but only between a group of students inJapan and Southeast Asia. This was the first time that

This example reflects how COIL helped students

I have engaged in COIL with a university outside ofrecognize the limitations of their knowledge about

Southeast Asia. I initially found it difficult to set an

Buddhism and how they need to learn more about theappropriate communication objective because I

religion in order to enhance their understanding of

could not find a course focused on Southeast Asia in

Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

any of the ten selected universities. However, thisTo maximize the benefit of having an expert on

semester’s experience proved that inviting a guest

Buddhism in Southeast Asia, I recorded the lecture andlecturer is an easy to arrange, flexible, and effective

shared it with two postgraduate students in my course,

choice for COIL. It works well with undergraduate“Religions and Societies in Southeast Asia.” They read

students even when the group includes students withthe same article, watched the lecture, and thenlittle confidence in their English abilities, as well as withengaged in a live Zoom discussion with Prof. Geoffrey.

postgraduate students who wish to access experts

The best thing about this discussion was that I had thebeyond Japan. Above all, it was an exciting discussion

chance to ask deeper questions along with myand I learned a lot!

postgraduate students! This is a great advantage ofStudent Voice

Takashi Harayama

This course aims to enhance students’ understanding of the influences of globalization on

Graduate School of Global Studies,
Sophia University

the beliefs and practices of Southeast AsianOn July 23, 2020, students in “Southeast Asian
Religion and Culture 1” had an opportunity toparticipate in a special lecture by Professor
Geoffrey Ashton from the University of San
Francisco. The lecture mainly focused on core
concepts

fromthe Theravāda

Buddhist

doctrine, such as the Middle Way and theFour Noble Truths. He also presented the story
of Buddhādasa, an influential Thai Buddhist
philosopher from the twentieth century.
Professor Ashton was a very friendly andenthusiastic individual who created a positive
atmosphere

in

his

lecture,stimulating

students to actively participate in discussions.

religions in various areas. Therefore, it was aninvaluable experience for the students tolearn from a professor with such a deep
knowledge of Thailand. While the COVID-19
pandemichas

disrupted

theuniversity

education of students in Japan, we still haveopportunities to study online. A cloud-based
video telephonic service, Zoom has become apopular program around the world during
this crisis, enabling us to meet Professor
Ashton while staying in Japan. I would like tothank Professor Kushimoto and Professor
Ashton for providing us with this learning
opportunity in such an inventive way.

08

MODEL CASE 04

Shin Moriyama
Professor, Faculty of Core Research,
Ochanomizu University

Initiated in 2012 as a kind of global citizenshipeducation, the International Student Forum is anannual event intended to solve global issues bygathering students from all over the globe. The
ninth forum was held in February 2020 at Vassar
College, one of our partner universities in the US,
on the theme of environmentalism. Following
three months of remote exchange via Zoom, 11
Ochanomizu University students went to Vassar
College where they made presentations inEnglish, while 17 students from Vassar presented
in English or Japanese. The forum covered a wide

Symposium

range of topics from natural disasters and conservation of the natural environment to issues related
to the multicultural community as a human

an interdisciplinary issue, this forum serves as aenvironment. Students from both universities

meeting place for both international perspectives

considered proactive solutions as the only means

and interdisciplinary fields, gathering studentsof addressing environmental problems, andand professors beyond the border of the human-

attempted to develop solutions and how they

ities and sciences.

might be put into action. As environmentalism isCampus Tour

09

Farewell Party

Peipei Qiu

It is rare for a small liberal arts college like ours

The Louise Boyd Dale and Alfred
Lichtenstein Chair Professor of Chineseand Japanese, Vassar College

Japan. It was a precious opportunity for both

Hiromi Tsuchiya Dollase
Associate Professor of Japanese,
Vassar College

to host such a large group of visitors fromour students and faculty members. Our
students, Japanese learners, interacted with
the Ochanomizu students, gaining confidence
in their ability to discuss academic topics inJapanese. The forum dealt with an urgent
global topic we care about deeply. The current
pandemicsituation

makesinternational

exchanges difficult, underscoring the need tocontinue creating collaborative opportunities
and explore the effective utilization of online
technologies.

Student Voice
Comments from Ochanomizu University Student
By comparing my thoughts with those ofthan I could in classroom learning. Collabo-

people who grew up in different environ-rating with others developed my identity andments, I gained diverse insights and was able

citizenship.

to learn about international issuemore deeply

Comments from Vassar College Student
I did not learn much about Japan and its

es, so I found the forum experience unfor-

environment in my normal Japanese cours-

gettable.

