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Empowering female voices in collaborative online international learning

29 April 2024 | Story Marina Orsini-Jones and Thembani Nosipho Hoho | Photo Supplied

COIL 2024 — The Female Voices in the Third Space project team alongside attendees from various institutions.

On 18 March 2024, the inaugural international conference for the British Academy/Leverhulme-funded project, Female Voices in the Third Space: Researching Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in South-North Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), convened at the Coventry Conference Centre, held in hybrid mode. This gathering drew 70 participants worldwide, representing diverse regions including Brazil, South Africa, China, Vietnam, and several European countries. Experts spanning various disciplines, including students, academics, COIL consultants, and educational developers, converged in person and online. Additionally, many delegates congregated in Coventry to engage in workshops held from 19 to 20 March for the successful Erasmus+ funded COIL project, iKUDU.

The conference commenced with a warm welcome to Coventry and Coventry University by organiser, Prof Marina Orsini-Jones of the Research Centre for Global Learning (GLEA). Subsequently, the project team – comprising Prof Finardi from the Federal University of Espiríto Santo in Brazil, Prof Lynette Jacobs from the University of the Free State in South Africa, and Profs Wimpenny and Orsini-Jones from Coventry University – provided an update on the progress of the Female Voices in the Third Space project. This initiative explores the evolving landscape of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) in higher education (HE), focusing on female perspectives. COIL, defined as a collaborative online teaching and learning approach fostering intercultural dialogue with international partners, was discussed in light of a model previously co-designed by the applicants (Wimpenny, Finardi, Orsini-Jones and Jacobs, 2022), juxtaposed with insights garnered from interviews with female stakeholders across four continents. The research seeks to deepen understanding regarding digital inclusion and equality in HE, portraying COIL as a third space facilitating substantive equality and embedding global citizenship attributes within HE curricula. Emphasising a decolonial lens, the study aims to decentre the conceptualisation of ‘Internationalisation of the Curriculum (IoC)’, thus promoting alternative epistemologies rooted in knowledge generated by women.

Following the project team's presentation, former Coventry University students reflected on their COIL experiences, particularly highlighting the platform's role in fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning environment for women. Preeti Suri, Patience Mkpayah, Sofia di Sarno García, and Guray Koseaglu – all hailing from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds – provided poignant insights into the transformative impact of COIL on their academic and professional trajectories. Preeti Suri, for instance, underscored how COIL empowered her by amplifying her voice across geographical and cultural divides, enriching her academic journey, and nurturing digital literacy, communication skills, and teamwork. Meanwhile, Patience Mkpayah shared her journey of reclaiming linguistic diversity within English language teaching, advocating for a decolonised perspective. These narratives collectively validated COIL's potential as an inclusive and empowering educational platform for female students and staff in HE.

After lunch, female academics shared their experiences of integrating COIL into their pedagogical practice. Dr Valeria Baloyi highlighted the interdisciplinary potential of COIL projects, advocating for their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasising the significance of staff training and institutional support. Nomfundo Khoza echoed these sentiments, affirming the enriching educational experiences afforded by COIL-VE collaborations. Ané Church showcased the integration of gamification into COIL projects, demonstrating its efficacy in fostering active learning and knowledge co-construction. Dr Asuman Aşık and Prof Andrea Wehrli further elucidated the benefits of COIL in enhancing intercultural sensitivity and professional development among female participants.

Subsequently, an interactive knowledge-sharing workshop facilitated by COIL experts Eva Haug and Prof Ntsoaki Malebo, encouraged participants to reflect on their COIL experiences, discuss best practices, and explore recommendations for South-North COIL-VE collaborations. This session sparked a spirited debate, underscoring COIL's potential to develop transversal skills while identifying challenges such as technological constraints and workload issues. Recommendations for effective COIL implementation included extensive planning, institutional recognition, and robust technical infrastructure.

The conference concluded with remarks from Dr Andrew Turner, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Curriculum, who expressed his support for COIL integration into the curriculum, citing its role in fostering intercultural competence and community building among students. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees lauding the informative sessions, inclusive atmosphere, and engaging discussions. Moving forward, insights gleaned from the conference are expected to contribute to the continuing research on the Female Voices in the Third Space project, as well as to facilitate further collaboration and knowledge exchange within the COIL community.

News Archive

Twenty years of the constitution of South Africa – cause for celebration and reflection

2016-05-11

Description: Judge Azar Cachalia Tags: Judge Azar Cachalia

Judge Azar Cachalia

The University of the Free State’s Centre for Human Rights and the Faculty of Law held the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution on 11 May 2016 on the Bloemfontein Campus. Students and faculty members celebrated and reflected on not only the achievements of the constitution but also on perspectives regarding its relevance in modern society, and to what extent it has upheld the human rights of all citizens of South Africa.

The panel discussion started with a presentation on the pre-1996 perspective by Judge Azar Cachalia of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Judge Cachalia reflected on his role in the realisation and upholding of the constitution, from his days as a student activist, then as an attorney representing detainees during political turmoil, and currently as a judge: “My role as an attorney was to defend people arrested for public violence. My role as a judge today is to uphold the constitution.” He stressed the importance of the constitution today, and the responsibility institutions such as the police service have in upholding human rights. Judge Cachalia played a significant role in drafting the new Police Act around 1990, an Act which was to ensure that the offences perpetrated by the police during apartheid did not continue in the current democratic era. Further, he pointed out that societal turmoil has the potential to make society forget about the hard work that was put into structures upholding human rights. “Constitutions are drafted in moments of calm. It is a living document, and we hope it is not torn up when we go through social conflict, such as we are experiencing at present.”

Thobeka Dywili, a Law student at the UFS, presented her views from the new generation’s perspective. She relayed her experience as a student teaching human rights at schools in disadvantaged communities. She realised that, although the youth are quite aware of their basic human rights, after so many years of democracy, “women and children are still seen as previously disadvantaged when they should be equal”. She pointed out that, with the changing times, the constitution needs to be looked at with a new set of eyes, suggesting more robust youth engagement on topics that affect them, using technology to facilitate discussions. She said with the help of social media, it is possible for a simple discussion to become a revolution; #feesmustfall was a case in point.

Critical perspectives on the constitution were presented by Tsepo Madlingozi of University of Pretoria and University of London. In his view, the constitution has not affected policy to the extent that it should, with great disparities in our society and glaring issues, such as lack of housing for the majority of the poor. “Celebration of the constitution should be muted, as the constitution is based on a decolonisation approach, and does not directly address the needs of the poor. The Constitutional Court is not pro-poor.” He posed the question of whether twenty years on, the present government has crafted a new society successfully. “We have moved from apartheid to neo-apartheid, as black elites assimilate into the white world, and the two worlds that exist have not been able to stand together as a reflection of what the constitution stands for.”

Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, encouraged more open discussions, saying such dialogues are exactly what was intended by the Centre for Human Rights. She emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas, of allowing people to speak freely, and of sharing perspectives on important issues such as the constitution and human rights.

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