Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning
GCTA 2024-25 Cycle Virtual Exchange/COIL Partnerships

The Global Challenges Teaching Awards (GCTA) 2024-25 showcase innovative Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) collaborations designed to tackle critical global challenges. These projects unite faculty, staff, and students across disciplines and borders, fostering cross-cultural understanding, innovative pedagogy, and real-world problem-solving.
The GCTA partnerships below exemplify the transformative potential of VE/COIL in addressing critical global issues. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative pedagogy, and cross-cultural engagement, these projects are not only enhancing student learning but also fostering deeper connections between institutions worldwide. As participating faculty and institutions continue to refine and expand their efforts, the GCTA program serves as a powerful model for integrating global learning into higher education. By equipping students with the tools to tackle complex challenges like inequality, polarization, and climate change, the GCTA program is paving the way for a more inclusive, interconnected, and sustainable future.
GCTA 2024-25 Cycle Partnership Spotlights
Kameelah Martin - Professor of African American Studies; School of Languages, Cultures, & World Affairs
Aimee Arias - Dean; School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs
Debby Marindin - Instructional Technologist; Office of Information Technology
Dionne Taylor - Associate Professor of Black Studies; Law, Social and Criminal Justice
Lucy Stubbs - Acting Head of Operations - Mobility & Partnerships; International Office
Melanie-Marie Haywood - Director; Education Development Service
Adrian Banting - Instructional Developer; Education Development Service
Rai Challis - Instructional Developer; Education Development Service
This eight-week collaboration connects Martin’s course Ancestries of Enslavement with Taylor’s Black Studies Project module. Together, the professors aim to foster interdisciplinary research, digital storytelling, and self-reflection on Black identities and global racial injustices. Oral storytelling, a reflection of shared cultural and historical practices, and an exploration of intersectional identities will serve as central components of their collaboration.
Supported by instructional designers, the professors are developing a scaffolded series of collaborative activities, including peer review and informal student interactions, to deepen engagement and understanding of the impact of racial injustice across the globe. Assessments will be guided by customized rubrics and tools to measure growth in global competencies, such as critical thinking and intercultural communication.
The GCTA initiative also provides an opportunity to expand VE/COIL at both institutions by linking this project to other global partnerships and shared connections. With senior leadership involvement, this collaboration sets the stage for lasting impact and future growth.
Ava Thorpe - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice; School of Arts and Sciences
Rayton Sianjina - Director; Office of Global Studies and Engagement
Darryl Hancock - Director of Online Learning and Professional Development; Center for Teaching and LearningMark McLay - Lecturer in 20th Century US History; Faculty of Social Sciences
Anyka Webb - Global Engagement Manager; Global Engagement, External Relations
Phil Tubman - Digital Learning Facilitation Manager; Information Systems ServicesThis collaboration brings together Thorpe’s Minorites course, which examines minority experiences, including in increasingly polarized societies, with McLay’s module, American Carnage: The United States in the Age of Polarisation, which explores the roots and drivers of societal division in the USA.
The virtual exchange will combine synchronous sessions, collaborative group activities, and a digital storytelling project to enhance student critical thinking and cross-cultural engagement. Shared learning goals focus on intercultural communication, global citizenship, and employability skills. The aim is to equip students with the tools to resist polarization and engage constructively with global challenges.
Both supporting teams are already strategizing ways to build on this partnership. FVSU plans to incorporate COIL into its annual curriculum internationalization workshop, positioning this initiative as a potential model for other HBCUs where COIL is not yet widely implemented. Lancaster aims to incorporate COIL into its Global Learning Week and Curriculum Transformation Project, broadening faculty participation and institutional impact.
Julia Paxton - Professor and Undergraduate Chair of Economics; College of Arts & Sciences
Gillian Ice - Interim Associate Provost for Global Affairs, Professor of Social Medicine; Office of Global Affairs, Department of Social Medicine
Jeremy Henkel - Associate Director for Faculty Programming; Center for Teaching, Learning, and AssessmentPhilip McGowan- Professor, Associate Dean of Internationalisation; Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Susan McCleary - Senior International Officer for North America; International Office
Natalie Le Seelleur - Educational Project Developer; Centre for Educational Development
Shelby Hanna - Employability and Skills Development Officer; Digital Learning and Work Related LearningPaxton’s Economics of Povertycourse focuses on poverty and inequality using service-learning, while McGowan’s Incorrigibly Pluralmodule examines social and political inequality. Together, their COIL collaboration bridges economic and cultural perspectives, providing students with a holistic understanding of inequality in a global context.
The eight-week collaboration will culminate in joint student research projects presented at an online mini-conference. Activities will include research, peer assessment, and integration of real-world case studies enriched by input from a World Bank expert. Both professors are leveraging their networks to create a culturally immersive and impactful experience.
With the support of their instructional designers and administrative teams, this COIL project emphasizes cross-disciplinary learning, digital collaboration, and cultural awareness. It lays the groundwork for expanding the early-stage VE/COIL programs at both institutions, opening the door to more global learning opportunities for students.
Colleen Hitchcock - Professor, Chair of Environmental Studies Program; School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology
Irina Dubinina - Professor of Russian, Director of the Russian Language Program; Department of German, Russian and Asian Languages and Literature (GRALL)
Jui-Hsin Renee Hung - Learning Designer; Learning Design and Instructional TechnologyWilliam Quirke - Teaching Fellow; Strathclyde Institute of Education
David Roxburgh - Depute Head of Institute (Innovation and Impact), Principal Teaching Fellow; Strathclyde Institute of Education
Iain Moore - Senior Teaching Fellow; Strathclyde Institute of EducationHitchcock’s Biology of Climate Change course emphasizes participatory science and fieldwork, while Quirke’s Learning for Sustainability module focuses on sustainability in educational contexts. Together, their COIL collaboration offers students interdisciplinary insights into biodiversity, sustainability, and strategies for addressing global climate challenges.
The six-week collaboration combines weekly synchronous sessions with asynchronous field-based research that utilizes open-source tools. Students begin with an exploration of place-based case-studies and then collaborate to, collect and analyze data from their local environments. The partnership culminates in group projects and oral presentations .
Pedagogical advisors and administrative support staff are actively supporting the professors in refining activities, assessments, and selecting appropriate technology. There are plans to expand VE/COIL initiatives at their institutions by leveraging the networks and expertise gained through GCTA. Future plans include establishing a possible Faculty Learning Community at Brandeis and utilizing the Learning Enhancement Group at Strathclyde to engage more faculty in VE/COIL activities.