UPLB, through the Office of International Linkages (OIL), held a workshop on the Development of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Modules and Micro-Credentials (MCs) from May  26–28, 2025, at the Lago de Oro Hotel & Wake Park in Calatagan, Batangas.

The three-day workshop convened faculty members, REPS, academic leaders, and administrators to deepen institutional understanding of COIL and MC as innovative approaches to internationalizing UPLB’s teaching and learning. 

It also served as a venue for developing concept notes and initiating the design of COIL modules and MC that reflect UPLB’s mandate for accessible, inclusive, and globally engaged education.

Assistant College Secretary of the Graduate School, Ma. Kristina G. Alinsunurin, Dean Edmund Centeno of the College of Development Communication, and Director Anna Floresca Firmalino of the Office of International Linkages served as resource persons for the workshop. 

They led participants in examining global models, integrating UPLB’s institutional priorities, and mapping out actionable pathways for implementation. 

In her presentation, Dr. Alinsunurin referenced the SUNY COIL Center’s definition of COIL as “a new teaching and learning paradigm that promotes the development of intercultural competence across shared multicultural learning environments. 

Using Internet-based tools and innovative online pedagogies, COIL fosters meaningful exchanges between university-level teachers and students with peers in geographically distant locations and from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

MCs, meanwhile, offer short-term, skills-based qualifications that are flexible and may be stackable, catering to both traditional students and professional learners.

“COIL and MCs offer UPLB a strategic way to implement quality education, decent work, and global partnerships—goals aligned with our Enhanced General Curriculum and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Dean Edmund G. Centeno during the session.

Key sessions featured presentations on COIL and MC frameworks, breakout group work, and concept note development on topics such as curriculum integration, assessment design, cost modeling, and pathways for credential recognition.

The workshop participants developed 20 distinct concepts: 10 COIL modules, 6 MC concepts, and 4 standalone modules that integrate both COIL and MC elements under their own titles, for a total of 24 outputs. 

Spanning diverse disciplines and academic units, these initiatives aim to pilot flexible learning models, foster international collaboration, and deliver practical, competency-based outcomes.

In her closing message, Firmalino said that COIL modules and MC implementation guidelines will be finalized and released in the coming months. These will clarify learning outcomes, delivery formats, learner tracking, and recognition mechanisms. 

Firmalino added that COIL and MC proposals are expected to be developed and implemented by the end of the year. A dedicated committee will ensure that workshop outputs align with UPLB’s academic standards and internationalization goals. Participants will also submit progress reports to their colleges, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Office of the Chancellor.

With 24 promising outputs now in development and strong institutional support behind the initiative, the COIL-MC Workshop marked a pivotal step in UPLB’s broader push toward future-ready, globally connected education. (Maria Dominique C. Velasco)