Cross-Cultural Collective of visuals and poetry: A US-UAE virtual exchange (COIL)

Globally, 2020 and 2021 saw a sharp rise in online learning. One of the most exciting models gaining prominence is Virtual Exchange. Virtual Exchange is fundamentally different from online learning as it intentionally furthers collaboration, exchange of knowledge, and learning across contexts and countries. The exchange serves young people connecting them with their contemporaries in different countries. The conversation helps them to gain global competencies in skill and knowledge. The exposure can open a student's eye to the possibilities of studying abroad and helps prepare students for mobility.

COIL stands for Collaborative Online International Learning. Especially within Europe, the term "Virtual Exchange" is also used for COIL. COIL allows students to be open to other cultures. Students learn to work in an international team, using digital tools to collaborate at a distance.

FUNCTIONALITY

• Collaboration between faculty in different countries. Find a partner within thematically similar courses and plan joint online teaching units.
• Formulate interactive tasks for students to work on in Internationally mixed teams.
• Students receive credits for the course at their home university.

KEY BENEFITS

• Students gain global learning experiences and intercultural communication skills.
• It helps breakdown prejudices and perceived notions of different cultural groups
• Students practice 21st-century skills, such as curiosity, flexibility, communication, and openness to other cultures.

The virtual exchange was already on a growth trajectory. Still, when in-person exchange ground to a halt in 2020, many institutions and organizations recognized the value of technology in continuing connections between countries, supported by their governments.

As a part of a plan to expand US-UAE higher education collaboration, Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Michigan, USA, has joined hands with the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in Ras al Khaimah, UAE to create virtual exchanges between their faculty. Training sessions were conducted by Hope Windle, Community Development Lead, SUNY Center for Collaborative Online International Learning, The State University of New York, for the selected faculty members from both WSU and AURAK in Spring 2021.

PARTNERSHIP

My partner for the collaboration is Valerie Sweeney Prince, and across the summer of 2021, we continue meeting periodically to chalk out the details of our Virtual Exchange.?

Brief on?Valerie Sweeney Prince :

She received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in English Language and Literature. Prince has been a fellow at Harvard University's W. E. B. Du Bois Institute, a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia's Carter G. Woodson Institute, and the Avalon Professor of Humanities at Hampton University. Immediately before joining the faculty of Wayne State University as an Associate Professor of African American Studies, Prince served as an Associate Professor of English and Black Studies and as the co-director of Black Studies at Allegheny College.

COIL PROJECT

WOMEN TO-GATHER: A cross-cultural visual narrative

The students from the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) along with students from Wayne State University (US), to collaborate on this project. The project is to create a photo story. The photo story will document and feature women from all walks of life, bringing their stories of resilience highlighting the pivotal role they have historically played in the community. The students from WSU will bring in key texts by African American women’s literature and work with their counterparts at AURAK to create a mixed media visual narrative titled ‘Women To-Gather’.

The mixed media visual narrative will combine photography and narrative creating something entirely new. When photos and narratives (or photographers and writers) work together, they allow the work to take on a whole new meaning. It’s more than a caption or an explanation, it’s a revelation. A revelation of coming ‘To-Gather’ across the borders transcending cultural differences will be focused on women leaving much open to interpretation.

As Nicole Boulestreau, French scholar and author put it, “photo poetry relies on the reader/viewer to make connections between and draw meaning from both the text and image, meaning that comes from beyond what is shown directly on the page.”

WSU students will analyze passages of prose or selections of poetry by African American Women Writers to share alongside photographs taken by AURAK students to help viewers/readers make those connections.

EVALUATION

Evaluation criteria for the students:

Students will be evaluated on their ability:

• To meet the specific deadlines
• To deliver assigned material
• ?To engage actively in the collaboration
• To contribute to the final presentation

TIMELINE?

Students will work collaboratively in assigned teams to meet the following schedule:

First Week: COIL Teambuilding:

● get to know each other

● identify specific roles for each team member

Second Week: COIL Organizing the Project

● select specific areas of focus

● assign specific deadlines

Third Week: COIL Project Phase

● submit contributions to team members for discussion

● evaluation contributions

● select content to be included in the final project from among team contributions

Fourth Week: COIL Project Submission

● articulate and refine the analysis

● develop coherent narrative

● upload final project

COIL Presentation synchronous meeting

● Share projects with AURAK/WSU classes

Watch excerpts from the FINAL COIL PRESENTATION.

TOP THREE SUBMISSION (GROUP)

WOMEN IN UNITY: The role of women in the past and present

WSU student team:

Kylieon Tunstull

Shaheen Peer

Madisyn Karwat

Winnie Cao

Juveria Ali

AURAK student team:

Mohammed Nabil Howeidy

Abdulrahman Alshemeili

Project link: https://spark.adobe.com/page/nXpsF0Ld45wnk/

INSPIRING WOMEN: Textiles of Khoos and Talli

WSU student team:

Kathleen Stancil-Sutton

Sydney Murray

Brian Burton

Emily Kaufman,

AURAK student team:

Rafia Al Dhuhuri

Hanadi Hanan

Project link: https://rafia21.wixsite.com/draft-web-page

WOMEN IN UNITY: Portraiture of a women

WSU student team:

MaKayla Phillips

Ariel Kerschenheiter

Mik Dressler

Tacara Berry

Christian Haisha

AURAK student team:

Sinaye Pindelo

Maram Mahmoud

Project link: https://spark.adobe.com/page/XFNEvp6R9Zfxh/

Further to the cause, both the universities are exploring short visits of faculty from the two universities to the campus of the partner institution. The possibility of building a journalist relay team of students or Digital Storytellers is not over-ambitious anymore.?