10

MODEL CASE 05

Wonkyung Rhee
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor,
Center for Global Education and Discovery,
Sophia University

Comprising 46 Sophia students, the class
entitled “Global Media and Japan” deals with
topics involving Japan's Soft Power. It is essential that students learn how people outside ofJapan think about Japanese culture.
A long-term partner institution of Sophia,
Gonzaga

University

offersan

attractive

course entitled “Leading Across Cultures”
which deals with similar topics and perspectives. A month before the start of the fallsemester, two universities decided to engage
in COIL and set up dates for three synchro-spending the next week answering the ques-

nous sessions via Zoom.

tions of their peers at the partner institution.

COIL began with asynchronous collabora-

Questions from Gonzaga included: Do you

tions. Faculties recorded videos introducing

think Japanese people are patriotic in gener-

the outline of each course as well as the char-al? Are Japanese people happy with theiracteristics of cross-cultural and online com-government? Are most apartments reallymunications.

small in Japan?

Students

thenpostedtheirimpressions and questions to the partner

In the first synchronous session, even theseschools on their courseware (Moodle). Student

Sophia students with little confidence in theirquestions were exchanged, and they were

English abilities found themselves familiar
with Gonzaga students because they had
introduced each other and communicated inadvance.

Students

commented

that

the

second meeting was even better and involved
much more interaction. During small group
discussions, some groups attempted to complete the activity in Japanese using free onlinetranslators.

11

Li Yang
Director of Partnerships and Collaborations,Center for Global Engagement,
Gonzaga University

Nick Franco
Instractor, Gongzaga University
I am thankful for our time together.
Both Gonzaga and Sophia students seemed
to have had meaningful cross-culturalinteractions. It has also been fun to see mystudents so vitalized by all of your students.
Looking forward to our next joint session.

Student Voice

Comments from a Sophia University student
I am glad that I could participate in COIL

impressive experience to evaluate myself

because it is a rare chance to talk directly toand communicate with people from differ-students and professors from foreign univer-ent cultural backgrounds via the Internet.

sities. I am planning to apply for graduate
schools in the US, so it was a refreshing andComments from a Gonzaga University student
This was one of the coolest experiences thatinteract and discuss such complex topics in a

I have had in school. It was truly remarkableforeign language like that. I am sad that I

how well my group mates were able tocannot do the same for them in Japanese.

12MODEL CASE 06

Koichi Sawasaki
Professor,
School of International Relations,
University of Shizuoka

The

UniversityofShizuoka’s“Japanese

Linguistics Seminar” is an advanced linguistics
class focusing on Japanese second language
acquisition. In the fall 2019 semester, our classcollaborated with the second-year Japaneseclass at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte (UNCC) over the course of about eightweeks. Wanting our COIL initiative to be morethan a simple cultural exchange, we set two
objectives. First, in order to learn about the otheruniversity, groups of three to four students

Students of UNCC listening presentations by U of Shizuoka

shared their lives on and outside campuses.

two courses could engage their students inClasses alternated between using English andmeaningful learning activities through creative

Japanese as the language of instruction eachinter-faculty collaboration.

week. Students gave presentations on theirfindings using message exchange apps likeusing Flipgrid© and ML.
Second, Shizuoka students were instructed tocarefully observe and analyze Japanese as aforeign language as spoken/written by the
UNCC students. Students then compared thefindings of the extant literature with what they
actually read or heard during the COIL
exchange. As such, our students engaged incross-cultural communication while observing
actual examples of second language acquisition. We were delighted to find that despite notsharing identical pedagogical objectives, the13

Exchange through a social learning system "Flipgrid"Yukiko Yokono
Lecturer in Japanese, Department of
Languages and Culture Studies,
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Flipgrid© and mailing lists.
Our students presented on the COIL Project withgreat enthusiasm during the End-of-Semester
Presentation, a large event attended by all
Japanese language students, who were unani-

The US-Japan student and cultural exchange

mously curious about the COIL initiative. The

was a rare and meaningful experience for

COIL participants told me that they enjoyed the

UNCC students. The 18 students who partici-

video exchange, realized how similar student

pated in the exchanged were enrolled inlife was despite cultural differences, and prom-

JAPN2202 (Japanese Language Semester 4).

