Category Archives: Social Sciences

Comparative Analysis of Cultural Difference (U.S. + Morocco)

Humanities, Social Sciences, , , ,

CUNY Class Information

Prof. Robin Hizme
Queens College, CUNY, New York, United States
Course Title: ENGL 157.W – 001 Readings in Global Literatures in English
3hr. 3 credit course; fifteen week semester (COIL project for five weeks)
Mode of instruction: In-Person
Length of COIL Collaboration: 5 weeks 

International Class Information

Prof. Abdelmajid EL SAYD
Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tangiers, Morocco
Course Title: Readings in Culture
Mode of instruction: In-Person

Project Description

Purpose / Goal: Students will engage in comparative cultural analysis to increase cross-cultural knowledge and develop international communication and collaboration skills.

After reading and analyzing late-twentieth century narratives by authors from Morocco and the United States, bi-national student teams will select topics (and questions) for comparative cultural analysis.

Collaborative project topics should arise from content in the literary texts, but the comparative exploration is not confined to discussion of the assigned readings; topics and questions may also address our contemporary cultural moment. Students should feel free and encouraged to engage in the comparative analysis with their own experiential knowledge as a starting point or as a unique lens to enhance other data and research resources. This comparative inquiry is aimed at developing and enhancing cross-cultural understanding and sensitivity.

(Possible topic examples: education, poverty / food insecurity, gender roles; social structures, customs of death and mourning, coming of age rituals, beliefs about (or access to) medical and health care, criminal justice, opportunity for social advancement, employment, modes of transportation, holidays and traditional rituals, et.al.)

Online Platforms

Google tools. We use Google Classroom to centralize the materials of the exchange, with student interaction via writing through questions / responses and on group Google docs and slides.
Student groups communicate via Google Meet, WhatsApp, and / or Discord.
Class-to-class synchronous sessions very challenging due to time-zones.

Full Module

Hizme_El-Sayd_COIL-OER-Module-Template_2024

Studies in the Comparative Economic and Social History of West Africa

Social Sciences, , , , ,

CUNY Class Information

Dr. Grace Davie
Associate Professor
Department of History
Queens College, CUNY, USA
History 111 [001 35343] History of Africa
Mon/Wed 10:45am-12:00pm

International Class Information

Dr. Tochukwu Okeke
Associate Professor
Department of History and Diplomatic Studies
University of Abuja, Nigeria
HIS 806 Comparative Economic
History of West Africa

Project Description

In this 10-week collaboration, 30 QC students and 30 UniAbuja students came together to explore the economic and social history of West Africa in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We began with icebreakers as a large group, followed by introductions and asynchronous team-building exercises. Next, each student submitted a 2-6 page paper responding to their team’s research prompt and readings. For the final project, all 10 teams produced 3-6 minute videos outlining their team’s findings, with one American and one Nigerian speaking for each group. Students also posted responses to the videos of other teams. Finally, students helped the instructors plan a virtual zoom class party to debrief and to celebrate their COIL experience. Overall, students overcame the 5-hour time difference and other challenges to complete their projects, discovering commonalities across cultures and forging new friendships.

Online Platforms

WhatsApp, Slack, Zoom, YouTube, and Blackboard

Full Module

COIL-Module-on-West-African-History.QC_.CUNY_.U.Abuja_.2024

Women’s Structural Violence

Humanities, Social Sciences

CUNY Class Information

Víctor M. Torres-Vélez, PhD, Assistant Professor

Hostos CC

Hispanic Migrations to the United States

LAC 132-604A (29159) \| Fall 2021

One semester.

International Class Information

Professor T. Gillum

The American University of Cairo

Community Psychology: Community-Based Learning

PSYC 3003, Fall 2021

One semester.

Project Description

This particular GSACS COIL project is a collaboration between Dr. Gillum, from The American University in Cairo and Dr. Torres-Vélez, from Hostos Community College, CUNY. In this collaboration, students from Prof. Gillum’s class, Community Psychology, and Prof. Torres-Vélez’s class, Hispanic Migration, will be working individually, in groups, and collaboratively on assignments seeking to address a shared inquiry-based question. The inquiry-based question will explore how structural violence affects women in Cairo, Egypt, and New York City, U.S.A. Topics to be discussed within this question are:

How does class positioning influence perceptions of gender inequality?

How does class positioning differentially affect gender inequality impacts?

What role do other intersecting hierarchical positionings, such as race and/or ethnicity, play in the uneven distribution of life chances?

