Project redesigning for U.S.-Japan COIL

Abstract

This practice report describes an annual Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project between a content course taught in English at a university in Japan (JPU) and a Japanese-language course at a university in the U.S. (AMU). Shared learning objectives include practicing communicative skills in the target language and engaging in critical writing in the target language, reflecting on the discussions. There are two sets of activities: (1) JPU-centered, English-based activities and (2) AMU-centered, Japanese-based activities, which take place concurrently. Some activities are done individually (e.g., discussion posts, journals, and reflection papers), while online discussions are conducted in transpacific groups both in class and outside the class period. After six weeks of collaboration, each student writes a reflective, multi-draft essay in the target language. Running the two sets of activities can confuse students easily and requires careful preparations, clear instructions, and a high level of instructor involvement. Various modifications have been made for improvements since the initial implementation in 2019 to provide a learning environment that allows for a more in-depth and diverse exchange of perspectives (Nishio et al., 2020). Flexibility is key to success for educators to help maximize student learning in COIL.