MA TESOL students from BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) participated in a cross-cultural learning project called COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), which began in April and ended in May. The project required the students to collaborate with two other students from the College of Western Idaho (CWI) to identify the current challenges faced by the teachers and students in their respective countries. The whole project was guided and monitored by Md. Shams Ud Duha, Lecturer at BIL, and Professor Scott Straub from CWI.
In order to have smooth communication between the students, they introduced each other using personal artifacts in a video and exchanged their videos with one another. This activity helped to make the participants comfortable with each other. Afterwards, the students researched on three current issues prevailing in their respective countries that affect teachers and students. They later exchanged their research results.
At the end of the project, they presented their research and learning outcome in their classes. This project lasted for one month and 14 days, during which the students not only learned to conduct a research, but they also developed the skill of professional communication and made acquaintance with students from a foreign country with similar interests.