ised to meet up with their Shizuoka peers when

Students shared their school and student life

studying abroad in Japan. Indeed, personal

experiences, as well as information about

interests and connections were important

local foods and stores. Overcoming textbook

aspects besides the language learning. We

and time differences, students were able tohope this wonderful exchange will continue.

foster a sense of friendship despite thedistance, textbook and time differences, aswell as indirect means of communicating via

Student Voice

Haru Kojima
School of International Relations,
University of Shizuoka

changes. I was quite happy to see many
responses to our final presentations. For the
University of Shizuoka students, the initiative
centered on the study of two languages: theDuring exchange with the UNCC students, weEnglish language on the one hand, and how

discussed various topics related to university

to communicate with Japanese learners inand personal life through daily email ex-

Japanese on the other.

14

MODEL CASE 07

Yae Yoshino
Associate Professor,
Department of Nursing, Sophia University
I have incorporated COIL in two courses so far.

as global neighbors by sharing experiences

In both cases, the collaboration sought toand learning from one another in order tocreate opportunities for students to share andsolve global challenges.

exchange ideas concerning common medical

Collaborationand nursing issues around the world. COIL has

occurred through a number of steps. Alexandre

provided important opportunities to learn

and I exchanged lectures about global health forabout the diverse yet common missions, roles,

each of our classes in the spring. We then sched-and scopes of practice that nurses have inuled a synchronous COIL session in the fall,different socio-cultural and economic contexts.

bringing in experts from the US and the Mongo-

Collaboration also aimed at Learning by Sharing,

lian National University of Medical Science.

in which students build horizontal relationships

In short, the educational values of COIL involve

with

Marquette

University

students taking the initiative of their learning in aninternational setting, acquiring communication
skills and global competencies, gaining newexperiences, and connecting with fellow nursing
students in other countries. International learning
is indispensable for the nursing profession today.
While

incorporatinginternational

learning

opportunities in the traditional nursing curriculum can be challenging, COIL greatly facilitates
this process.

15

Alexandre A. Martinsstudents were happy to engage with Japa-

Assistant Professor,Theology Department,
Marquette University

were excited to present them a topic from the

The COIL program created a unique opportunity to connect students from across theworld, which all brought their cultural backgrounds, specific learning experiences, thechallenges of their own countries face, anddifferent worldviews to enrich the learning ofall. Teaching students in the USA, I neverthought I could connect my students to others

nese students from Sophia University. They
US reality and perspective. At the same time,they were eager to hear Sophia students,
learn from their experiences and about theircountry’s reality and perspective to see andaddress issues related to health care. This
was a significant moment of international
interaction and mutual learning that certainly
impacted Marquette University students andenriched their college learning experience.

at the same college level in the other side of
the world. The COIL created this opportunity
through the use of modern technologies. My

Student Voice

Natsuki Ashida

English-taught courses to improve my ability to

Department of Nursing, Sophia University

engage in the discussion next time. It is a great
opportunity to connect with a university

The topic of the COIL lecture I took was “Ethics

abroad while in Japan. The way in which aand Global Health,” in which we learned aboutcertain issue is understood and taught by ahealth inequalities caused by poverty andteacher in another country can be different

discrimination and the ways in which we canfrom how we understand it in Japan. Knowing

view these issues from a justice perspective.

that we have similar challenges is also

Taking the COIL course made me more

important. I recommend that other students

interested in international relations. I alsojoin if they are interested.

spend more time studying English and taking

16

FAQ
Q What is COIL?

a COIL session have to be
Q Doessynchronous?

COIL stands for Collaborative Online International
Learning. The concept, also referred to as the
Virtual Exchange, was first developed by the State
University of New York. COIL is a pedagogicalapproach to international learning involving
collaboration between the faculty and students of
two or more countries. COIL often takes place inacademic courses paired with partner institutions
and as a part of study-abroad programs.

Not at all. There are various ways to collaborate
asynchronously, such as video exchange, SNS,and other forms of communication. While
synchronous collaboration is more interactive andmay be more impactful, the time difference is afrequent issue. Moreover, some faculty members
have found asynchronous text communication to
be more accessible to those who feel lessconfident about language proficiency.

Q What are benefits of incorporating COIL?

I need to incorporate COIL
Q Do
in every session of a course?

COIL is a great way of integrating international
learning into your course! A distinctive feature of
COIL, student collaboration provides opportunities
for students to learn from peers from different
socio-cultural backgrounds. COIL also provides anopportunity for those unable to participate in
traditional study abroad programs. This feature isparticularly important when travelling is restricted.

