Danielle Schoon, assistant teaching professor of sociology, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) fellow, and recipient of the Ohio State University’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, discusses her many areas of expertise with host David Staley.
Schoon, trained in cultural anthropology with earlier work in dance studies and Middle Eastern studies, emphasizes culture and power and explains how metacognition and transparent course design help students become partners in learning. She describes COIL, which connects OSU students with peers at international institutions for 5–8 week collaborative projects, and discusses challenges such as time zones, unequal language burdens, tool selection, accessibility, and differing definitions of success, with emphasis on learning processes over polished products.
