Preparing Students for Collaborative Learning Across Borders: Computer-Mediated Simulation as a Preparatory Pedagogy for COIL

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is widely used to foster cross-border collaboration and intercultural learning in international management education. However, COIL initiatives often produce uneven outcomes due to differences in student readiness prior to international collaboration. Drawing on experiential learning theory, this paper conceptualizes readiness as a developmental outcome rather than an assumed prerequisite. It reviews literature on COIL and experiential learning to identify readiness as an under-theorized challenge. The paper then proposes a conceptual framework positioning computer-mediated simulation as a preparatory pedagogy that scaffolds students’ readiness before engaging in COIL and discusses implications for theory and pedagogy.