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Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Activity with the School of Education at the University of Southampton: Promoting Student Leadership

Dr Ewan Wright, Associate Professor in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership at EdUHK, collaborated with Dr Tae-hee Choi and Dr Henry Koge from the School of Education at the University of Southampton to design an online “mini-course” focused on student leadership.

This online course connected participants from the Executive Master of Arts in International Educational Leadership and Change (IELC) at EdUHK and the MSc in Education at the University of Southampton, exploring practical ways to promote student leadership. It followed an initial online course in 2023 that centred on professional learning communities.

The choice of topic stemmed from a desire to extend leadership opportunities to students as part of a well-rounded education, enabling them to positively impact their communities. The objectives were threefold: to facilitate cross-cultural learning, develop strategies for promoting student leadership, and provide networking opportunities.

Participants from around the globe engaged in this opportunity for cross-cultural dialogue and learning, representing ten different countries and jurisdictions, including Cameroon, Canada, France, Hong Kong SAR, India, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.

Running for four weeks between November and December 2024, the online mini-course was designed to maximise both learning efficiency and impact. It was structured into four stages:

• Stage 1: A ten-minute pre-recorded video lecture by Dr. Ewan Wright on student leadership.
• Stage 2: The first online Zoom meeting, featuring an introduction, a brief lecture, small discussion groups, reporting back, and instructions for a task based on strategies to enhance student leadership in schools.
• Stage 3: Participants collaborated in small groups on the task, meeting at least twice online.
• Stage 4: A second online Zoom meeting for student presentations, split into two parallel sessions, followed by an overall discussion with the entire group.

Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Ewan Wright remarked, “It was such a pleasure to collaborate on this second mini-course with colleagues and students at the University of Southampton. It provided a platform for sharing excellent strategies on the important topic of student leadership across a wide range of cultural contexts. The presentations and discussions were not only enjoyable but also held significant potential to inform practices that can positively impact schools.”