Building internationalisation together with COILectiVE NL
Knowledge sharing and exchanging practical experiences play an important role in COIL VE. That is why COILectiVE NL brings together professionals from vocational and higher education who work with COIL VE: an educational approach in which students and educators collaborate online across borders on shared projects and learning activities. They do so to exchange practical experiences and to continue building together on the development of international and intercultural competences.
Read this page in Dutch: Samen verder bouwen aan internationalisering met COILectiVE NL
For many education professionals, working with COIL VE begins with jointly exploring what works in practice. Where do you start? How do you find a suitable partner? And how do you embed collaboration sustainably within your curriculum? At the same time, a great deal of experience with COIL VE has already been developed across the education sector - experience from which others can learn.
Learning from each other
COILectiVE NL brings together this knowledge and these experiences. Within this knowledge community, professionals working on international and intercultural education come together to share approaches, exchange ideas and learn from one another’s experiences. “This community gives people a place where they can connect and exchange knowledge,” says Sake Jager.
New perspectives
The added value lies not only in learning from others, but also in personal professional development and institutional development. Collaborating with international partners and colleagues from across the field brings new perspectives to education. “We can achieve a great deal because it helps inform our policies,” explains Petra Hogendoorn-Schweighofer. “This community contains a wealth of expertise from institutions and sectors such as vocational education, universities of applied sciences and research universities. That offers many opportunities to further develop policies within our own institutions as well.”
Sharing experiences
The knowledge community is not only about learning from others, but also about sharing knowledge and inspiration. By exchanging experiences — from initial explorations to more established collaborations — a shared understanding develops of what works in practice. And that, in turn, helps others move forward. “We look at the bigger picture and at bringing different disciplines together,” emphasises Reinout Klamer. “Many initiatives have already started. The question now is how we continue building on content, quality and sustainable embedding within institutions.”
Within COILectiVE NL, education professionals work together on the further development of COIL VE. This happens not only online through the community’s Teams environment, but also during meetings where participants connect and learn from one another. The community offers space to share knowledge, develop together and strengthen teacher professionalisation. In this way, COIL VE can continue to grow as a sustainable part of the curriculum.
Want to learn more about COILectiVE NL? Visit the COILectiVE NL page for more information about the community, practical examples and videos in which education professionals share their experiences with COIL VE. <<LINK>>
Share your COIL VE practice!
Are you working with COIL VE or involved in international online collaboration in your teaching? Then we invite you to share your experiences during the symposium. We are looking for practical examples from vocational and higher education — ranging from initial explorations to more established collaborations. What worked well? What challenges did you encounter? And what lessons did you learn? Even if you are still in an exploratory phase, your contribution is valuable. By sharing experiences, we help each other move forward.
Submit your proposal before 8 June via the Call for Proposals page.
COIL VE webinar
Save the date: 12 June.
An increasing number of examples from vocational and higher education show how Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is being used as a form of Virtual Exchange (VE). During this webinar, you will learn more about how educators are approaching this in practice and gain inspiration to take the next step yourself. More information will follow soon!