This semester, through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Grace Davie (History) and Tochukwu Okeke, a history professor at the University of Abuja, Nigeria, are jointly teaching a course on the economic history of 19th century West Africa. Using icebreakers and SLACK as the technology platform, their students will discuss short readings and film clips on the topic of European imperialism, “the Scramble for Africa,” and African responses to economic and political transformations, primarily in the 1880s. For their final presentation, students will post videos or present written work.
Grace Davie
Jill Carvajal
Shia Levitt
Gina Minielli
Joshua Rogers
Davie is one of six QC faculty members chosen for the 2023-2024 COIL cohort. The other COIL faculty fellows are Jill Carvajal (Educational and Community Programs), Robin Hizme (English), Shia Levitt (Media Studies), Gina Minielli (Art), and Joshua Rogers (Classical, Middle Eastern, and Asian Languages and Cultures). Under the guidance of Jean Kelly (Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership), Mari Fujimoto (Classical, Middle Eastern, and Asian Languages and Cultures), and Schiro Withanachchi (Economics, BALA), these fellows added a COIL component to their Spring 2024 courses. The resulting projects span the globe, with Carvajal teaming up with a colleague in Mexico; Hizme and Levitt, respectively, collaborating with counterparts in Morocco and Egypt; Minielli working with a teacher in Montenegro; and Rogers linking to a faculty member in Japan.
These projects benefit faculty and students alike. Faculty incorporate multicultural learning into their courses, advance research with international colleagues, and expand QC’s global presence. Students gain cross-cultural skills through virtual interaction and enhance their international opportunities without leaving New York City.
In related news, QC collaborated with LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC) to train 11 faculty through COIL modules of curriculum development, technology, and research.
The training seminars introduced participants to COIL pedagogy and supported them in developing COIL projects with their international faculty partners. Faculty teaching courses articulated with Queens College were encouraged to apply. During five 1.5-hour seminar sessions in Fall 2023, QC and LAGCC faculty learned how to develop content for their COIL modules in accordance with their course learning outcomes, select relevant technology platforms, and develop assessment tools. At the end of the current semester, LAGCC students and faculty will visit QC to participate in a COIL Faculty & Student Showcase. The goal is to strengthen student transfer pathways between LaGuardia and Queens and encourage triangulated partnerships between international and CUNY faculty.
COIL was launched at QC in Fall 2019.