Collaborative online international learning (COIL) is an innovative and cost-effective pedagogy to develop cross-cultural awareness across shared multicultural learning environments through digital technology linking university-based classes in different countries (Rubin, 2017). Unlike traditional study abroad programs that come with financial and safety concerns, COIL's use of technology can offer collaborative international learning experiences to students who may not be able to travel (Marcillo-Gomez & Desilus, 2016).

Students in a COIL-enhanced course actively engage with their international peers through common projects, creating opportunities to appreciate new perspectives, negotiate differences in communication to achieve a shared outcome, and gain insights into their own cultural positionality. There are four key components of COIL courses (University of Washington Bothell, 2021): 1) Instructors at each institution cocreate the course curriculum and agree to overlap in content during at least four weeks. 2) Students engage in problem solving with international peers. 3) Instructors agree on technology accessible at both institutions. 4) Students remain enrolled at their own institution and are graded by their own instructor.

Although COIL is a relatively new pedagogy, institutions in the United States have started partnering with higher education systems across academic disciplines, including nursing, and in countries such as the Philippines (de Castro et al., 2019) and Iceland (Bragadottir & Potter, 2019). Technical infrastructures to implement COIL are flexible with a wide range of technological solutions, from basic means of online communication (email) to the use of learning management systems (e.g., Canvas), social media platforms (e.g., Facebook), voice over Internet protocol services (e.g., Skype), and any other Internet-based tools that allow students to have dialogic interactions (Villar-Onrubia & Rajpal, 2016).

Preliminary findings based on student feedback generally support that COIL enables nursing students to gain intercultural competence and cultural sensitivity (Bragadottir & Potter, 2019; de Castro et al., 2019). This article describes a COIL collaboration between a US university and its Japanese university partner. We describe the emergence of the program, the implementation process, and student perceptions of the impact of this collaboration.

COURSES, TECHNOLOGIES, AND CONTENTS

The spring 2020 quarter began at the end of March and ended in early June at the American university, whereas the spring 2020 semester began in mid-April and ended in mid-June at the Japanese university. Therefore, we had to carefully time our course schedule and adjust the contents accordingly. We decided to incorporate COIL in the following courses: Resilience and Mental Health (46 American students enrolled) and Practicum of English for Nursing (6 Japanese students enrolled). Of the 46 American students, 67 percent (n = 31) majored in nursing and 33 percent (n = 15) majored in health studies; all six of the Japanese students majored in nursing.

We selected these courses because we thought learning about cultural differences and practices in physical and mental health would be appropriate and beneficial for our students. Both courses were delivered in English. The COIL component accounted for 30 percent of the total grade in Resilience and Mental Health and 50 percent in Practicum of English for Nursing. Through participation in COIL activities built into the courses, we set up the following three learning objectives for our students: 1) build cross-cultural understanding of resilience and health across COIL partners, 2) articulate new insights into their own identity by identifying similarities and differences in resilience and health between the self (home country) and the other country, and 3) communicate with groups of individuals from different cultures to learn how they stay resilient and healthy in a culturally sensitive manner.

To implement COIL, we used two technologies: 1) Padlet for asynchronous learning and 2) Zoom, videotelephony and online chat services (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, CA), for synchronous learning. Padlet is an online blank wallboard that invites participants to collaborate in collecting ideas and sharing information by posting comments, images, videos, and links (Padlet, 2021). In late March, during Week 1 at the American university, students introduced themselves in a Padlet page titled "Introduction." In mid-April, Week 1 at the Japanese university, this Padlet's URL was shared with Japanese students to enable them to add their introductions asynchronously.

The 46 American students were divided into six groups based on their interests; each of the six Japanese students signed on to one of the groups. In mid-May, the second Padlet page, titled "Culture and Resilience," was created. This page had six columns with headings indicating the group (e.g., Poverty) so that students in the same group at each institution could post their comments and questions under the specific column. This Padlet page was shared among American students first in mid-May and then among Japanese students in late May.

In addition to asynchronous discussion through Padlet, we set up two synchronous meeting opportunities through Zoom (each session lasting 90 minutes) at the end of the term. The final project for the Japanese students involved delivering oral presentations in English using PowerPoint; American students joined as an audience. At the first Zoom meeting, students started with an introduction and descriptions of personal resilience (e.g., talking to friends via FaceTime during the pandemic). Two Japanese student had 15 minutes to present and 5 minutes for questions and answers at the first Zoom meeting. At the second Zoom meeting, the remaining four Japanese students delivered their presentations using the same format. Both Zoom meetings were recorded for those who were unable to attend the live sessions.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

At the end of the courses, all students provided feedback through an anonymous survey and course evaluation. Feedback about strengths and areas for improvement of this program was requested.

Both American and Japanese students mentioned their positive experience with COIL. Comments included: "I liked hearing different perspectives and the sense of connectedness we were able to have even through an online platform and many miles away!" Other comments were about culture and diversity, such as, "It was great to learn not just about the topics but also culturally, how the topics can change in context because different countries have different formalities." Interestingly, several comments mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, such as, "It was wonderful to feel the nursing comradery across so much distance and in the midst of such a challenging global pandemic."

Comments about areas needing improvement concerned the lack of collaborative opportunities, for example, "I think that if there was a little more intro time for us to meet one another, it would benefit both sides of the program." Other comments were about scheduling and timing, such as "I will say the timing of the Zoom videos were difficult and I was not able to attend because of my work schedule."

LESSONS LEARNED

This collaboration was the first time for the authors to implement COIL. We reflected on what went well and what could be improved.

The Padlet was a feasible choice, allowing students to engage in discussions asynchronously. Other learning management systems require registration and enrollment and can lead to technical difficulties, such as the inability to recognize foreign letters (Bragadottir & Potter, 2019). Through Padlet discussions, the students were able to build rapport prior to the Zoom meetings. Accessing Zoom from their homes because of the pandemic also went well, and the transitions between presentations were smooth. In a traditional classroom setting, there would be need to walk to a shared computer. Another advantage to the COIL approach is that we can stay connected internationally through technology, without the risk of infection during the pandemic.

The unbalanced number of students at each institution was an area of concern. The six Japanese students needed to reply to comments and questions posted by the 46 American students on Padlet. To address this imbalance, the instructors at the Japanese university also participated in Padlet discussions. In addition, multiple students expressed their desire to spend more time with partner students and have more collaborative opportunities with them.

CONCLUSION

Feedback from our students generally support that they were able to gain intercultural competence and cultural sensitivity through COIL, which is consistent with other case reports (Bragadottir & Potter, 2019; de Castro et al., 2019). We intend to implement COIL in the same courses by reflecting upon the student feedback. Overall, COIL is an innovative pedagogy that allows domestic students to interact with students in another country virtually and deepen cross-cultural understanding. It is hoped that it will ultimately lead to better care and treatment by health professionals in ever-diversifying environments.

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