BridgeValley Collaborative Online Intercultural Learning (COIL) Network
BridgeValley COIL Network enables faculty members to develop meaningful collaborative projects for their classroom with various institutions from around the world. Access to such a cultural exchange increases both the faculty members’ and students’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them and helps them to empathize with other people’s perspectives. The COIL project is embedded within the curriculum, therefore students can participate without incurring additional cost or workload.
BridgeValley Institutional Profile
COIL Project Format
COIL projects can take three formats: face-to-face, online, or hybrid. Meeting between student groups will take place through video conferencing, skype, or any other tool the faculty and students agree upon.
The BridgeValley faculty member will work with a faculty member from another institution to develop the project for the class. The project normally will run from 3 to 8 weeks within a standard term. Students will be paired with intercultural teammates to work on a specific goal-oriented project. Under the leadership of the faculty, team members will work together to accomplish the goals of their project. This process allows students the opportunity to build intercultural skills and develop lifelong friendships.
Benefits of COIL for Participants
Over the past half-century, internationalization has become a stated goal of many higher education institutions around the world. It is part of the mission of BridgeValley to prepare students for a global marketplace. The COIL project addresses that goal by creating international connection for students, enabling them to participant in intercultural activities. Students who participate will:
- Be exposed to different cultural perspectives and become more empathetic and flexible
- Discover effective global citizenship and employment proficiencies
- Develop intercultural teamwork and critical thinking skill.
Culture is learned, not inherited, therefore, it becomes the context for a COIL learning experiences. Culture is simply a set of common events, values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors for any particular group of individuals. Experiencing and interacting with people from different cultures will open minds and help students discover varying perspectives of our global community. Participating in COIL motivates many students to continue their growth by traveling and engaging with people and places they never knew existed prior to the experience. The overall experience can open doors and provide challenges and opportunities for students which they could only learn about through their international partners.
Course Objectives for COIL Classes
BridgeValley embedded four basic outcomes in our COIL courses. Those objectives are as follows:
- Students will practice effective communication skills with students from various cultures by listening, speaking, and writing using appropriate technology.
- Students will use quantitative and scientific knowledge effectively to solve problems, manipulate and interpret data, and communicate findings with teammates from diverse cultures.
- Students will demonstrate interpersonal skills and ethical behavior appropriate for living and working in a diverse society.
- Students will apply critical thinking skills to analyze problems and make informed decisions with students from intercultural communities.
Find a BridgeValley Partner
Faculty Profiles
Profile for Maggie McCabe - Discipline: Medical Coding
Profile for Deborah McDaniel - Discipline: Criminal Justice
Profile for Kristi Ellenberg - Discipline: Sociology
Profile for Amanda Martin - Discipline: Early Education
Profile for Laura McCullough - Discipline: Business Studies and Leadership
Profile for Dr. Calisa A. Pierce - Discipline: Humanities
Profile for Christine Roth - Discipline: English and Humanities
Profile for Jeffrey “Jeff” Finch - Discipline: Marketing
Profile for Jessica Wagner - Discipline: Hospitality
Profile for Taylor Alton - Discipline: Creative Entrepreneurship
Profile for Caleb Winters - Discipline: English
Profile for Olivia Woody - Discipline: Youth Development
Current Projects
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Pune (SCMS-P), India
Courses: Principles of Microeconomics and Microeconomics
BridgeValley Faculty: Dr. Peter Soscia, Vice President Academic Affairs
SCMS-P Faculty: PVijay Prakash Misra, Assistant Professor
Semester Offered: Spring 2020
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and College of Technology of São Paulo state Bauru, Brazil (Fatec)
Courses: Physical Science and Data Mining and Analysis
BridgeValley Faculty: Machele Kindle, Professor
Fatec Professor: Patricia Belling Ribeiro
Semester Offered: Spring 2020
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Università di Siena, Italy
Courses: Discrimination and Gender Violence
BridgeValley Faculty: Deborah McDaniel
Siena Faculty: Alessandra Viviani, Professor
Semester Offered: Spring 2020
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Regina Mundi, Zimbabwe
Courses: Fundamentals of Business Computer Technology & Computer Operations and Packages
BridgeValley Faculty: Laura McCullough
Welstel Faculty:
Semester Offered: Spring 2020
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Regina Mundi, Zimbabwe
Courses: Cultural Exchange in Humanities
BridgeValley Faculty: Dr. Calisa Pierce, Professor
Zimbabwe Faculty:
Semester Offered: Spring 2020
Previous Projects
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and College of Technology of São Paulo state Bauru, Brazil (Fatec)
Courses: Physical Science and Data Mining and Analysis
BridgeValley Faculty: Machele Kindle, Professor
Fatec Professor: Patricia Belling Ribeiro
Semester Offered: Fall 2019
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Pune (SCMS-P), India
Courses: Principles of Microeconomics and Microeconomics
BridgeValley Faculty: Dr. Peter Soscia, Vice President Academic Affairs
SCMS-P Faculty: PVijay Prakash Misra, Assistant Professor
Semester Offered: Fall 2019
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Wilstel Open College, Zimbabwe
Courses: Fundamentals of Business Computer Technology & Computer Operations and Packages
BridgeValley Faculty: Laura McCullough
Welstel Faculty: Newlife Marangwanda
Semester Offered: Fall 2019
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and Shingiriral College, Zimbabwe
Courses: Cultural Exchange in Humanities
BridgeValley Faculty: Dr. Calisa Pierce, Professor
Zimbabwe Faculty: William Marangwanda, Professor
Semester Offered: Fall 2019
BridgeValley Community & Technical College and College of Technology of São Paulo state Bauru, Brazil (Fatec)
Courses: Quality of Healthcare Equipment: Policies and Procedures
BridgeValley Faculty: Liesa Kyer, Professor
Fatec Professor: Camila Maria da Costa Kami; Luiz Roberto Madureira Iorio
Semester Offered: Fall 2019
For more information on BV COIL, contact:
James Goodwin
Director of College Wide Initiatives
Natalie Sigmon
Executive Assistant to the Office of College-Wide Engagement