The Office of Connected Learning

COIL Fellows

Supporting Faculty in Developing International Course Collaborations

2020 COIL Fellows Panel at UW Bothell: Faculty sharing their experiences with colleagues. Photo by Andreas Brockhaus. The program is now conducted entirely online.

Critical digital literacy and virtual collaboration skills are more important than ever in tackling global challenges. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) offers an opportunity to traverse boundaries and make the “classroom learning” experience globally connected. Using various online communication technologies, students from different countries complete shared assignments and projects, with faculty members from each country co-teaching and managing coursework.

UW faculty interested in embedding COIL into their courses are invited to join an annual cohort of COIL Fellows. Fellows participate in community of practice meetings to deepen learning and facilitate the sharing of ideas, resources and strategies, and submit written documentation of their partnership. Participants are awarded a stipend for course development and implementation. The program is conducted entirely online and facilitated by a tri-campus team of global office staff, instructional designers, and previous COIL Fellows.

I really appreciate the well-planned workshops! The materials are really informative and thought-provoking; the workshop time was used effectively and we engaged in meaningful conversations with our fellows.

2025-26 COIL Fellows

Faculty of all ranks and from all schools, who teach at the UW full-time and are interested in developing a course collaboration with an international partner are invited to apply for the next, tri-campus cohort of COIL Fellows. No prior experience or international connections are required. Applications are due in mid-November each year.

UW COIL Fellows Information Session

Watch the recording to learn about COIL from program facilitators and previous COIL Fellows.

Program structure

The program spans two years. The first portion, held entirely online in Winter and Spring 2025, focuses on course development. The second, Summer 2025-Summer 2026 and beyond, focuses on implementation. We’ve learned that it takes about a year to identify a suitable course, connect with an international partner and plan out the COIL modules together before a collaborative course can be implemented. We also repeatedly hear from previous COIL Fellows that running their course a second time is much more fulfilling: building on strengths and refining what didn’t work well, without the significant start-up effort required the first time. We will give preference and provide additional support to Fellows who intend to teach their COIL course multiple times, or adapt their COIL modules to a different course.

Fellows are expected to actively participate in seven COIL Fellows community of practice workshops (online), set up at least one 1:1 consultation, and complete several asynchronous assignments during Winter and Spring Quarter of the first year to deepen their understanding of COIL pedagogy, begin applying it to their own course, and cross-pollinate ideas with others. By the end of Winter Quarter, Fellows will also begin working with their international partner to plan out their COIL module. Additional community meetings (one or two per quarter) will continue during the second year to allow a space for sharing progress and troubleshooting challenges.

Program support

The community of practice is facilitated by a team from Bothell, Tacoma, and Seattle, including:

  • Todd Conaway, Instructional Designer, Learning and Teaching Collaborative, UW Bothell;
  • Natalia Dyba, Director of Global Initiatives, UW Bothell;
  • Beth Fairagan, Assistant Director, Strategy and Communications, Office of Global Affairs, UW Seattle
  • Chris Lott, Learning Designer, Office of Digital Learning, UW Tacoma;
  • Vanessa de Veritch Woodside, Executive Director, Office of Global Affairs, UW Tacoma.

Fellows can expect support in developing their course content, finding an international partner, and exploring appropriate technology tools. Perspectives and tips from previous COIL Fellows are integrated into asynchronous materials in Canvas and some community of practice meetings.

A $1,200 stipend will be paid out as a salary supplement in two installments: the first $600 upon completion of the course development stage, which includes active participation in the community of practice, COIL partnership worksheet and course syllabus; the second $600 during the quarter that the COIL course is taught. Funds can be used for professional development and/or travel expenses related to the COIL collaboration (for self or international partner).

Application process

For priority consideration, submit your application by November 15, 2024. The application is completed online via Qualtrics and includes the following components:

  1. About the applicant: Name(s), faculty appointment/ title, department/ school, campus, e-mail, link to online CV.
  2. About the proposed course: Working course/project title, UW course number, and quarter when the course would be implemented.
  3. Short response addressing:
    • Description of (desired) international partner: country or region of the world, area of focus, level of students. Include a brief history of any contact or discussions to date with potential partner(s), if applicable. It is not necessary to have identified a partner at the time of application.
    • The applicants’ interests and goals for developing a COIL experience, including the impact of COIL modules on student learning and engagement.
    • Anticipated challenges and benefits in project development and implementation.
    • Any prior experience with COIL (optional)

An endorsement from the Dean or Division Chair showing support for the applicant and the proposed COIL-enhanced course as a long-term curricular offering must accompany each application. The endorsement, which is completed via a separate Qualtrics form, aims to:

  • Confirm that the applicant is set to teach the proposed course or approved to be developing a new course.
  • Confirm that the applicant (as opposed to another instructor) is expected/ very likely to teach the proposed course more than once. State any conditions for subsequent iterations of the course.
  • Name any additional support that the school/ unit is providing or willing to provide to ensure successful implementation and continuation of the COIL project.

