The COIL method—also referred to as virtual exchange—is a cost-effective, accessible, and scalable method of expanding global learning opportunities for greater numbers of U.S. higher education students. COIL is an innovative pedagogy involving collaborative teaching and learning in two or more countries facilitated by online communication that has been developed and promoted by the State University of New York (SUNY) COIL Center. For over a decade, ACE has recognized the COIL model as a cost-effective, accessible method for delivering global learning and intercultural experience to greater numbers of U.S. students, particularly the 90 percent of U.S. undergraduates who do not participate in education abroad.
Faculty from U.S. institutions selected for the U.S.-Japan COIL Initiative will collaborate with their Japanese counterpart to develop a joint syllabus, and students in the two countries will then work together to complete assignments that meet shared learning objectives.