Student Voices

What course did you take that integrated COIL, and who taught the course?

The course I took that integrated COIL was Better World with Dr. Bernadette Musetti. I took this course in the fall semester of my junior year in 2022.

Can you please describe some of your experiences taking the course? What were the lectures/discussions/projects like?

This course focused on learning about some harsh realities of the environmental crisis, but finding ways in which we can take action to make change. Dr. Musetti minimized lectures and gave the students the chance to present and share assigned readings to each other — I thought this was a great way to practice being a facilitator of discussions, reviewing content in an engaging manner. We had complex conversations, grappling with all sorts of social injustices and what our individual responsibilities were in them. As this was an engaged learning flag course, each of us worked with a community-based organization in the Los Angeles area that was actively creating a better world. Many of us worked with nonprofits and neighborhood organizations nearby including Alma Backyard Farms, the Surfrider Foundation, and Good Tutors.

What did you find most rewarding about the COIL integration?

Another aspect of the engaged learning flag of the course was the COIL integration with Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. What I found most rewarding from this experience was working with students across the world in live Zoom meetings. It was a great learning experience to practice my cross-cultural communication skills, working in a group of three LMU students and three Sophia University students to develop a project with a theme that was relevant to all of our lives. We ultimately created a presentation on earthquakes — how we prepare for them and what kinds of post-shake disasters can occur.

How did the COIL integration enhance your learning in the course?

The COIL integration enhanced my learning in this course because it was a reminder that cross-national collaboration is crucial to creating a better world. The more understanding we are of others’ lived experiences, the more prepared we can be to ideate and implement truly effective change for the betterment of the world. When all voices are heard, valued, and respected, progress can occur.