Innovative Pedagogies COIL Workshop series: Facilitating and Finalising a COIL Course

CIVIS focus area: Staff training
Open to: Staff
Field of studies: Other
Type: Workshops on innovative pedagogies
Course dates: February 2026
Apply by: 15 Dezember 2026 Apply now

The third session in our COIL workshop series shifts focus from design to action. This workshop is aimed at facilitating the development of a concrete COIL course or project proposal, and supporting participants in identifying potential collaborators for both teaching and scholarship purposes.

Prior to the session, participants are asked to submit a single-slide research or scholarship profile and prepare a brief, 2.5-minute half-ignite talk to introduce their interests and ideas. These materials will form the basis of a structured speed-networking activity designed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and potential collaboration for COIL course delivery and funding applications.

The session will open with an introduction to the University of Glasgow’s COIL Curriculum Mapping Tool, an adapted version of the ABC Learning Design model. Participants will then use the tool to map out the proposed structure of their COIL course. This is followed by a speed-networking session.

By the end of the session, participants will have a mapped COIL course, potential collaborators, and early-stage planning material suitable for further development or a grant application.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will:
1. Understand how to use the COIL Curriculum Mapping Tool for course design
2. Refine their COIL course ideas into an initial mapped structure
3. Present their professional interests and course ideas through a concise ignite talk
4. Engage in structured speed-networking to explore partnership opportunities
5. Identify possible avenues for collaborative grant applications or course delivery

Session 3 layout

3rd workshop: February 2026 (concrete date TBC)
Duration: 90 minutes (online)
Audience: Academics preparing to finalise a COIL course and identify partners
Goal: Support the practical development of a COIL course or project proposal, and facilitate potential partnerships

Workshop Agenda

Time	Activity	Purpose
0:00–0:10	Welcome & Overview	Set the stage and revisit Workshop 2 takeaways
0:10–0:25	Presentation: COIL Curriculum Mapping Tool	Introduce the tool for planning collaborative course design
0:25–0:40	Activity 1 – Individual Mapping Task	Participants use the tool to structure their proposed COIL course
0:40–0:45	Instructions: Speed Networking Setup	Explain process, time slots, and breakout room logistics
0:45–1:25	Activity 2 – Speed Networking (in Breakout Rooms)	Present half-ignite talks, build connections, take notes
1:25–1:30	Wrap-Up & Next Steps	Outline follow-up, support resources, and opportunities for grant development

Activity Descriptions

Pre-Session Task

1. Submit a single-slide research/scholarship profile. These will be compiled and shared in advance.
2. Prepare a 2.5-minute 'half-ignite' talk: 10 auto-advancing slides, 15 seconds each, introducing your COIL idea and professional context. Talks must remain within the 2.5-minute limit.

Pre-Session Preparation

In preparation for the workshop, participants are asked to complete two short tasks designed to support meaningful interaction during the session.
First, each participant should prepare a 2.5-minute half-ignite talk to introduce their teaching and research interests, as well as an emerging idea for a COIL course or collaboration. A half-ignite talk consists of 10 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds. The talk should be tightly focused, offering a succinct overview of the participant’s work, professional context, and potential COIL project. Talks must remain strictly within the 2.5-minute limit.
Second, participants should create and submit a 2-slide PowerPoint presentation, which serves as a visual summary of their half-ignite talk. These slides must be even more concise, distilling the core points of the presentation into a format that can be quickly reviewed by others:

Slide 1: A brief research or scholarship profile
Slide 2: A summary of the COIL idea

The compiled slide deck will be shared with all participants in advance of the session, allowing for informed and purposeful networking during the workshop. These materials will be used in the structured speed networking activity, where each participant will present their work and COIL idea to potential collaborators. This process is designed to foster interdisciplinary exchange and support the formation of partnerships for future course delivery or funding applications.

Activity 1 – COIL Curriculum Mapping

Participants use the University of Glasgow’s digital COIL curriculum mapping tool to plan the structure of their course. This tool supports sequencing of learning types based on the ABC Learning Design model (Laurillard, 2012), adapted to support COIL-specific design challenges.

Activity 2 – Speed Networking

Participants are divided into 15 breakout rooms. Individuals 1–15 remain fixed while 16–30 rotate. In each 5-minute session, each participant presents a 2.5-minute talk and uses the remaining time to take notes or ask questions. This activity is grounded in social learning theory and has shown to be effective for fostering collaboration (Houser, Horan, & Furler, 2007).

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Prior to the session, participants are asked to submit a single-slide research or scholarship profile and prepare a brief, 2.5-minute half-ignite talk to introduce their interests and ideas. These materials will form the basis of a structured speed-networking activity designed to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and potential collaboration for COIL course delivery and funding applications.

Dr Gabriella Rodolico is Director of Internationalisation and Senior Lecturer in Science Education at the University of Glasgow’s School of Education. She leads global engagement by embedding systems-thinking approaches, expanding Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and enhancing student and staff mobility through innovative, inclusive pedagogies.

A recognised educational innovator, she integrates virtual/extended reality (VR/XR) and generative AI into learning and teaching. She has led international VR projects, funded, for example, by British Council Going Global, building capacity with platforms such as ClassVR Avantis and HTC Vive Focus, and installing immersive technologies such as the Edify pod at the School of Education.

In COIL, Dr Rodolico designs and scales project-based, cross-institutional modules that connect Glasgow students with peers worldwide through co-taught, synchronous and asynchronous learning. Her approach prioritises intercultural competence, and aligns assessment across partners to embed COIL within programmes rather than as an add-on.

Her work includes co-leading the XR in Education White Paper, developing the widely adopted Generative AI in Education MOOC, and implementing COIL as a core internationalisation-at-a-distance experience that demonstrably improves student learning and outcomes. Her contributions have been recognised with the LearnSci Teaching Innovation Award (2021) and highlighted by Education Scotland and the Scottish Government.