Research Globally, Learn Globally: An Innovative Course-based Research Project through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Among Nutrition Students From American and Mexican Universities

Abstract

The current article describes a 12-week course-based research project through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) among nutrition students from American and Mexican universities. Students were divided into small research teams, developed questionnaires, and conducted online surveys with college students in their home institutions. After a data collection period, each research team analyzed data and compared results between American and Mexican participants. Based on their study results, each research team developed a proposed 6-month nutrition intervention project for college students. Post-COIL project survey results demonstrate that students rated high in the areas of overall COIL experience, the duration and time of interaction in the COIL project, technologies, interaction with peers and professors, global and cultural competency, and overall satisfaction of the project. This research also highlights the importance of a course-based research project in student critical thinking skills and science literacy. Future research is needed to effectively evaluate the synergistic effects of COIL and a course-based research project on student learning across the globe.