So, it’s the first time you are hosting a COIL course and you don’t know where to start. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. This can be a daunting process without a plan. But worry not, we’ve got you covered! In this post, we will take you step by step through the components of a COIL module so that you know what to include in yours.

TEAM BUILDING

This phase focuses on social activities as well as meaningful activities that help students get to know and feel comfortable working together. After all, learning is more fun when you make friends along the way!

• Play a game of ‘Two truths, One Lie’ with your students. They would have to introduce themselves first and come up with three facts about their culture; two true facts, one made-up statement, and everyone has to guess which of those are a lie.
• You can also ask them to film a short “house tour”. Each student will take a short video of their home and talk about their hobbies. This activity allows your students to get to know each other, and can lead to cohesiveness and camaraderie.

COMPARATIVE DISCUSSIONS

This is the time where you will be presenting your course plan to the class. Students will be participating in discussions, and developing ideas for new and innovative approaches. This will also prepare your students for the next phase, which will include the main project of your course.

For an effective discussion, first consider the following:

• Decide your content and resources. Whatever your subject may be, your content should be able to adapt to the COIL model.
• Develop your partnership. When choosing a co-teacher, it’s important to get along well and have compatible teaching styles. The best way of finding the perfect partner would be through ImmerseU’s easy-to-use networking tools.
• Coordinate with your working partner. Discuss your teaching objectives and how you will present your lessons to your students for a smooth collaboration.

PROJECT PHASE

This phase is where students apply everything they have learned from the course. They will research and create something together, or have meaningful discussions around the topic of the collaboration.

For the project to be a success, remember the following:

• Have students work in groups. Teamwork can be useful when a student feels overwhelmed.
• Encourage students to take on different roles during collaboration. Motivate them to split the tasks equally for more efficiency.

PRESENTATION OF FINAL PROJECT

During the last phase of your course, the final output from the previous phase will be presented to everyone.

There are a lot of ways to evaluate your students’ projects. Some of these include:

• Creating learning areas beforehand. This can ensure a more accurate and specific assessment, and it will also provide clear expectations to your students.
• You may also ask your students to be involved during assessment. This can be done by asking them to keep an online project journal or log (online spreadsheets), where they can evaluate their involvement using the project’s learning areas.

As a conclusion, students should reflect on the content of your module and its intercultural aspects. This can be done by writing an essay or through small group discussions.

With these components in mind, you should be ready to plan out your first COIL module. Use ImmerseU’s diverse teaching tools now to create your curriculum!