Date of Award
Summer 8-22-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning Sciences
Organizational Unit
Morgridge College of Education, Teaching and Learning Sciences, Curriculum and Instruction
First Advisor
Rashida Banerjee
Second Advisor
Robyn T. Pitts
Third Advisor
Garrett Roberts
Fourth Advisor
Marc Guerrero
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Faculty experience, Course design, Global learning, Instructional design
Abstract
The internationalization of universities has traditionally relied on student mobility, where students travel abroad for exchange programs or other educational opportunities. However, many students lack access to these experiences due to visa restrictions, family and work obligations, and financial limitations. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) has emerged as an alternative that uses digital means to facilitate cross-border intercultural collaboration among college students and faculty. While COIL adoption is growing, most current research has focused on student outcomes, with comparatively less attention to faculty experiences in course design and implementation. This interpretative phenomenological study examined how faculty experience and make meaning of their engagement in COIL, including the influence of these experiences on their teaching practices, professional identities, and perspectives on global collaboration. Participants in the study included ten faculty members from the United States and their COIL partners in Sweden, Taiwan, Chile, and Ireland. Data collection involved dyadic and individual semi-structured interviews and a review of COIL instructional materials such as syllabi, planning documents, and class assignments. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine faculty lived experiences and drawing on Transformative Learning Theory and Brookfield's theory of adult cognition as interpretive frameworks, the analysis revealed that pedagogical objectives, collaborative partnerships, and institutional contexts shaped faculty engagement in COIL. Faculty are motivated to expand global learning opportunities for student engagement, while also managing challenges such as curriculum alignment, assessment practices, time zone coordination, institutional differences, and digital platform integration. These experiences fostered critical reflection and influenced their educational practices and professional identity, prompting many faculty to adopt more collaborative, student-centered, and globally oriented approaches to teaching and curriculum design after participating in COIL. The findings underscore the need for institutional support, faculty preparation, workload recognition, and robust technological infrastructure to sustain COIL and expand equitable global learning opportunities in universities. Future research should examine long-term faculty transformation, sustainable virtual international collaboration, and strategies for scaling COIL across diverse university contexts.
Copyright Date
8-2026
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Dorothy Flora Khamala
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
185 pgs
File Size
1.2 MB
Recommended Citation
Khamala, Dorothy Flora, "Faculty Experiences Designing and Implementing Collaborative Online International Learning University Courses" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2780.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2780
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Higher Education Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons