1. Preparing students for collaboration

Professor Ruben Fukkink introduced COIL to Early Childhood and Care students by stressing the transformative learning potential. You could do the same…

Below an example of how you could provide an overview of a COIL project to your students – including a description, learning goals, overview and schedule:

Find a simple way to introduce your students to the digital tools used. This powerpoint can hopefully help you:

The COIL learning space provides a wide range of intercultural learning opportunities – make sure your students do not miss out, by following some of the advices below:

1. Cross-Cultural Communication: Encourage students to engage in open and respectful communication with their international peers. Emphasize active listening and the importance of asking questions to understand different cultural perspectives.

2. Cultural Exchange Activities: Design activities that promote cultural exchange. E.g., have students exchange knowledge highlighting cultural traditions, holidays, or practices related to ECEC in their respective countries.

3. Shared Resources: Create a repository of shared resources that encompass global perspectives on ECEC. This can include research articles, videos, books, and teaching materials from different cultures. Ensure that these resources are accessible and available to all students.

4. Virtual Cultural Visits: Organize virtual field trips or visits to early childhood education centers in different countries. This allows students to gain insights into how ECEC is practiced across cultures.

5. Interactions Beyond the Classroom: Promote informal interactions by creating virtual social spaces where students can engage in conversations about everyday life, hobbies, and interests. This can help break down cultural barriers and build friendships.

6. Cultural Competency Training: Provide resources or workshops on cultural competency and intercultural communication to help students better navigate the challenges of working in diverse groups.

7. Cultural Sensitivity Exercises: Integrate activities that raise awareness of cultural differences and encourage students to reflect on their own cultural biases. For example, you can have students analyze case studies or engage in role-playing exercises.

8. Reflection and Feedback: Incorporate reflective assignments in which students share their insights and personal growth related to intercultural learning. Encourage them to provide feedback on the COIL experience, highlighting both the positive and challenging aspects of working with international peers.

9. Collaborative Projects: Assign collaborative projects that require students to work with peers from different cultural backgrounds. These projects should encourage them to combine their unique perspectives to create innovative solutions or products.

10. Peer Learning Partners: Pair students from different cultural backgrounds as learning partners. These partners can support each other’s language and cultural learning and provide valuable insights into each other’s cultures.

11. Global Challenges in ECEC: Have students collaborate on solving global challenges in early childhood education and care. For instance, they can work on projects related to child development, inclusive education, or addressing the impact of cultural practices on ECEC.

12.Global Storytelling: Encourage students to share stories or narratives about early childhood experiences from their respective cultures. This can promote empathy and understanding of how cultural backgrounds shape individuals’ early education.

By incorporating some of these intercultural learning pointers into your COIL program for Early Childhood Education and Care, you can create a rich, immersive, and enlightening experience for students, fostering a deeper understanding of different cultures and their role in ECEC practices.

Collaborating in an international context always involves a focus on language. Some students/teachers feel uncomfortable not using their mother tongue. Language is also a question of power, and when we usually decide to use typically English as the common language some students will always be more privileged than others. 

In UCOILD we experimented with overcoming language challenges, to prevent language from becoming an excluding factor in a COIL project? 

1. Advices on language use – It is important to make students aware of the potential exclusion mechanisms of using a foreign language. Give explicit advices on language: Speak slowly, speak clearly, have patience, accept different dialects, as students are rarely native speakers of English.

2. Going beyond English as the common language – In some projects it can make sense to involve more than one  (typical English) language, having a more inclusive and diverse language perspective. Especially when working with neighbour countries it can be a learning goal in itself to practice neighbouring languages, though allowing for English as a supporting solution. In a smaller scale, you could also include exercises where studetns translate key workds of the COIL project into the languages that they all represent.  

3. Student translators and mother tongue – For students most challenged by speaking English, it can be a big help to clarify, that students are accepted to speak in their mother tongue if needed. In the UCOILD project studetns were presented with the option of presenting in their own language; and then other students voluntarily worked as translators. If needed, students could also ask questions/answer/discuss in their mother tongue while other students helped them to translate. This supported student inclusion as this quote indicates:  “I felt included in the activies because I was able to understand and also because my group mates helped me when I got any problem” (UCOILD student from Mondragon) 

4. Texts available in more languages – If possible the common texts used in the COIL project can be available in both English and different languages of the students  

Working towards including all students to participate actively in a COIL is challenging. In the UCOILD project we have found the following useful:

1. Accessible Platforms: Ensure that the digital tools and platforms used in COIL are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Use platforms that offer closed captions, screen readers, and other accessibility features.

2. Cultural Sensitivity: Encourage students to respect and appreciate different cultures. Provide resources and activities that promote cultural sensitivity. For example, you can create assignments where students share traditional songs, stories, or recipes from their countries.

3. Language Support:  Recognize that not all students may be fluent in the language of instruction. Provide language support through translation tools, language exchange partners, or language learning resources. For instance, offer language learning apps or pair non-native English speakers with native speakers for language practice.

4. Universal Design for Learning (UDL):  Apply UDL principles in course design. Provide multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression to accommodate various learning styles and abilities. For instance, offer materials, videos, and interactive activities for different types of learners.

5. Synchronous and Asynchronous Activities: Incorporate a mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities to accommodate students’ diverse schedules and time zones. For example, hold live video discussions at different times and provide discussion boards for ongoing asynchronous conversations.

6. Flexible Group Work: Allow students to choose their group members when possible, so they can work with people they are comfortable with. Alternatively, consider rotating group assignments to foster diverse collaborations.

7. Clear Expectations and Guidelines: Provide clear instructions and guidelines for collaborative projects. Ensure that students understand the purpose of the collaboration and their roles. Offer examples and templates to assist them in getting started.

8. Feedback and Assessment: Develop rubrics that focus on collaborative skills, such as active listening, respectful communication, and contributions to the group. Encourage peer evaluation to ensure equitable assessment.

9. Sensitivity Training: Offer training or resources on cultural sensitivity and inclusion to help students develop awareness and skills for working in diverse teams.

10. Diverse Learning Resources: Curate a wide range of learning resources from various cultures and perspectives. This can include diverse children’s books, videos, and teaching materials that reflect global perspectives on early childhood education.

11. Community Building: Foster a sense of community by organizing ice-breaker activities that help students get to know each other beyond their academic roles. For example, you can have students share stories about their childhood experiences, or organize virtual cultural exchange events.

12. Mentoring and Support: Offer mentoring programs or peer support groups where students can seek help or guidance if they feel excluded or need assistance with the coursework.

13. Regular Check-Ins: Conduct regular check-ins to gauge the comfort and satisfaction of students with the collaborative process. Use surveys or one-on-one meetings to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments.

Incorporating these inclusion-focused pointers into your COIL didactical toolkit for Early Childhood Education and Care can help create a more equitable and enriching collaborative learning experience for all participants, regardless of their backgrounds, abilities, or circumstances.