Faculty Resources
Interested in COIL? Listen to what other Xavier professors had to say about their experiences!
Faculty Testimony
In the Classroom:
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer, professor and chair of the physics department, has led three COIL courses. The first course, Fluid Mechanics, assigned students the final project of creating an water rocket and comparing the flight performance. In the second course, also Fluid Mechanics, students repsonded to scientific notation quiz while also creating and responding to a table of German-American preconceptions. The third course, Forensics, assigned students discussions over gun laws, the death penalty, and the legal system, ultimately offering comparisons between the United States and Germany. All courses partnered with Universität Regensburg.
Xavier Professor Dr. Supaporn Kradtap, implemented a Quantitative Analysis Chemistry Class with Dr. Kanchana Watla-iad of Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Their students collaborated on PowerPoint presentations with voice over detailing chemical analysis. Dr Kradtap said, "Time zone difference is the main obstacle. We ask students to meet outside class time synchronously and asynchronously." Even with such a significant time zone difference, Dr. Kradtap suggested these chemistry students found enjoyment in the unique perspectives COIL had to offer. "They mentioned they like the topics we used that help them learn about chemistry applications and perspectives from different culture, society and regulations." Dr. Kradtap has offered this course since 2016 and continues to implement her COIL instruction today.
Dr. Delane Bender-Slack, Xavier professor in the School of Education, has led COIL courses in Content Area Literacy and Multicultural Literature. Her students have completed different collaborations including QR codes, infographics, bilingual raps, collages, presentations, photo essays, and videos. When it comes to obstacles, Dr. Bender Slack said scheduling was the biggest. "Scheduling is the biggest issue. I have tried to create a chart at the beginning to structure the collaboration for the professors and the students." Still, her students seem to enjoy their experience with COIL. "I think they enjoy making new friends and hearing different perspectives." Dr. Bender-Slack has been a COIL instructor since 2015, implementing the program across two courses and all three semesters.
Margaret Martin, Xavier professor in Classics and Modern Languages, held a Spring 2016 COIL course in English as a Second Language: Listening and Discussion. Professor Martin partnered with Sarah Guth, professor at University of Padova, Italy. Their students collaborated to create presentations about media in different geographic, political, and cultural spaces, tackling communication barriers in the process. Professor Martin said, "Technological issues were managed by switching to other platforms as needed. There were too many partner changes at first which prevented depth of engagement, and that was addressed by holding groups steady later in the exchange. The teachers used Whatsapp for collaborative planning, and the students used Canvas, Skype, and Facebook, so through at least one of those platforms, communication was achieved." Professor Martin noted significant student engagement in the COIL platform. "There was a tremendous uptick in engagement and use of the target language (English) in my ESL class. The students enjoyed working with students from another country, and the collaboration was motivating and challenging for students. Some of them still communicate with one another after all this time!"
In Training:
"For me seeing various ways of implementing cultural aspects in different courses, and project ideas of colleagues in other fields is the most helpful. It is interesting to see various possibilities." - Dr. Supaporn Kradtap
"The importance of a TRUE collaboration, cultural humility, and the need for flexibility." - Dr. Delane Bender-Slack
"The advice to keep it small, and to create a series of small goals that fed the larger overarching goal. I found it helpful." - Professor Margaret Martin
"The support of the facilitators and brainstorming possible ideas and how to get started. They were very supportive." - Dr. Theresa Young
Favorite Part of the COIL Experience?
"When students expressed their new knowledge on Chemistry and how it relates to society, and their cultural experiences." - Dr. Supaporn Kradtap
"I love listening to the conversation the students are having as they discuss important social issues and cultural differences. Personally, I enjoy learning new things." - Dr. Delane Bender-Slack
"I enjoyed putting the pieces together with my international collaborator. I especially enjoyed the excitement and challenge of creating new tasks for our students and sharing our own stories as models for our students." - Professor Margaret Martin
"I got to meet my collaborators in person!" - Dr. Julia O'Hara
"My favorite part of the experience was getting to know (my partner) and working with her. She has a vast knowledge of children’s literature and is very collaborative. I also enjoyed listening to my students discussions and their experience working with the students from Ireland." - Dr. Theresa Young
Student Testimony
"Overall, by completing this collaboration, I feel as if I am much more empathetic and globally aware than I was before beginning this project. I am more passionate about learning about other cultures and now I want to learn more about people’s experiences all around the world, not just in the US and Peru. This project has sparked a greater awareness and interest in global education that I will take with me as I continue my own education.
- Lauren Davidson -"
Peer Contacts and Partners
Explore current international faculty seeking partners!
The following Xavier faculty members are available to answer any questions you may have.
Dr. Supaporn Kradtap, Chemistry
Dr. Delane Bender-Slack, Education
Margaret Martin, Classics and Modern Languages
Dr. Theresa Young, Education
Dr. Julia O'Hara, History
Multimedia Examples
This rubric was developed by the AAC&U for Intercultural Expectations
Watch a presentation on Intercultural Exchange to Promote Human Rights and Democracy in Ecuador, Venezuela and the United States.
- This presentation was collaborated on between Marbelis Cedeño, David Inczauskis, and Lorena Piedra, professors at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (Venezuela), Xavier University, and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador respectively.
Watch this COIL STEM Interview with a Data Engineer!
- This 2019 Interview composed by Professor Margaret Martin of Xavier University, showcases the COIL program in relation to the fields offered in STEM education and occupation.
FAQ:
Have a question you think others may be wondering about too? Email waymeyerc@xavier.edu with any questions about COIL and help us build our FAQ section!