Collaborative Online International Learning Practice as a Teaching Pedagogy in Higher Education: Japanese University Experience

Abstract

With the growth of collaborative online learning, more students are experiencing educational environments characterized by cultural diversity. This paper shall discuss recent COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) practices between Kansai University and International Islamic University of Malaysia from April 2016 to December 2017, and how these initiatives helped enhance academic discourses in a Japanese learning environment. Various experiential learnings in understanding culture and critical issues prevailing in Southeast Asia and Japan were also pinned down in this paper. Finally, this intends to encourage learners and instructors to set out an online academic partnership and adopt COIL as a teaching pedagogy which may be relevant in the rapidly expanding field of global education.