In addition to readings, discussions, and presentations, both classes will address these questions through experiential learning, mainly by working with a community-based organization in their respective countries.

Online Platforms

At both institutions, each instructor will use their respective Knowledge Management Systems, in the case of Hostos the Blackboard platforms. All students have access to this by virtue of their enrollment in the class. All resources (articles, videos, etc.) and assignment submissions will be posted on this platform.

Padlet will be used by both instructors to facilitate joint students activities (i.e. introductions). This is free to students (and instructors for up to 6 Padlets per instructor) and easily accessible via any electronic device (computer, tablet. smartphone). The instructor needs to just send the link to the students for each Padlet.

Torres-Velez-2024-COIL-MODULE-v2-1Download

Comparative Healthcare Inequalities

Social Sciences

Module Theme: This COIL module invites students in two or more cultural contexts to explore healthcare inequality in their area.

Three Activities in Brief:
Students are grouped into binational teams with at least 2 students from each class.

  1. Icebreaker:
    • Students asynchronous prepare short videos which they post to shared Slack space.
  2. Comparative analysis assignment:
    • Students learn about healthcare inequalities in their own neighborhoods. Students prepare presentations on healthcare inequalities in their own neighborhoods.
    • The home institution students and the international institution students meet in their binational teams and the two groups meet asynchronously over Slack, share their presentations. They conduct a comparative analysis and document this by posting their presentations on Slack.
  3. The collaborative project:
    • A binational team PowerPoint presentation prepared by students asynchronously over Slack which describes the project theme and the similarities and differences of healthcare inequalities in each country.
    • The PowerPoint was presented at a student conference as part of the Steven’s Initiative, Global Scholars Achieving Career Success (GSACS) Program.

Technology Used:

  1. Shared space: Slack (asynchronous discussion and projects)
  2. Students communicated via Slack (asynchronous discussion and projects) and Zoom (synchronous meeting)

Author: Helen Chang, Ph.D. (Hostos Community College, CUNY)

Courses: American Government (Political Science 101), Radiology, and Physical Therapy

Associated Discipline(s): Political Science, Social Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Health Sciences

Duration of Module: 6 weeks

Introduction to CUNY, Hostos, and NYC

Social Sciences

Module Theme: This pre-exchange COIL Slideshow introduces students in two or more cultural contexts to CUNY, Hostos, and NYC in preparation for the first major activity, the Ice Breaker Activity.

Technology Used: Google Slideshow

Author: Helen Chang, Ph.D. (Hostos Community College, CUNY)

Courses: All

Associated Discipline(s): All

Duration of Module: N/A for Pre-Exchange

Introduction to CUNY, Hostos, and NYC

Social Sciences, , ,

Module Theme: This pre-exchange COIL Slideshow introduces students in two or more cultural contexts to CUNY, Hostos, and NYC in preparation for the first major activity, the Ice Breaker Activity.

Technology Used: Google Slideshow

Author: Helen Chang, Ph.D. (Hostos Community College, CUNY)

Courses: All

Associated Discipline(s): All

Duration of Module: N/A for Pre-Exchange

Comparative Healthcare Inequalities

Module Theme: This COIL module invites students in two or more cultural contexts to explore healthcare inequality in their area.

Three Activities in Brief:
Students are grouped into binational teams with at least 2 students from each class.

  1. Icebreaker:
    • Students asynchronous prepare short videos which they post to shared Slack space.
  2. Comparative analysis assignment:
    • Students learn about healthcare inequalities in their own neighborhoods. Students prepare presentations on healthcare inequalities in their own neighborhoods.
    • The home institution students and the international institution students meet in their binational teams and the two groups meet asynchronously over Slack, share their presentations. They conduct a comparative analysis and document this by posting their presentations on Slack.
  3. The collaborative project:
    • A binational team PowerPoint presentation prepared by students asynchronously over Slack which describes the project theme and the similarities and differences of healthcare inequalities in each country.
    • The PowerPoint was presented at a student conference as part of the Steven’s Initiative, Global Scholars Achieving Career Success (GSACS) Program.

Technology Used:

  1. Shared space: Slack (asynchronous discussion and projects)
  2. Students communicated via Slack (asynchronous discussion and projects) and Zoom (synchronous meeting)

Author: Helen Chang, Ph.D. (Hostos Community College, CUNY)

Courses: American Government (Political Science 101), Radiology, and Physical Therapy

Associated Discipline(s): Political Science, Social Sciences, Public Health, Nursing, Health Sciences

Duration of Module: 6 weeks

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