By Tsungai Mukwashi (University of Johannesburg) and
Dr Zubeida Lowton (University of Glasgow)
At the University of Glasgow (UofG) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ), we are curious about exploring how hybrid, interactive classrooms can transform learning, by connecting students in real-time from two institutions to engage in collaborative group work and globally connecting our students. While our focus is on the planning discipline, our approach can be adapted to other disciplines.
Globally connected students
For decades, planning education has centred on lectures, readings, and theoretical models. As with many academic programmes, this learning predominantly occurs within institutional settings and rarely crosses international boundaries, despite planning being a globally oriented profession. Cities are not abstract constructs; they are lived, felt, constantly changing, and shaped by similar challenges across the world. Planning students therefore need to understand these dynamics not only through literature but also through experience and engagement with their peers. As Jones (2019) highlights, planners cannot address real-world problems without first “understanding planning as it is practised” (p.17). Consequently, higher education institutions should aim to provide “global learning”, preparing students to live and work in an increasingly globalised world (Green, 2019). In addition to developing expected employability skills such as communication and digital literacy, global learning also fosters cultural competence and critical global thinking (Laal and Laal, 2012).
While the City Planning programme at UofG attracts a large cohort of international students, relatively few come from Africa. Conversely, the City Planning programme at UJ comprises a larger cohort of domestic students with limited international representation. We therefore propose developing a co-curricular international activity aligned with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to offer students an authentic international learning experience (Hackett et al., 2023). This can be achieved through collaborative learning with international peers across institutions.
Although we have not yet implemented this approach, once the activity is underway, we intend to conduct an evaluation with participating students to generate evidence-based findings. While the COIL approach is not new globally, it is new for these particular university departments, as neither has previously adopted this teaching method. Nevertheless, we anticipate that the broader benefits for students will include creating opportunities for study-abroad or exchange programmes between the two cities, enhancing students’ international perspectives, and supporting learning through collaborative social interactions (Prakaschandra et al., 2024).
Two educators, one global classroom
This will involve two educators from different countries—in this case, Scotland and South Africa—jointly planning, recording, and delivering a lesson. This requires co-developing the teaching material to ensure consistency across both institutions. In our case, we would write the lecture together, pre‑record our respective sections, and upload these to the Virtual Learning Environment for students to watch prior to the face‑to‑face session. This approach makes use of blended learning, which promotes asynchronous engagement and moves away from the traditional lecture format by enabling students to view online or prerecorded content before attending class. Such educational methods are considered more effective than traditional lectures, making learning more meaningful and engaging (Alqarni, 2018; Capone et al., 2017). This blended learning is delivered through the use of COIL, which is described as a “teaching and learning paradigm that develops cross-cultural awareness” (Rubin, 2017, p.33).
Hybrid interactive learning combines the advantages of both in‑person and online education. In our proposed activity:
- Online participants join via Zoom to collaborate in real time on a shared workshop task.
- Students discuss the social and spatial implications of their decisions and record their discussions using collaborative tools such as Miro.
- Groups meet in hybrid breakout discussions—some face‑to‑face, others online—to analyse a global challenge.
Through this process, learning shifts from passive listening to active, reflective engagement. Students explore not only how their designed spaces look, but also how they feel and function for real communities.
Overcoming barriers
As we are proposing cross‑continental collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the University of Johannesburg, we acknowledge that certain barriers will inevitably arise. Existing literature highlights several common challenges associated with international collaboration, including difficulties in aligning academic calendars, differing teaching styles, varying institutional mandates, and communication issues (Prakaschandra et al., 2024; Rubin, 2017). We anticipate encountering some of these challenges. However, we also identify specific barriers relevant to our proposed activity, alongside the challenges they may present and the solutions we propose.
| Barrier | Challenge | Proposed Solution |
| Effective Student Collaboration and Engagement | Developing effective collaboration within a single COIL session may be difficult. Students will need time to introduce themselves, participate in icebreakers, and become comfortable with one another before productive collaboration can occur. | Implement asynchronous pre‑class activities, including a dedicated Teams channel for student introductions. Circulate a clear workshop brief outlining tasks, outcomes, and expectations to ensure students are prepared in advance. |
| Cultural Nuances | Differences in cultural approaches to learning, interpretation of instructions, teacher–student dynamics, and language variations may affect communication and understanding. | Educators should work together to minimise these issues by providing clear, unambiguous instructions and adopting a student‑led approach in which educators serve as facilitators. Setting explicit expectations will help reduce misunderstandings. |
| Educational Systems | The two institutions follow different educational approaches. UofG uses a student‑centred model combining lectures and workshops, while UJ adopts a more lecturer‑centred approach relying primarily on traditional lectures. Students may therefore have differing expectations of the session. | Educators should agree on a unified pedagogical approach and communicate this clearly to students before and at the start of the session. Expectations and boundaries for teaching and learning should be explicit in all jointly developed materials. |
The future of collaborative Planning Education
Cross‑continental collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the University of Johannesburg offers a valuable opportunity to reimagine planning education in a global context. By adopting a COIL‑based blended learning model, students are encouraged to move beyond traditional lecture-based learning and engage in active, collaborative, and intercultural experiences. While challenges such as differing academic calendars, teaching styles, cultural nuances, and educational systems may arise, these can be addressed through clear communication, intentional planning, and shared pedagogical approaches. In doing so, international collaboration becomes not only feasible but enriching for all participants.
Ultimately, the purpose of integrating technology into planning education is not to replace the human element of teaching, but to enhance it. When used creatively, technology bridges theory and practice, enabling students to visualise cities, explore their dynamics, and critically reflect on justice, equity, and inclusion in spatial form. Urban and Regional Planning education is evolving towards a more engaging, inclusive, and experiential model—one in which students do not simply read about cities, but design, build, and experience them long before entering professional practice. Through this approach, we aim to prepare students to navigate and shape an increasingly interconnected and complex world.
If you are interested in trying out our approach, we have included a lesson plan to guide you (Lesson plan). We would love to have your feedback on our idea of global collaborative teaching. Whether you intend to use this approach, have already used this approach or are interested in collaborating, please complete our Google Form: click here
You can also connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zubeida-lowton-38560239 and https://za.linkedin.com/in/tsungai-mukwashi-716228138
References
Alqarni A (2018) Blended_Learning_and_Flipped_Classroom_A. American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 4(1): 1–6.
Capone R, De Caterina P and Mazza GAG (2017) Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom and Virtual Environment: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century Students. In: Proceedings of EDULEARN17 Conference, July 2017, pp. 10478–10482. IATED.
Green W (2019) Engaging Students in International Education: Rethinking Student Engagement in a Globalized World. Journal of Studies in International Education 23(1). SAGE Publications Inc.: 3–9.
Hackett S, Janssen J, Beach P, et al. (2023) The effectiveness of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) on intercultural competence development in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education 20(1). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH.
Jones P (2019) The case for inclusion of international planning studios in contemporary urban planning pedagogy. Sustainability (Switzerland) 11(15).
Laal Marjan and Laal Mozhgan (2012) Collaborative learning: What is it? In: Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012, pp. 491–495.
Prakaschandra R, Memela M and Orton P (2024) Exploring COIL as an authentic learning pedagogy. AJHPE 16(4).
Rubin J (2017) Embedding Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at Higher Education Institutions: An Evolutionary Overview with Exemplars. Internationalisation of Higher Education 2.