{"id":10524,"date":"2024-06-11T09:52:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T15:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/?p=10524"},"modified":"2025-05-28T11:14:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T15:14:37","slug":"coil-oscqr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/2024\/06\/11\/coil-oscqr\/","title":{"rendered":"COIL+OSCQR Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"

SUNY Maritime<\/a>, SUNY Oneonta<\/a>, Nassau Community College<\/a> & the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Venezuela<\/a>, together with the SUNY Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Center<\/a> & SUNY Online<\/a>, have designed a set of COIL+OSCQR standards<\/a> that have been incorporated into the OSCQR rubric.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0These COIL-centered standards support virtual exchange & intercultural online learning experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Colleges and universities are seeking new ways to provide students with global competencies that complement traditional forms of physical mobility and academic exchange. Virtual exchange, including one of its most comprehensive forms, collaborative online international learning, is an innovative educational model for meeting this growing need. Using novel teaching approaches that foster online student and faculty collaboration, the VE\/COIL approach connects students and classrooms around the world through co-taught multicultural and blended online coursework that bridges physical distance.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2013 American Association of Colleges and Universities, 2022<\/a>.<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Collaborative Online International Learning\u00a0 (COIL) Virtual Exchange is a unique way of incorporating an international experience into a curriculum as learners engage with peers from another country, culture, and context. Virtual Exchange (VE) collaborations have become a prevalent part of Higher Education\u2019s inclusive, high-impact practices in the U.S., Latin America, and beyond. A set of<\/span> COIL+OSCQR standards<\/span><\/a> have been designed to supplement and extend the online course quality standards found in the<\/span> OSCQR rubric<\/span><\/a>. These research-based pedagogical approaches and best practices focus on virtual international exchange and the design of intercultural online learning experiences. With the support of a SUNY Innovative Instructional Technology Grant (<\/span>IITG<\/span><\/a>), together with the<\/span> SUNY Collaborative Online International Learning<\/span><\/a> (COIL) <\/span>Center and <\/span>SUNY Online<\/span><\/a>, and expertly developed by a <\/span>team<\/span><\/a> of SUNY instructional designers and researchers, the COIL+OSCQR standards have been incorporated into the<\/span> OSCQR OLC Scorecard<\/span><\/a> for online course quality<\/span>. The COIL+OSCQR standards and process provide a systematic and consistent approach to accommodate the complexity of Virtual Exchange (VE) methodologies, varying degrees of partnership commitment, and differing levels of assessment. The COIL+OSCQR standards are designed to help COIL coordinators and practitioners implement online international collaborations that are learner-centered and informed by research, and to facilitate connections between COIL activities and existing campus instructional design expertise and support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The COIL virtual exchange model is a strong and innovative approach that can be leveraged to enhance and extend the academic experiences of learners beyond the classroom. COIL pedagogy calls for collaboration, communication, and teamwork between two or more international instructors within their courses, and between their students. Instructors partner to collaborate on the design of a virtual experience, and the learners across the courses and cultures are partnered to complete the activities designed. The virtual COIL experience becomes part of each instructor\u2019s course, enabling all learners to have a virtual intercultural experience, each within their own course of study. COIL+OSCQR standards have been developed to support the design of effective, high-quality international virtual learning experiences, and to provide a framework of standards for the structural support for instructors and instructional designers interested in Collaborative International Online Learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This model and the COIL+OSCQR standards support collaboration, intercultural communication, cultural awareness, and teamwork skills through ice-breaking activities, intercultural assignments, and a culminating team project, or presentation. Helping students develop intercultural competencies (skills that facilitate effective and appropriate interactions with people from other cultures) is important in 21st century higher education. VE represents an effective approach to developing these skills through intentional online academic collaboration with peers around the world. Cultural sensitivity, global awareness, and global citizenship are required skills and competencies that also dovetail with the new SUNY General Education Learning Outcomes. The COIL+OSCQR standards also support the<\/span> SUNY DEI Action Plan<\/span><\/a> (2021) t<\/span>hrough intercultural collaborations, the integration of relevant world issues into course activities, and using media and language to positively engage faculty and learners by leveraging the power of story as an effective teaching tool. When coupled with the COIL+OSCQR standards, they serve to educate and facilitate positive changes in learning experiences that foster the development of intercultural communications skills and competencies. According to Darla Deardorff, executive director of the Association of International Education Administrators, intercultural competence requires effective and appropriate behaviors in cross-cultural environments. VE provides the opportunity to develop these skills by scaffolding activities and interactions to build awareness about and bridge cross-cultural differences with deeper understanding and appreciation for issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to help make all course participants feel like they belong.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of all minorities in the country has grown since 2010, and the multiracial population in particular has climbed by 276% over the past 10 years. Therefore, under the guidance of Jos\u00e9 Luis Jim\u00e9nez, from the Universidad Catolica Andr\u00e9s Bello in Venezuela, the COIL+OSCQR standards and all associated web materials have also been initially translated into Spanish<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to provide access to all Spanish language speakers across the US, and world-wide.\u00a0 To promote equity and multicultural perspectives, translation of the standards and materials into additional languages are also planned (i.e., Arabic, all Romance languages,\u00a0 Dutch, and Russian\/Ukrainian\u2013languages spoken in countries that are currently actively involved\u00a0 in COIL activities).<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, there is national support for the<\/span> VE\/COIL model<\/span><\/a>. The<\/span> American Association of Colleges and Universities<\/span><\/a> (AAC&U) has embraced<\/span> COIL Virtual Exchange<\/span><\/a> as a pedagogic practice <\/span>and according to AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella, they are \u201c\u2026committed to ensuring that all students have opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need to be informed and responsible global citizens. The VE\/COIL model supports that goal by allowing institutions to provide global learning experiences equitably and at scale.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

COIL+OSCQR standards offer a <\/span>comprehensive approach<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to the design of engaging, effective, and efficient COIL Virtual Exchange (VE) modules. In conjunction with the OSCQR rubric for online course review and refresh, the COIL+OSCQR standards support high quality online teaching and instructional design in the implementation of a COIL Virtual Exchange module in any course discipline or content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each COIL+OSCQR standard provides:<\/span><\/h5>\n