Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, students and faculty in the registered nursing program at Columbus Technical College are learning with their peers at the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford, Ireland. Columbus Technical College is the first college in the Technical College System of Georgia to participate in a video conferencing technology classroom called COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). This is where students in different countries may attend the same class simultaneously via distance education technology.

Monday, March 16^th starting at 11AM (4PM in Ireland), the COIL classroom will be up and running in room 202 of the Carl Patrick Hall building on Columbus Tech’s Manchester Expressway campus. That’s when students on both sides of the pond will attend a lecture class on mental health given by nursing instructor and program director Lynn Harris of Columbus Technical College.

“Nursing is a multicultural profession. The COIL class allows nursing students from both Columbus Technical College and Waterford Institute of Technology to connect, interact, share and learn from each other,” Harris said. “We believe the shared class experience will broaden the students’ heath care perspective. It enriches the students both professionally and personally. CTC nursing faculty and students are very excited about this opportunity.”

Executive Director for the International Center of the TCSG, Dr. Ian Bond, calls the COIL initiative a true game-changer in global education. 

“This is a cross-cultural educational experience,” Dr. Bond said. “If this is successful, we can establish a new model for all areas of the college and across the state.” 

Columbus Technical College and Waterford Institute of Technology are also partnering with Columbus State University to provide education and training for nursing students in Ireland. Students there earn what’s called an Applied Health Care degree. When they complete their current program of study in Ireland, (August of 2016) students will have the opportunity to enroll in Columbus Tech’s associate degree nursing program. In just one year from that point, if successful in their studies, the students will have their Associate Degree in Nursing from Columbus Tech, be able to take their nurse licensing exam, and seamlessly transfer to Columbus State University to pursue their bachelor’s degree.

“All of this plus the hands-on training and clinical experience will put these students in an excellent competitive position when they return to Ireland to secure their careers. It is also a great experience for our students so they can better understand how education works in different parts of the world,” Dr. Bond said. 

In an effort to give them a first-hand experience of the greater Columbus area and expose them to their potential learning environments, a small group (2-5) WIT nursing students will be invited to a special two-week summer learning experience the first two weeks of June. During their visit, the students will attend classes with the current Columbus Technical College nursing cohort, observe clinical training at local hospitals and visit CSU. They’ll also enjoy full, fun weekends that will include rafting, zip lining, vising local sites, shopping and good ‘ol Southern hospitality! 

We hope to see you Monday. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Dr. Ian Bond at [email protected], or nursing program director Lynn Harris at [email protected] .