SPARK-COIL Kick-Off Equips Faculty Champions for Pilot Implementation

Faculty members across the Philippines and Europe embarked on the SPARK-COIL Kick-Off Orientation and Capacity Building for Champions, held on 1-2 September 2025 via Zoom video conference.

Facilitated by Ateneo de Davao University, the Work Package 3 Lead, the two-day orientation trained the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Champions, faculty members tasked with pioneering internationalized teaching and collaboration among their students, in preparation for the pilot implementation. As the first official meeting of COIL pairs, the kick-off introduced participants to COIL pedagogy, intercultural frameworks, and competencies for joint course design and development. Resource speakers from the SPARK-COIL team in the Philippines, who were trained at WSB University in Poland in July-August 2025, led the sessions.

The first day began with an introduction to the SPARK-COIL Project. Ms. Karen C. Sunico, Project Leader and Director for Partnerships and Engagement at Ateneo de Manila University, presented the project’s objectives, work packages, and expected outcomes.

The SPARK-COIL pilot implementation will be carried out in six phases, each designed to guide partners and champions through a structured process: (1) Champion Sign-Ups, (2) Pairings and Matching, (3) Kick-Off and Training Workshop, (4) Syllabus Development, (5) COIL Classroom Implementation, and (6) Evaluation and Reporting.

Mr. Romulo Vinci R. Bueza, Executive Assistant to the President and Director of the Ateneo Internationalization for Mindanao Office at Ateneo de Davao University, presented these mechanisms and reintroduced participants to the COIL classroom. He featured the core concepts, pedagogy, and transformative potential of COIL, as it leverages intercultural collaboration, technology, and student-centered learning to reimagine higher education teaching.

COIL is as much about understanding cultural dimensions and diversity as it is about learning. Dr. Manuel “BJ” R. Enverga III, Director of the European Studies Program at Ateneo de Manila University, guided the champions in facilitating cross-cultural COIL learning environments. He noted that while culture shapes how people perceive, interpret, and act, it is possible to develop the skills and knowledge needed to engage effectively in the intercultural context of SPARK-COIL teaching.
The second day focused on collaborative syllabus planning, where partners met with their pairs and began initial discussions supported by sessions on technology use and constructive alignment.

Mr. Galvin Radley L. Ngo, Director of the Ateneo Institute for the Science and Art of Learning and Teaching (SALT), introduced digital platforms that support COIL implementation, including learning management systems, videoconferencing applications, and collaborative tools. He also shared strategies for addressing technical challenges and maximizing interaction through multiple modes of engagement, such as small-group work, visual presentations, brainstorming sessions, feedback activities, etc.

Another session was on constructive alignment in COIL. Dr. Dorothy Joann Lei L. Rabajante, Dean of the School of Education at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, discussed the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy as a framework for aligning learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessments in COIL courses. Her session was especially helpful as she reinforced intentional course design for meaningful intercultural learning outcomes.

To prepare for the syllabus development phase, Ms. Lyd Ejira C. Ducusin, Assistant Director of the Ateneo Internationalization for Mindanao Office at Ateneo de Davao University, oriented the champions on this next phase and presented the COIL syllabus template. Faculty pairs then proceeded to breakout sessions, where they began initial planning and work on their syllabi.

The two-day orientation concluded with expressions of gratitude to the resource speakers, facilitators, and COIL champions. Over the coming months, the COIL pairs will continue refining their joint syllabi by identifying shared objectives, planning activities, and scheduling implementation, which will run from October 2025 to March 2026.

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