Selection

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee of UW faculty and staff based on the following criteria:

  • Commitment to internationalizing the classroom and strengthening ties with international partners.
  • Clear articulation of how COIL activities will deepen student engagement and lead to improved learning outcomes, especially the development of global perspectives around course content.
  • Interest in developing own intercultural competence to foster understanding and create equitable partnerships.
  • Persuasive evidence that the course will be successfully implemented within the expected timeframe.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who intend to implement their COIL modules at least twice.

Applicants will be notified of their selection by the end of Autumn Quarter.

Questions and additional information

Please contact us:

  • UW Bothell: Natalia Dyba, Director of Global Initiatives, nataliak@uw.edu;
  • UW Tacoma: Vanessa de Veritch Woodside, Executive Director, Office of Global Affairs, vdw@uw.edu; UW Tacoma COIL site
  • UW Seattle: Office of Global Affairs; UW Seattle COIL site

Previous Cohorts of COIL Fellows

Four UWB faculty completed the course development portion of the program in 2024 and are implementing their COIL courses in 2024 and 2025.

  • Raissa DeSmet (IAS) – BIS 498 Southeast Asian Pasts and Futures Program with a partner in the Philippines, Spring 2025
  • Silvia Ferreira (IAS/ FYPP) – B WRIT 135: Research Writing in partnership with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Tijuana, Mexico, Autumn 2024
  • Liz Janssen (IAS/ FYPP) – B WRIT 135: Research Writing in partnership with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Tijuana, Mexico, Spring 2025
  • Rob Turner (SIAS/ FYPP) – BCORE 107: Humanity 2050 in partnership with University of Novi Sad, Serbia, Autumn 2024

Six UWB faculty representing three schools and FYPP completed the course development portion of the program and are implementing their COIL courses in 2023 and 2024.

  • Tyson Marsh (SES) – B EDUC 502 Identity and Reflective Practice and B EDUC 504 Enacting Agency for Social Justice
  • Alka Kurian (IAS) – BISGWS 301 Critical Gender and Sexuality Studies or BISCLA 380 World Literatures
  • Jed Murr (IAS) – BIS 379: American Ethnic Literatures
  • Maureen West & Sunita Iyer (NHS/FYPP) – BCORE 107/Discovery Core I: Mental Health & Student Life- Integrating Well Being & Academics
  • Ben Gardner (IAS) – BIS 282 Globalization

Five UWB faculty representing three schools and FYPP completed the course development portion of the program and are implementing their COIL courses in 2022 and 2023.

  • Ashley JoEtta (IAS/FYPP) – B WRIT 134: First Year Composition
  • Deborah Hathaway (IAS/FYPP) – BCORE 117: Front and Center: Images of Women in Theatre and Film
  • Jeffrey Kim (STEM: CSS) – CSS 360 Software Engineering, CSS 350 Management Principles for Computing Professionals
  • Santiago Lopez (IAS) – BES440: Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Yue Bian (SES) – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), BEDUC 441 or BEDUC 444

Five UWB faculty representing three schools completed the course development portion of the program to implement their COIL courses in 2021 and 2022.

  • Salwa Al-Noori (STEM: Bio) – History & Philosophy of Science, in partnership with University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq
  • Hoa Appel (NHS) – Behavioral Health, in partnership with University of Leon, Spain
  • Chiyoung Lee (NHS) – Epidemiology, in partnership with Gyeongsang National University, Korea
  • Georgia Roberts (IAS) – Social Movements & Popular Music, in partnership with Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Avery Shinneman (IAS/FYPP) – Water Availability and Quality, in partnership with the American Center for Mongolian Studies, Mongolia

Five UWB faculty from three schools developed COIL courses during 2020, disrupted but not discouraged by the pandemic.

  • Ching-In Chen (IAS) – Ecojustice: Writing the World, in partnership with Tianjin Normal University, China
  • Steve Collins (STEM: ME) – Sustainable Energy, in partnership with Ehime University, Japan
  • Jin-Kyu Jung (IAS) – Smart Cities, in partnership with Pusan National University, Korea
  • Kosuke Niitsu (NHS) – Mental Health and Resilience, in partnership with Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
  • Geetha Thamilarasu (STEM:CSS) – Cybersecurity Principles and Ethics, in partnership with Mainz University of Applied Sciences, Germany

Five UWB faculty representing four schools participated in the Introduction to COIL Learning Community to begin exploring ideas for a COIL course.

  • Deanna Kennedy (BUS) – Project Management, with a partner in the Czech Republic
  • James Reinnoldt (BUS) – Cross-cultural business, CSR or ethics, with a partner in Thailand or Cambodia
  • Mo West (NHS) – Women’s Issues Globally, in partnership with Tianjin Normal University, China
  • Min Tang (IAS) – Introduction to Journalism, in partnership with the MediaAid Foundation, Liberia
  • Salwa Al-Noori (STEM: Bio) – History and Philosophy of Neuroscience, with a partner TBD

Eight UWB faculty representing three schools participated in the COIL Learning Community, under a new umbrella of the Teaching and Learning Center. The group consisted of COIL practitioners with diverse levels of experience, who supported each other in continuing existing COIL courses and developing new ones, and was facilitated by Greg Tuke and Natalia Dyba.

