A Collaborative Online International Learning Experience for Doctoral Nursing Students and Faculty From Three...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Global Health
• Intercultural Competence

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic spurred educational innovation, particularly in global health and intercultural learning.
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) offers a framework for international educational experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of a COIL-based global health assignment on doctoral nursing students' intercultural sensitivity.
• To assess the effectiveness of virtual collaboration in an international nursing education context during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Doctoral nursing students from three countries participated in a global health assignment.
• A COIL pedagogy was employed, including icebreaker activities and the Culturally You diagram for team building.
• Students completed a 10-minute presentation and reflective writing, mentored by faculty.

Main Results:

• Positive trends in intercultural sensitivity scores were observed among participating students.
• Exposure to a new teaching platform and global health issues contributed to enhanced intercultural awareness.
• Faculty mentorship was identified as a valuable component of the learning experience.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative online international learning can successfully foster intercultural sensitivity in nursing education, even amidst global challenges.
• Despite inherent difficulties, innovative pedagogical approaches like COIL can facilitate meaningful international collaboration and learning for nursing students.
• The study underscores the importance of structured support, including faculty mentorship, in virtual international learning environments.