Enhancing Intercultural Competence of Future Public Health Professionals: The Impact of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

This study evaluates the impact of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) on enhancing undergraduate public health students’ intercultural competence in higher education. Using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design, the study involved 50 students from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Over a 7-week period, participants engaged in structured COIL projects designed to foster global perspectives and interdisciplinary collaboration. Pre-test and post-test surveys, based on the intercultural knowledge and competence value rubric (IKCVR), assessed key variables, including cultural self-awareness, knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks, empathy, verbal and nonverbal communication, curiosity, and openness. Results reveal improvements across all six intercultural competence domains. Statistically significant gains were observed in knowledge of cultural worldview frameworks ( t (66) = 2.86, p = .006, d = 0.71), empathy ( t (66) = 2.60, p = .012, d = 0.63), and curiosity ( t (66) = 2.55, p = .013, d = 0.62). These findings support COIL’s role as a transformative pedagogical tool that enhances students’ intercultural competence, preparing them for the complexities of a globalized public health environment. This research underscores the potential of virtual international exchanges to transcend geographical limitations and equip public health students with essential global competencies.