アメリカ・オハイオ州のUniversity of Findlayおよび甲南高等学校と連携し、オンライン国際協働学習（Collaborative Online International Learning: COIL）プロジェクトを実施しました。本プロジェクトは、国際協働学習として継続的に行われている取り組みです。
当日は、日本とアメリカの高校生・大学生がオンラインで交流し、英語と日本語を用いた対話を通して、学校生活や文化、価値観の違いへの理解を深めました。STAGEの学生はファシリテーターとして交流を支え、本COILは実践的な言語運用力と異文化理解を育む学習機会となりました。
University of Findlay× Konan University × Konan Boys’ High School
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Project
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a contemporary approach to technology-enhanced global education that makes use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to virtually connect culturally diverse groups of students and classrooms in higher education institutions in countries worldwide. In recent years, COIL has been actively promoted by the Japanese government and increasingly adopted by Japanese universities to provide global experiences for more students in Japan.
The STAGE program values global partnerships and takes pride in nurturing faculty-to-faculty collaborative partnerships to provide an array of COIL experiences for STAGE students before and after they participate in study abroad programs. Our growing list of COIL partners includes faculty from the Fort Lewis College, University of Findlay, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and University of Pittsburgh. COIL partnerships connect traditional classroom learning with real-life opportunities for students to practice communication skills with their peers from all around the world. Students gradually develop cross-cultural awareness as they gain new perspectives and insights through COIL experiences.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of a unique tri-institutional COIL project between Konan University, Konan Boys’ High School, and the University of Findlay in the United States. Nearly 50 students in the two countries experienced virtual student exchange and met “face-to-face” in real-time to participate in a COIL project conducted on January 31, 2026.
The primary aim of the ongoing project is to promote language and cultural exchange between students in Japan and students studying Japanese language and culture in the US. To achieve this aim, the COIL project adopts active learning strategies that engage participants in student-led online interviews using English and Japanese.
In preparation for this year’s online interviews, high school students in Japan and university students in the US worked separately in small groups during classes to develop interview questions on topics such as school life, club activities, daily life, and entertainment. After preparing their questions, students joined a 90-minute collaborative session in real time using Zoom video conferencing. They were divided into three “virtual classrooms” and groups took turns asking questions. The Japanese students conducted their interviews in English and students in the US conducted their interviews in English and Japanese.
In this student-centered COIL project, STAGE students were assigned the role of facilitators, providing guidance when needed and ensuring meaningful exchanges in each virtual classroom. Specifically, student facilitators were responsible for moderating three rounds of group interviews, bridging language and cultural gaps between participants, and managing time according to a fixed schedule. This experience offers STAGE students a unique opportunity for develop essential initiative, leadership, and digital communication skills. This year, two first-year students in Japan and one second-year student currently studying abroad in a one-year Global Scholars Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa contributed to the success of the project.
The following student reflections in English and Japanese highlight some of the learning and growth that emerged through this COIL experience. Together, they also point to the collaborative effort and support that made these meaningful exchanges possible.
“I believe my experience in the COIL project introduced me to a new culture and language, helping me learn ways to more effectively communicate with people from different cultures and countries.”
“I used to think people from other cultures were more different from me. Now I realize we have more in common than I thought.”
“Before today’s COIL session, I used to think that I would not have many common interests with people outside of my country. However, after participating in the COIL session, now I realize how similar people can be despite living so far apart.”
The success of this COIL project was made possible by the contributions and support of many individuals, and we warmly thank everyone who participated. The enthusiasm of the students from Japan and the United States made this virtual experience meaningful and memorable. We would like to thank STAGE students Hinari Kakiuchi, Asuka Ito, and Kuranosuke Fukuda for moderating the interviews. We are also grateful to Prof. Rie Aoki at the University of Findlay, and James Devine, Go Tanaka, Daniel Ocasio, Kazushi Yoshida, and Junko Sawabu at Konan Boys’ High School for their support in making this tri-institutional collaborative project possible.
Shari Yamamoto
S.A. Associate Professor, Konan University
