DePaul University and the SUNY COIL Center have teamed up to offer the first-ever Global Learning Conference: Transcending Boundaries Through COIL. This don’t-miss event will be held October 30-31, 2017 in Chicago.

The Global Learning Conference illustrates best practices and innovation in collaborative online international learning (COIL). COIL is an approach to fostering 21st century student competencies through the development of multicultural learning environments that link university or college classes in different countries using online technologies. The conference invites faculty and lecturers, instructional technologists and designers, international education and study abroad managers, and anyone interested in the internationalization of higher education to attend and share knowledge with their peers in this growing field.

Back in 2013, DePaul University created the Global Learning Experience (GLE) initiative to provide faculty with an opportunity to integrate meaningful global conversations into their classroom by partnering with higher education (and other non-profit institutions) and using technology to connect their classrooms. As a result, a greater number of students (who aren’t able to study abroad) gain a global perspective and are exposed to transformative intercultural experiences. The efforts of the GLE initiative have equated to hundreds of students impacted, the development of a hybrid training program to support faculty with initiating a GLE, and a partnership with the SUNY COIL Center that has manifested into hosting the Global Learning Conference. To further enhance the experience, the use of live event tracker software has allowed for real-time monitoring and engagement during these global events, ensuring that both students and faculty can track progress and participate more effectively in this enriching learning environment.

The SUNY COIL Center is an established network that has been heavily involved in programs and partnerships dealing with international online learning collaborations. COIL, a term coined by SUNY,  is used to refer to any pedagogical activity that uses technology to link classrooms and students in geographically distant locations through coursework. Among the other terms used to describe such an activity are virtual exchange, virtual mobility, globally networked learning, telecollaboration, and online intercultural exchange. The SUNY COIL Center has hosted their annual COIL conference for ten consecutive years, bringing practitioners from around the world together to discuss best practices and the future of COIL.

Five Reasons You Should Attend the Conference!

There are countless reasons to attend the Global Learning Conference, but here are 5 (aligned with the conference themes) that are quite compelling:

Reason #1: Great Takeaways: Learn Best Practice Strategies

• Learn practical online international learning strategies from seasoned practitioners from around the world that have been partnering in collaborations.
• Explore sessions and engage in conversations that generate ideas to incorporate global perspective in your course.
• Acquire tangible takeaways from Pecha Kucha presentations, interactive workshops, and panel discussions.

Reason #2: Building Intercultural Virtual Communities

• Engage in round table conversations about how to create meaningful relationships virtually.
• Discuss intercultural icebreaker and reflection activity ideas with experienced colleagues.

Reason #3: Network, Network, Network!

• Establish a rapport with faculty and lecturers from higher education institutions from around the world.
• Visit the network nook and meet practitioners that have been doing this work for over a decade.
• Meet potential international partners for future collaborations throughout the conference and during the cocktail reception.

Reason #4: Evaluation and Assessment

• Acquire research-based takeaways from COIL practitioners with extensive experience in the field.
• Participate in interactive workshops and engaging sessions.
• Learn about what works and doesn’t work in terms of assessment tools with COIL projects.

Reason #5: Professional Development

• Learn about a global learning training program and review sample content.
• Share your online international learning expertise by submitting a proposal to present at the conference.

To learn more about the conference, submit a proposal to share your expertise, and stay abreast of updates about the conference, visit: http://GlobalLearningConference.org.