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The UW Tacoma COIL Fellows program is a collaboration between the Offices of Global Affairs and Digital Learning to transform global learning opportunities on our campus by linking our university courses with courses in different countries using various real-time and asynchronous technologies.
UW faculty interested in embedding COIL into their courses are invited to join an annual cohort of COIL Fellows. Fellows participate in community of practice meetings to deepen learning and facilitate the sharing of ideas, resources and strategies, and submit written documentation of their partnership. Participants are awarded a stipend for course development and implementation. The program is conducted entirely online and facilitated by a tri-campus team of global office staff, instructional designers, and previous COIL Fellows.
COIL Fellows Information Sessions
Learn about Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) pedagogy and upcoming professional development - and funding! - opportunities to support faculty from across the UW in implementing COIL into their courses. Hear from program facilitators and faculty COIL Fellows.
Please join us for one of the upcoming information sessions:
REGISTER TO ATTEND (Zoom): Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 10–11a
REGISTER TO ATTEND (Zoom) Thursday, November 6, 2025, 3–4pm
Program Elements
- $1,200 stipend to develop and implement this international pedagogy
- Community of practice meetings and 1:1 consultations
- Asynchronous assignments
- Mentoring from current or former UW COIL Fellows
Who is COIL For?
Faculty of all ranks and from all schools, who teach at the UW full-time and are interested in developing a course collaboration with an international partner during 2026 and/or 2027. No prior experience or international connections are required.
Expectations
Fellows are expected to actively participate in seven COIL Fellows community of practice workshops (online), set up at least one 1:1 consultation and complete online training during the first year to deepen their understanding of COIL pedagogy, begin applying it to their own course, and cross-pollinate ideas with others. Fellows will also begin working with their international partner to plan out their COIL module and attend a few additional community meetings during the second year to allow a space for sharing progress and troubleshooting challenges.
Please note that your ideas for a COIL class can be very preliminary. The Fellows Program is designed to help you develop this course and to assist you in identifying international partners if need be.
Program Team
The COIL community of practice is facilitated by a team from Bothell, Tacoma, and Seattle, including:
- Vanessa de Veritch Woodside, Executive Director, Office of Global Affairs, UW Tacoma;
- Chris Lott, Learning Designer, Office of Digital Learning, UW Tacoma;
- Todd Conaway, Instructional Designer, Learning and Teaching Collaborative, UW Bothell;
- Natalia Dyba, Director of Global Initiatives, UW Bothell;
- Beth Fairagan, Director of Communications and Strategy, Office of Global Affairs, UW Seattle.
Previous COIL Fellows
See more about previous COIL Fellows and their partner institutions.
Acknowledgments
The UW Tacoma COIL Fellows Program has benefitted from the many resources available on the SUNY COIL Center website as well as mentoring and resources from the UW Bothell Campus COIL Initiative.
At the University of Washington, COIL began at UW Bothell, with UW Tacoma signing on in year two as co-PI of a generous grant from the Jackson School. During that two-year grant, UW Tacoma saw five of our faculty become COIL Fellows.
What is COIL?
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) – also known as international virtual exchange, is a pedagogical approach that fosters global exchange and understanding through online learning environments. Started at The State University of New York and now in practice at hundreds of universities around the world, COIL connects learners across time and space, without leaving their home campus.
"I really appreciate the well-planned workshops! The materials are really informative and thought-provoking; the workshop time was used effectively and we engaged in meaningful conversations with our fellows."
We invite UW Tacoma faculty to incorporate the COIL pedagogy into their courses - whether in conversations, assignments, themes, or work collaborations. Students typically complete shared assignments and projects, with faculty members from each country co-teaching and managing coursework.
Fellows can expect support in developing their course content, finding an international partner, and exploring appropriate technology tools. Perspectives and tips from previous COIL Fellows are integrated into asynchronous materials in Canvas and some community of practice meetings.
