48 SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals – University of Mpumalanga, South Africa

Dr. Ferdinand Niyimbanira – Instructor

COIL was introduced to University of Mpumalanga in 2023 and we did not hesitate to make sure that UMP students participate in it. For the Fall 2024 COIL, 47 UMP students participated and some of them were doing it for the second time. 28 out of 47 students did the COIL assignment as one the assessments for one the modules (Financing for Development) they were registered for, while others participated as exposure to different type of learning. After completion, a meeting with all participants from UMP was held to discuss the outcomes and how was the experience from the entire exercise. As the facilitator, my reflection is based on students’ feedback and my personal observation during the last six weeks of the COIL. This reflection is divided into three: firstly, how COIL ignites students’ excitement; secondly time zone tango and lastly COILing for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

COIL sparks: igniting students’ excitement and engagement in a global platform

My personal observation is that participating in the COIL is a great experience for the students. COIL serves as catalyst, igniting a fervor of enthusiasm among students as they embark on cross-cultural collaborations. Through COIL, participants get opportunity to interact and engage with students from different countries such as Canada, Spain, Indonesia, Kenya, Iraq, South Africa and South Arabia in this case. Thorough COIL students are encouraged to collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds, exchanging ideas, perspectives, and expertise. The dynamic nature of these global discussions does not only foster excitement but also deepens students’ engagements as they navigate through shared challenges and issues that impact their daily lives and celebrate collective successes. Students gain deeper understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thorough research and teamwork they gain knowledge about awareness of the environmental and social challenges that the world is currently facing. COIL is a good way to encourage and assist young people (university students) to develop a critical thinking skill as it is expected from them when dealing with a particular issue at hand and come with a solution. Therefore, COIL represents more than just a learning opportunity; it symbolizes the transformative power of global connectivity in education, inspiring students to actively participate and contribute to a more interconnected world. In addition, COIL is a fantastic way to bring students from different countries together which is important in our today’s globalized world where the workplace is constantly getting more and more international. One of the South African students was very happy that she learned about Saint Patric’s day from Canada and Ramadan from Indonesian groupmates. Furthermore, our students received a certificate of attendance which is going to benefit them in the future since it will form part of their CV when applying for job. It will show that they are practically team workers and that’s one of the skill the potential employers are looking for nowadays.

Time Zone Tango

Being part of COIL with participants from different countries, students encounter the intricate dance of time zones that can either harmonize or disrupt the rhythm of their collaboration, learning and meetings. From coordinating meetings to synchronizing deadlines, navigating the temporal disparities between participating students from different countries presents formidable challenges. As all students from different groups strive to bridge geographical divides, they had to adjust their schedules to accommodate diverse time zones. The time zone tango embodies the resilience and flexibility required to overcome all obstacles which come with different time zones, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and strategic planning in fostering the international collaboration learning to be a success. Some if not all our students experienced issue of different times for the first time. Many students confirmed that navigating around different time zones to make sure that everyone in the group is accommodated was more challenging, but they manage to overcome it.
The COIL experience was very enjoyable and eye opening. For South African students time zones were not issue, it was easy to deal with because for them the meetings were always in the afternoon. But it had always baffled them how it was in the morning for Canadians and evening for the Indonesians. In other words, while South African students were looking forward to lunch, the Canadians were looking forward to the breakfast while for Indonesians it was supper. Regardless such challenge, students learned how to work together, plan and organize their time and tasks to make sure that they meet deadlines.

Globally Informed, Locally Empowered: COILing for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

In the pursuit of sustainable development, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) emerges as a powerful platform for cultivating global awareness and empowering university students from different countries. Through our COIL initiative we focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), students engage in cross-cultural dialogues and collaborative assignment that transcend geographical boundaries. By leveraging technology to facilitate connections between students from different continents, COIL enables participants to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and co-create innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. Our COIL approach does not only foster a deeper understanding of global issues but also empowers students to take meaningful action within their own local contexts, catalyzing positive change on a global scale.

Though all countries participated in this COIL are geographically far apart, it is fascinating to learn that they face the same challenges. Therefore, COIL teach our participating students to think globally but act locally. When discussing the SDGs, deeply they provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the domestic problems and bring awareness of the global challenges. For example, one group was given SDG 7 and they learned that Spain had energy crisis similarly to South Africa. After contextualizing the challenge, the group had to look at global solutions to the energy crises and identify those that can easily be adopted and implemented in their respective countries. This allows the participating students to act locally after contextualizing globally.

Conclusion

One wouldn’t conclude this reflection without mentioning that students found COIL facilitators being very lenient with marks and more understanding comparing to the local Lecturers. In addition, usage of generative artificial intelligence during COIL should be discussed to reach an agreement to what extent it should be used. This is because some universities may allow using AI while others are still working on policies and guides. Furthermore, all 47 students confirmed that given a chance, they will participate in COIL again and again.