Collaborative Online International Learning Programme

In a COIL course, you develop a course together with an international partner teacher, looking at course content from a new perspective as both teacher and student. Students from different countries collaborate online and work on their intercultural skills, encouraging an open attitude. Reflection is an important component, for the students, but also for the teachers. To implement the COIL principles in your teaching, you can participate in the COIL programme from the Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning in collaboration with our European alliance CHARM-EU.

During this programme, each participant will create or (re)design (a part of) a course, module or project so that it is suited for collaborative online international learning (COIL). COIL courses have four key principles:

  1. It involves collaboration or interaction with students from different backgrounds and cultures;
  2. Students must engage in some sort of online interaction, whether it is asynchronous or synchronous;
  3. It must be driven by a set of internationalised intended learning outcomes aimed at developing global perspectives and/or fostering students’ intercultural competences;
  4. There must be a reflective component that helps students think critically about such interactions.

To help as much as possible with incorporating these principles, this programme for lecturers gives you support by providing lectures and workshops from experts on COIL topics such as collaborative learning and intercultural skills, but also practical issues such as governance are discussed. Throughout the programme, there is room to connect and exchange with your fellow lecturers.

For whom?

The course is designed for lecturers at UU, UCU, UCR, UMCU or CHARM-EU and their partners who want to design and teach a COIL course, or redesign an existing course to a COIL course.

When and where?

The programme consists of four online sessions via Teams:

  • Monday, 9 March 2026, 13:15 – 16:15 CET
  • Monday, 30 March 2026, 13:15 – 16:15 CET
  • Monday, 20 April 2026, 13:15 – 16:15 CET
  • Monday, 11 May 2026, 13:15 – 16:15 CET

Why relevant?

  • Your students will gain intercultural awareness and work on their intercultural competencies;
  • You further develop your own intercultural awareness, of which reflection is an important part;
  • You can develop new institutional partnerships or make use of your already existing partnerships;
  • Your students will be better prepared for international teams and more oriented to study abroad;
  • It will create a dynamic and low-cost curricular internationalisation opportunity on our campus;
  • Your students can learn about the field they are studying from a different perspective;
  • Your students will gain digital literacy skills and be better prepared to work in virtual teams;
  • COIL improves your students' English communication skills by working with (other) students who speak English.

Time investment

Participation in this course will require approximately 35 hours. Those hours are spent attending four sessions, preparing for the sessions, and designing the COIL course.

Practical information

  • The programme is free of charge, but participants are expected to invest time in this course and participate in all sessions.
  • There is room for a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 teachers.
  • Sign up individually (so you and your international partner sign up both via the ‘Registration form’).The language of instruction at the programme is English.
  • Participation requires a letter of motivation as to why you want to participate, and a signature from your supervisor.
  • At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate if you participated in all sessions.

What do you need to bring as a participant?

As a participant, you must have a suitable course to (re)design.

Registration

Sign up no later than Friday, 10 October, 2025. When you have an international partner, please sign up individually.

Want to know more about COIL?

  • Appiah-Kubi, P., & Annan, E. (2020). A Review of a Collaborative Online International Learning. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 10(1): pp. 109–124. 
  • Hackett, S., Dawson, M., Janssen, J., Van Tarwijk, J. (2024) Defining Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and Distinguishing it from Virtual Exchange. TechTrends 68, 1078–1094.    

  • Hackett, S., Janssen, J., Beach, P., Perreault, M., Beelen, J., & Van Tartwijk, J. (2023). The effectiveness of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) on intercultural competence development in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 5.

  • Naicker, A., Singh, E. & van Genugten, T. (2021). Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL): Preparedness and experiences of South African students. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 
  • Villar-Onrubia, D. & Rajpal, B. (2016). Online international learning. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 20(2-3): pp. 75-82.