  • Anida Yoeu Ali (IAS) – Global Agitation: Art & Activism
  • Michael Dean (IAS/ FYPP) – Comics and Graphic Novels
  • Meghan Eagen-Torkko (NHS) – Maternal Health, in partnership with the Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
  • Diana Garcia-Snyder (IAS) – Dance and Movement, in partnership with Universidad de Colima, Mexico
  • David Goldstein (IAS) – Topics in the Study of Culture: Japanese Popular Culture, in partnership with Toyo University, Japan
  • Martha Groom (IAS) – Conservation and Sustainable Development: Learning across Contexts
  • Susan Harewood (IAS) – Cultural Studies, in partnership with Barbados Community College, Barbados
  • Michael Stiber (STEM:CSS) – Computer Science or Neuroscience
  • Ursula Valdez (IAS) – The Great Rivers of the World, with partners in Egypt and Peru

Six UW Bothell instructors were selected to join the 2017 cohort of COIL Fellows.

  • Gary Carpenter (IAS) – Creative Activism: Inspiring Social Change through the Arts
  • Charlie Collins (IAS) – Community Organizing in an International Context
  • David Goldstein (IAS) – Topics in the Study of Culture: Japanese Popular Culture, in partnership with Toyo University, Japan
  • Martha Groom (IAS) – Conservation and Sustainable Development: Learning across Contexts
  • Kristin Gustafson (IAS) – Media and Communication Studies Core, in partnership with University of Monterrey, Mexico
  • Sue Kraemer (STEM: Bio) – Exploring Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme genetic polymorphisms in West African populations, in partnership with Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Ghana

Eleven UW COIL Fellows were selected from all three UW campuses and a variety of disciplines. This cohort was funded through a grant from the UW Jackson School of International Studies.

  • Bryan White (Bothell, STEM: Bio) – Cross-cultural perspectives on the science and ethics of personalized medicine, in partnership with Kyodai University, Japan
  • Butch de Castro (Bothell NHS) – Comparing Professional Nursing Practice Between the Philippines and the USA, in partnership with University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
  • Charlotte Rasmussen (Bothell STEM: Bio) – Myth or Reality: Biological science and medicine in the movies, with University of Rostock, Germany
  • Eduardo da Silva (Seattle CAS: Portuguese Studies) – Mapping Luso-Brazilian Cultures, in partnership with University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique
  • Erica Cline (Tacoma IAS) – Sustainable Agriculture, in partnership with a farmers’ cooperative in Costa Rica
  • Jed Murr (Bothell IAS) – Traveling Cultures: Cultural Work and the Politics of Location, in partnership with Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
  • Nektaria Klapaki (Seattle JSIS) – Migration and Multiculturalism in the Mediterranean, in partnership with University of Thessaly, Greece
  • Peter Selkin (Tacoma IAS) – Rock and Environmental Magnetism, in partnership with Universidade Federal de Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Institut du Physique du Globe, France
  • S. Charusheela (Bothell IAS) – Alternate Economies – Cultural Studies and Postcapitalist Futures, in partnership with Ambedkar University Delhi, India
  • Vanessa de Veritch Woodside (Tacoma IAS: Spanish) – COIL Enhanced Elementary Spanish, in partnership with Jefferson International School, Mexico and/or Universidad de Concepcion, Chile

Congratulations to the inaugural cohort of COIL Fellows, generously supported by a grant from the UW Jackson School of International Studies:

  • Michael Dean (Bothell CUSP) – Comics and Graphic Novels: A Global Dialogue, in partnership with American University in Beirut, Lebanon
  • Chris Demaske (Tacoma IAS) – Journalism, in partnership with Moscow State University, Russia
  • Mabel Ezeonwu (Bothell NHS) – Health Policies and Politics in a Global Context, with a partner in South Africa or Nigeria
  • Wei Gao (Bothell CUSP) – Chinese Cultural Heritage: From Ancient Virtues to Modern Visions, in partnership with Tianjin Normal University, China
  • Eunjung Kim (Seattle Nursing) – Growth and Development through the Life Span, in partnership with Swaziland Christian University, Swaziland
  • Ron Krabill (Bothell IAS) – Cultural Mediascapes in South Africa and the United States, in partnership with University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Amos Nascimento (Tacoma IAS) – Teaching Environmental Ethics and Climate Change around the World, in partnership with: University of Frankfurt, University of Essen, Germany; University of Medelli­n, Colombia; Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil
  • Ursula Valdez (Bothell IAS) – From The Andes to The Cascades along the Pacific Coast: Environmental issues in Peru and the Pacific Northwest, in partnership with Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru