North American Businesses

The COIL experience was a testament to the power of collaboration and creativity, with both students and instructors forging new paths in global learning. I am filled with a profound sense of pride and gratitude as I reflect on how our students—supported by dedicated faculty—pushed beyond their comfort zones, conducted appreciative interviews, and partnered with diverse participants. Their adaptability across time zones, communication barriers, and cultural nuances was nothing short of inspiring.
However, these achievements did not happen in a vacuum. They were supported by instructors who believed in pushing boundaries, experimenting with innovative teaching strategies, and nurturing an environment that encouraged genuine exploration. This synergy between students and instructors laid the foundation for a transformative learning experience—one that showcased our students’ resilience, creativity, and potential as future global leaders.
This book, therefore, represents more than a compilation of student work; it stands as a testament to what can happen when educators dare to reimagine traditional classroom norms. It is my hope that these pages will spark bold ideas in fellow instructors and illuminate the vast possibilities of experiential learning. Together, we can continue to empower students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts, foster intercultural understanding, and ultimately shape a generation that is both innovative and compassionate. After all, education is not merely about imparting knowledge; it is about igniting the spark that propels each individual to create meaningful change in our interconnected world.

Yang Hoong, University of Guelph, Canada

My Collaborative Online International Learning journey began in the April 2022, and it has been an adventure of a lifetime. COIL as we call it has put me in the role of an instructor but also that of a student. I have always believed in the power of experiences as a tool for learning what we call experience show pedagogy. The big question always is how in today’s day and age of limited availability of funding, plus, students managing multiple demands on their time, and faculty too, trying to juggle myriad responsibilities of teaching, research and Service. Enter COIL through a chance encounter with Dr. Ruben Burga, of University of Guelph, now my friend and a colleague at a conference hosted by PRME’s US chapter in Washington DC. In these intervening years, I have been part of several Coyle initiatives with multiple faculty members. Each has been rewarding as we observe significant engagement and learning on the part of our students, but also a learning experience as a faculty as to how to manage this initiative that transcendence not only national borders, but also time zones. This is where having a hard-working and supportive cohort of faculty as partners becomes so valuable. A big shout out to Ruben Burga as well as rest of COIL partners- Amelia Naim, IPMI; Isabel Rodrigeuz Tajedo, UNAV; Sayeda Meharunisa, PNU; Gleriani Torres Carbone, FIA; Liam Newton, U. of South Wales, Fred Niyimbanira, UMP; Yang Hoong, U of Guelph. And last but not the least for the incredible support provided by Graduate Assistant extraordinaire, Jacob Lohrenz of U. of Guelph.
As the urgency to understand and incorporate sustainability in our teaching grows, we the educators face a daunting task of not only teaching fundamental facts but also changing mindsets, be our students, businesses and local communities, or even our own institutions. It requires us to think beyond our own backyards and see the wicked problems of sustainability as a global problem that needs all hands-on deck. And, hence the collaboration is the key – for faculty to engage in interdisciplinary and cross-national teaching community and for students to develop awareness that sustainability is a global issue requiring cross-border partnerships.
Our COIL initiative has been an invaluable tool for introducing sustainability in a practical manner rather than as a theoretical construct. The emphasis on identifying innovative solutions rather than highlighting problems has been a good antidote for anxiety and stress that many of our students’ experience. Yet, its impact extends even further. COIL fosters an understanding of how business community can be a source of good rather than evil as students work with businesses to understand how companies are innovating for sustainability across national boundaries. COIL has made it possible for our students to practice essential skills, related to effective communication—whether through interviewing business leaders using an appreciative inquiry approach or engaging in cross-cultural dialogue with team members. Most importantly, it equips students with the ability to collaborate in virtual settings across different time zones and diverse cultural contexts.
However, running a COIL initiative requires a significant commitment of time and effort. We, faculty members met for several months before launching the assignment, meticulously refining the instructional materials to be both comprehensive and easy to follow. Once the initiative commenced, faculty members found themselves mirroring students’ experiences. Just as student teams met weekly to identify and interview local businesses about their sustainability innovations, faculty convened regularly to ensure the appropriate scaffolding was in place for students’ success. Despite invaluable support from University of Guelph coaches, COIL teams encountered various challenges, including unresponsive team members, scheduling conflicts, difficulty securing business interviews, and navigating last-minute cancellations. I strongly believe that these challenges are really opportunities for students to figure out what they need to do differently next time but also for the faculty to revise and define the program so that the benefits are maximized.
In sum, the experience is undeniably worthwhile, elevating students’ learning in ways that no other method could achieve. On a personal level, it has been a transformative journey. Being part of the vibrant COIL community—with faculty from nine higher education institutions across most of the continents—has been incredibly rewarding. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing this collaboration with my academic family.

Anjali Chaudhry, Dominican University, USA