University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu students can get the feel of a study-abroad experience through collaborative online international learning, or COIL, which brings together international classes via online technology to allow students to learn and work together.
UH West Oʻahu Professor of Business Management Dr. Keith Sakuda has been teaching COIL courses for UH West Oʻahu students through a partnership with Kansai Gaidai University (KGU) in Japan. In collaboration with Dr. Stephen Zurcher, KGU Professor of Management and Dean of the Asian Studies Program, the COIL project has been exploring new models of international education since spring 2020.
“COIL at UH West Oʻahu is about accessibility,” Sakuda said. “For students who are unable to leave Hawaiʻi, it is the only option to experience some of the academic and personal benefits of study abroad.”
According to the American Council on Education, COIL is a research-based method of virtual exchange involving faculty in two or more countries collaborating to develop a joint syllabus for students to then work together online to complete assignments that meet shared learning objectives.
Sakuda said, “Traditional barriers to study abroad — such as location (neighbor islands), attendance status (part‐time), employment status (working professional), first generation college student status, limited financial resources, and family obligations (single parent or family caretaker) — can be overcome using flexible, cost-effective, and scalable solutions offered by COIL.”
Sakuda’s recent MGT 370: Global External Environment COIL course, in which he merged his class with KGU’s class for the entire semester, is believed to have been the only fully-integrated COIL this past spring in the UH system, and possibly the only U.S.-Japan fully-integrated COIL in the country, Sakuda said.
Most COIL is for short-term projects between campuses. Fully-integrated COIL, Sakuda explained, means COIL where the two classes are completely integrated and students take all classes together synchronously, and do multiple assignments together throughout the semester.
“It is very unlikely other campuses are doing fully-integrated COIL since the U.S. and Japan academic semesters don’t line up,” Sakuda said. “Our partner (KGU) is one of the few in Japan that follows U.S. semesters. In addition, due to time-zone differences, only Hawaiʻi and maybe some west coast states can host live weekly classes with Japan. We also have the unique benefit that Dr. Zurcher and I have taught at both institutions independent of COIL.”
In the MGT 370: Global External Environment COIL course this past spring, UH West Oʻahu and KGU students met once a week via Zoom, and had video presentations, assignments, and several group projects. Last month, the class also featured guest speaker Robert Noddin, recently retired President and CEO of AIG Japan Holdings, who talked about understanding political risk management and developing an international career in business — a learning opportunity for both Hawaiʻi- and Japan-based students.
Andrew Morrison took Sakuda’s MGT 341: Behavior in Organizations COIL class in fall 2021.
“I was not sure what to expect when I initially started the class, but it ended up being one of my favorite classes that I have taken at UH West Oʻahu,” Morrison said. “Working with Japanese students, specifically having the chance to read their papers, was one of the most interesting parts because you see how another culture writes and tackles different issues in business.”
Jamie White, who also took Sakuda’s MGT 341 class in fall 2021, said she liked being able to study with students from Japan.
“It was refreshing to learn about their culture first hand along with their professor (Dr. Stephen Zurcher), who gave great insights,” White said. … “I personally would like to see this class in every college major for better relationships with Japanese students, culture, and future business relations.”
UH West Oʻahu’s partnership with KGU will continue into fall 2022, when Sakuda will again teach MGT 341: Behavior in Organizations, a fully-integrated COIL course.