Not at all. Most faculty members try to implement
one or two sessions for the first year. You may
consider expanding this to more sessions or evena full course should you find that COIL meshes
well with your course structure and objectives.

should I do if I am interested in
Q WhatCOIL but dot not have a partner?
Please contact your university’s international
office. International offices coordinate with one
another to match you with a faculty member intheir partner universities.

Academic Calendar
The academic year in Japan runs from April to March, and typically comprises two semesters: April to Julyand September to January.

Ja p a n

4

5

6

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COIL-able
U SA

4

10

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12

1

2

3

11

12

1

2

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COIL-able
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Semester17

COIL-able

Matching flow

Do you already have a

Potential
Partner?

YES

Set up an

InitialMeetingwith the potential
partner.

InClass
COIL

Decideon the first COIL

Date.

Set up a

Follow-up
Meetingfor feedback and planfor the next year.

NO☑ Match each other’s syllabi, levels, and course objectives.
☑ Synchronous or asynchronous?

If Synchronous, do the class times match? Sometimes synchronous
COIL sessions are scheduled outside the class schedule.

☑ What kind of collaborative learning do you want your students to engage in?
☑ Frequency; one-time collaboration or more?

It is okay to start with one-time collaboration!

☑ Platform; designated platform/courseware/Learning Management System (LMS) or Zoom?
Many COIL activities occur via Zoom, Google Classroom, and message app.

Contact

your international
officeContact

Ask admin staff if they can find a partner from the university’s partner institutions.
You probably want to prepare:・The courses (areas) you want to collaborate on.
・The academic year/semester you want to collaborate in.

Sophia University
COIL Project Team, Center for Global Education &Discovery
Address: 7-1 Kioi-cho Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3238-3737
Email: coil-co@sophia.ac.jp
Website: https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/

Ochanomizu University
International Affairs Division
Address: 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5978-5538
Email: ryu@cc.ocha.ac.jp
Website: https://www.ocha.ac.jp/en/index.html
COIL Website: https://www.cf.ocha.ac.jp/coil/

University of Shizuoka
International Affairs Center
Address:52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Japan
Tel: +81-54-264-5158
Email: kokusai@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp
Website: https://www.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/
COIL Website: https://www.us-coil.jp/

18

STUDY TOUR REPORT
Application of COIL is not limited to in-class collaboration. COIL can be used to enhance student
mobility programs through combination of study abroad and preparational and follow-up COIL
sessions. Here are some examples of study tour programs, which incorporate resources from partner
institutions and local communities.

Shizuoka Study Tour

Myanmar Study TourAs a part of the “Circulation” inbound student
mobility program, the University of Shizuoka
and Sophia University launched two joint study
tours in summer 2019 and spring 2020. Bothtours were three days and two nights in length.
The tours comprised of eight exchange students from COIL partners and other exchange
partner institutions and eight Japanese students from the University of Shizuoka. Prior to
the tour, participants attended a preparatory online lecture by Shizuoka International
Business Association (SIBA) to learn about the
Shizuoka area. Students also introduced themselves via SNS so that they could warm up to
one another quickly on the first day of the tour.
Understanding Japanese society and its industrial structure from multifaceted perspectives
by visiting local companies and experiencing
cultural traditions was a rare opportunity,
especially for exchange students who had
seldom traveled beyond Tokyo. For Shizuoka
students, the tour provided opportunities tocommunicate with foreign students with different cultural backgrounds. With a limited timeand budget, COIL proved a cost-effective wayof enhancing students’ international competence.

Sophia University’s first Myanmar Study Tour incollaboration with Jesuit Worldwide Learning(JWL) was held in February 2020. JWL is a Jesuit
Institution that coordinates universities worldwide to offer online courses to marginalized
people. During the 11-day tour, four participants learned about society and educational
issues in Myanmar through visits to Japaneseand Korean government agencies and international organizations, as well as student
exchanges at a local university and Jesuit educational institutions.
After returning, a synchronous online session
with a local organization in Myanmar was held
so that students could review their experiencesand discuss any lingering questions. Students
plan to continue the exchange with the organizations they visited via SNS. In a desire to contribute to solving educational inequality in theworld, Sophia University hopes to develop further collaboration with JWL.

Visited Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre, Shizuoka andlearned about its unique geography

Visited local monastic schools in Myanmar