Research Snapshot: COIL effectiveness factors
The significance of personality traits, collaborative attitudes, and group composition during collaborative online international learning (COIL): a mixed methods study
Publication date: 10 December 2025
This study by Simone Hackett, Jeroen Janssen and Jan van Tartwijk (Utrecht University/The Hague University of Applied Sciences) investigates how personality traits, collaborative attitudes and group composition affect learning in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). Using a mixed-methods design, they collected quantitative survey data (eg cultural intelligence, personality, group attitudes) and qualitative data (student reflections and focus groups) from 84 students in the Netherlands and the UK. The aim is to understand how individual and group-level factors influence intercultural learning outcomes, particularly cultural intelligence, and to inform better course design in international online collaboration.
This study shows that simply placing students in COIL groups does not guarantee effective collaboration; personality and constructive alignment in course design are essential for meaningful interaction and consequently learning.
Simone Hackett
An educational leader and researcher shaping the future of higher education through evidence-based approaches and strategic internationalisation.
Simone is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS), specialising in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), Virtual Exchange and the internationalisation of higher education. She has extensive experience designing, implementing and researching internationalisation practices, with a focus on embedding intercultural and inclusive learning in curricula.
In 2011, she launched the first COIL initiatives at Hogeschool Utrecht and in 2016 was the project lead for the first European COIL conference at THUAS. She delivers professional training worldwide on COIL, internationalisation research and related educational strategies. As an expert evaluator for the European Commission and consultant for Erasmus+ National Agencies, she assesses international education grant proposals and universities’ internationalisation strategies. Her research team was among the first to measure COIL’s impact on intercultural competence using control groups providing insights highly relevant to policy and practice. Published in high-impact journals and widely cited, her work has shaped the field and advanced evidence-based approaches to global learning.
A frequent speaker and author, she explores politics, gender and education, actively influencing the development of policy and practice in internationalisation. Interested in chatting about research or project collaborations, inviting Simone to give a keynote, or working with her on a training or evaluating internationalisation strategies, connect with her on LinkedIn.
Within the EAIE, Simone currently chairs the Research on Internationalisation Committee and has served on both the General Council (2022–2024) and the Conference Programme Committee (2016–2022).
Key findings of the research:
- First, individual differences are influential: personality traits such as conscientiousness, open-mindedness and emotional stability significantly predict students’ development of cultural intelligence in COIL environments.
- Second, attitudes toward collaboration are crucial. Students who value and engage positively in group work experience stronger intercultural learning outcomes, highlighting that mindset, not just participation, drives success.
- Third, group composition and course design play a decisive role. Factors such as how groups are formed, how collaboration is assessed, and how courses are structured directly influence learning outcomes. Intentional design is therefore more effective than random grouping.
For international higher education professionals, the key implication is clear: COIL effectiveness depends on aligning learner characteristics, group dynamics and instructional design. We may have assumed it beforehand, but now research also tells us that simply implementing international collaboration is not enough; thoughtful design and facilitation are essential to maximise intercultural learning.
