Collaborative Online International Learning: Scale Validation and Reliability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v30i1.4770Keywords:
collaborative online international learning, higher education, measurement, validity, reliability, educational innovationAbstract
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a powerful tool for improving higher education by fostering intercultural competencies, broadening access to international experiences, and preparing students for an increasingly globalized and digitized world. The measurement of COIL experiences in students is fundamental to know the impact it has on learning and the student experience, as well as to make decisions with scientific evidence. The field of COIL measurement is a little explored area, so there is an important gap in the literature to consider. The study presents the psychometric properties of construct validity and reliability of the scale to measure the COIL experiences of higher education students. The sample included 100 students from Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, China, and Mexico; 66 were female (66%), 34 were male (34%), and their ages ranged from 17 to 27. The calculated indices confirmed the fit of the data to the Collaborative Online International Learning measurement model, highlighting three dimensions: digital interaction, multicultural collaborative work in teams, and reflection during collaborative activity. This article represents a contribution to the field of COIL by showing adequate psychometric properties that ensure the correct measurement of the construct. It is a valid tool for educational bodies responsible for the internationalization of the curriculum.
References
Anderson, A. M., & Or, J. (2023). Fostering intercultural effectiveness and cultural humility in adult learners through collaborative online international learning. Adult Learning, https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595231182447
Appiah-Kubi, P., & Nichwitz, J. (2020, June). Students’ perception of collaborative online international learning. In 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access. https://peer.asee.org/students-perception-of-collaborative-online-international-learning
Ballesteros-Sola, M., & Magomedova, N. (2023). Impactful social entrepreneurship education: A US-Spanish service-learning collaborative online international learning (COIL) project. The International Journal of Management Education, 21(3), 100866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2023.100866
Blunch, N. J. (2013). Introduction to structural equation modeling using IBM SPSS statistics and AMOS. SAGE Publications, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526402257
Byrne, B. M. (2013). Structural equation modeling with Mplus. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203807644
Davis, L. L., Bhatarasakoon, P., Chaiard, J., Walters, E. M., Nance, J., & Mittal, M. (2023). Use of Collaborative Online International Learning to teach evidence-based practice. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 19(5), 104498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2022.11.008
Green, S. B., & Yang, Y. (2015). Evaluation of dimensionality in the assessment of internal consistency reliability: Coefficient alpha and omega coefficients. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 34(4), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12 100
Helm F. (2020). Emi, internationalisation, and the digital. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 23(3), 314–325. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2019.1643823
House, S. K., Nielsen, K., & Dowell, S. (2022). International collaboration using Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)/Globally Networked Learning (GNL) model. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 17(4), 421-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2022.06.010
Inada, Y. (2023). A comparative study of physical versus online classrooms: Co-creation in industry-academia collaborative ducation. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 12(2), 97-117. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v11n4p15
Leask, B. (2015). Internationalizing the curriculum. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Internationalizing-the-Curriculum/Leask/p/book/9780415728157
Marconi, D. R., Acevedo, M. L., Serra, M., Fontaine, L. Z., Sanabria, C. M., & Almuna, H. Q. (2023). Aprendizaje colaborativo internacional en línea como estrategia para el desarrollo de competencias transversales en la educación superior, una experiencia desde la carrera de fonoaudiología. Educación Médica, 24(5), 100835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edumed.2023.100835
Membrillo-Hernández, J., Cuervo-Bejarano, W. J., Mejía-Manzano, L. A., Caratozzolo, P., & Vázquez-Villegas, P. (2023). Global shared learning classroom model: A pedagogical strategy for sustainable competencies development in higher education. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v13i1.36181
Mestre-Segarra, M. Á., & Ruiz-Garrido, M. F. (2022). Examining students’ reflections on a collaborative online international learning project in an ICLHE context. System, 105, 102714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102714
Naicker, A., Singh, E., & van Genugten, T. (2022). Collaborative online international learning (COIL): Preparedness and experiences of South African students. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(5), 499-510. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2021.1895867
O’Dowd, R. (2017). Virtual exchange and internationalizing the classroom. Training, Language and Culture, 4(2), 8–27. https://doi.org/10.29366/2017tlc.1.4.1
Otchie, W. (2018). Is technology the solution to effective pedagogy? A constructivist perspective. https://www.auburn.edu/academic/international/_assets/docs/iputl/essays/IsTechnologytheSolutiontoEffectivePedagogy.pdf
Romero-Rodríguez, J. M., Ramírez-Montoya, M. S., Glasserman-Morales, L. D., & Navas-Parejo, M. R. (2022). Collaborative online international learning between Spain and Mexico: a microlearning experience to enhance creativity in complexity. Education+ Training, 65(2), 340-354. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-07-2022-0259
Rozo-García, H., Alcantar-Nieblas, C., & Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2024). Scale to measure student perception in collaborative online international learning experiences: Design and validation. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1401295
Rubin, J. & Guth, S. (2023). The guide to COIL virtual exchange: Implementing, growing, and sustaining collaborative online international learning. Taylor & Francis. https://www.routledge.com/The-Guide-to-COIL-Virtual-Exchange-Implementing-Growing-and-Sustaining-Collaborative-Online-International-Learning/Rubin-Guth/p/book/9781620369838
Sharma, S., Mukherjee, S., Kumar, A., & Dillon, W. R. (2005). A simulation study to investigate the use of cutoff values for assessing model fit in covariance structure models. Journal of Business Research, 58(7), 935–943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.10.007
SUNY (2015) Faculty guide for collaborative online international learning course development. The State University of New York Global Center. http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/UAP/Forms/COIL_guide.pdf
SUNY COIL. Professional development workshops. https://coil.suny.edu/professional-development/
Tecnologico de Monterrey. (2023). Global Shared Learning Classroom. https://globalsharedlearning.tec.mx/es/gsl-classroom
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4
Woodley, L. K., Rodriguez dos Santos, M., Crandell, J. L., Grant, G. G., & Cosgrove, B. (2023). Collaborative online international learning in undergraduate nursing education: from inspiration to impact. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 20(1), 20220077. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2022-0077
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya, Hugo Rozo-García, Carolina Alcantar-Nieblas

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
As a condition of publication, the author agrees to apply the Creative Commons – Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY) License to OLJ articles. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This licence allows anyone to reproduce OLJ articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the journal. This permission includes printing, sharing and other forms of distribution.
Author(s) hold copyright in their work, and retain publishing rights without restrictions

