Dr. Younus Mizra recently implemented a COIL Collaboration in his first year seminar Marriage and Sexuality in Islam. He has written an excellent post on Shenandoah University’s news site describing the topics they explored, collaborative techniques, student learning, and reflections from his perspective as a professor. An excerpt:
The COIL experience made me re-realize the importance of peer interaction as an integral part of learning. Traditionally, the professor is the expert and dispenses knowledge to the university classroom. In the COIL model, the professor continues their expert role but now acts also as a facilitator guiding discussions and helping students think through their experiences. Furthermore, the peer-to-peer interaction led to more open discussions and information sharing than in a traditional classroom. While many professors are wonderful facilitators, they still are the experts and play an evaluative role that can be intimidating to the students.
Dr. Younus Mizra is Director of the Barzinji Project at Shenandoah University. You can read his full blog post at https://www.su.edu/blog/2021/01/marriage-across-cultures/
Photo from Dr. Mizra’s COIL Collaboration:
As our exchange continued, our key contact in Malaysia got engaged, leading to a fascinating discussion regarding engagements across cultures and religions. Here is a picture at her engagement ceremony.
