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Experiences with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in STEM Projects: A Report on Work-in-Progress

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Learning and Collaboration Technologies (HCII 2025)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 15806))

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Abstract

Graduates of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at universities of applied sciences are expected to possess not only cutting edge specialist knowledge, but also language skills, a cosmopolitanian perspective and intercultural competences. To address these demands, an experimental approach was undertaken within the English-language bachelor’s program in International IT Management and the German-language bachelor’s program in Business Information Technology to deepen working in virtual, multinational teams and to raise cultural awareness. This was done with the help integration of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects. Over the course of this experiment six different COIL projects were conceptualised, four realised, across different semesters within the same module. The primary objective was to provide students with practical experience in multinational collaboration. The results stem from module evaluations and personal experiences as lecturers. Student feedback on the COIL projects varied significantly, influenced by their individual learning experiences, language proficiency, and personal time availability. COIL projects are a valuable tool to complement the internationalisation of universities, raise awareness of intercultural issues and equip students for multinational collaboration and project teams. This paper offers a detailed account of the experiences of both students and lecturers engaged in these COIL projects and suggests possibilities for improvement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. HSLU - Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Computer Science and Information Technology, Campus Zug-Rotkreuz, Suurstoffi 1, 6343, Rotkreuz, Switzerland

    Ute Klotz & Luca Mazzola

Authors
  1. Ute Klotz
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  2. Luca Mazzola
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Correspondence to Luca Mazzola .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA

    Brian K. Smith

  2. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Marcela Borge

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Klotz, U., Mazzola, L. (2025). Experiences with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in STEM Projects: A Report on Work-in-Progress. In: Smith, B.K., Borge, M. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. HCII 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15806. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93564-0_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93564-0_15

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