池田佳子（関西大学 グローバル教育イノベーション推進機構（IIGE）副機構長）
講師感想
世界展開力強化事業としてCOIL（Collaborative Online International Learning）という名前が、日本国内で昨年度から一気に波及した。日本国内の大学関係者がこぞってコンセプトを取り上げ始めたことは、米国でさえも数年間かけてじわりと広がってきたことを考えると、非常に急速な展開だといえる。一方で、COILがどのような実践であるのか、しっかりとした理解とともに浸透しているかといえば、それはまた別の話である。「アクティブラーニング」といった言葉が流行のようにもてはやされる現象を少し想起させる動きだ。着目された事はいいが、しっかりと定着せず、そしてまた次の新しいブームが来たら忘れてしまう。これでは本来その実践がもたらす教育効果、そして国際教育の実践としての有利性の恩恵はなにも見えずに、COILはすたれてしまうだろう。波及が始まったところでこんなことを言ってはいけないが、私自身は危機感を抱きつつ国内の展開を見ている。
そんな中でご依頼いただいた今回のセッションでは、何がCOILで、何がCOILとしての主体的な趣旨からは逸脱しているのか、という点を前半で中心的に共有した。様々なオンラインツールを用いた活動が授業に取り込まれてきているが、その活動をいかにカリキュラム化し、そしてintercultural learning（COILの[IL]）を生み出すか。そして、collaboration task （COILの[C]）によって養成したい多層のスキル・コンピテンシーは何か。COILと聞くと、ITのセミナーなのかと思う方も多いが、技術の話ではなく、ペダゴジーなのだという点をご理解いただく機会として、セミナーを設計したつもりである。
COILは、今世界中多くの地域で展開するVE(Virtual
Exchange)の一つの形である。こすれが「すべて」ではないし、これが一番だというつもりも毛頭ない。VEのポテンシャルははかりしれないと、私は感じており、今後近未来に我々が育成する若者が直面するだろうSociety5.0の世界では「当たり前」の学び方になることは間違いないだろう。すでに今でさえ、国際教育のフィールドは、こういったICT/ITの進展をうまく使いこなせていないところがある。ICTを活用し、どうしたらより国際教育が目指すところへと進歩できるのか。こういったことも、セミナー参加者とともに考えたいと思い、後半で取り扱った。
冒頭で述べた通り、参加者のニーズは様々なので、何が響いたか、それも十人十色だろうと思う。少しでも「COIL」を始めようと思ったら考えるべきこと、といった側面で有益なことが提示できていたら、私としては大変うれしく思う。
Seminar I “COIL workshop”
Keiko IKEDA (Vice-Director, Institute for Innovative Global Education, Kansai University)
Facilitator’s Impressions
As part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Inter-University Exchange Project, COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) has taken off across Japan in the past year.
The widespread approval of COIL given by Japanese university officials can be considered an extremely rapid development in light of the relatively gradual spread of COIL practice throughout the United States over the past several years. However, understandings of what COIL practice actually entails and the permeation of COIL into the education system are another story.
It brings to mind the phenomenon of the spread of the term “active learning”. The attention this way of learning garnered was admirable, but it did not become established practice. COIL too risks falling by the wayside at the introduction of the next new craze in educational developments. If such is the case, COIL may be dismissed before its practical advantages as a form of international education are recognized.
It may be counterproductive to make such a statement at the very start of the spread of its influence, but I find myself embracing a sense of impending doom in watching the development of COIL practice within Japan.
In line with this, in the first half of the session, I shared what COIL entails and discussed the main purposes of COIL. Activities that utilize various online tools are being increasingly adopted in the classroom, but in what ways do these activities alter/influence/change the curriculum and bring forth intercultural learning (IL)? In addition, what are the multilayered skills and competencies instructors hope to develop with collaborative tasks (the “C” in COIL)?
There are many who when they hear about COIL think it has something to do with an IT seminar. However, it is not so much a skill to be developed as it is at its core, pedagogy. It is with this in mind that I designed this seminar.
COIL is just one of the many forms of VE (Virtual Exchange) expanding across the globe. It is neither the end-all-be-all, nor is it suggested to be the penultimate form of virtual exchange. I feel that VE has immeasurable potential, and I have no doubt that it will become the “natural” course of learning in the Society 5.0 world that the young people of today will face in the near future. Even now in the field of international studies there are areas in which the development of such ICT/IT has not been mastered. There remains the question of how ICT can be utilized to make progress toward international education. These are the types of issues I hoped to tackle along with the seminar participants in the second half of the seminar.
Because of the varying needs of the participants, there are any number of points which may have resounded with them on an individual level. I would be very pleased if what I presented has been even slightly beneficial to those who are considering undertaking “COIL”.