Creating Your Digital Profile

In today’s digital world, your first introduction to people is often online. You can often tell when someone has taken the time to consider the image they are putting forth through their profile.  Look at a few online profiles of people you know and don’t know, for example, on LinkedIn or Facebook, or on your institution’s website.  What impressions do you get from these profiles?  Do you feel that the person is focused, caring, arrogant, artistic, clever or boring? Consider what you like and don’t like about what and how people present themselves through their online profiles. Now look at your own online profiles, both personal and professional, and consider what impression others might get from them.

Consider what kind of a profile you would make to introduce yourself to a potential COIL partner.  What information do you want to include?

One important element of an online profile is an introductory video. For this module, you will need to create a video to introduce yourself to other participants in this workshop.  Before you get started on your video, take a look at the video profiles below that have been created by other COIL professors.  In these videos, you will note that the professors briefly describe themselves, their institution, their discipline and course content areas, and what sort of experience they hope to provide their students through a COIL module.

After you have seen some profile video examples, create a video of your own to add to our Intro to COIL Padlet.  You don’t need special equipment to make an introductory video, a webcam and computer microphone or your mobile phone will work fine.  When you upload your video, please make sure to post it under Module 2 on the Intro to COIL Padlet.  We’ve also put together some tips for creating a high quality video:

Intro to COIL Video profile tips

If you have any questions about this module or anything about COIL, post them under the Questions column in our Intro to COIL Padlet.

Prof. William Sheldon discusses his COIL experience between his course and students at SUNY Ulster Community College and their peers at La Salle Noroeste, in Obregón, Mexico.  This COIL collaboration also incorporates a travel scholarship which allows the students to visit one another following the on-line component.

Prof. Antonio Martins from Universidade Estadual de São Paulo (UNESP), Brazil introduces himself and describes his interest in finding a COIL partner to explore the topic of energy sustainability.  

Prof. Maria Cristina Moreno Gutierrez from Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico uses her video profile to explain her interest in intercultural competencies.  She specifically discusses 4 specific cultural areas of interest that could be part of a COIL project. As you will see, profile videos are also a good place to indicate specific skills that you may be seeking in a COIL partner.