Higher education continues to seek sustainable and equitable approaches to internationalisation that do not depend on physical mobility. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) offers one such approach, enabling intercultural collaboration through digitally mediated environments. This study examines a COIL initiative between students at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and the University Niccolò Cusano, Italy, implemented across two academic years. Drawing on ethically approved focus groups and student feedback, a thematic analysis identified three interrelated dimensions, digital empathy, digital connectedness, and digital presence as central to students’ experiences of participation and relationship-building. These dimensions contributed to the emergence of relational spaces characterised as safe, brave, and grounded in connected empathy, within which students navigated linguistic differences, developed confidence, and engaged in shared intercultural learning. Rather than offering generalisable claims, the study provides situated insights into how intentional pedagogical design and relational scaffolding can support connectedness and collaboration within COIL settings. The findings highlight the value of relational and culturally attentive digital pedagogies in shaping future approaches to Internationalisation at Home and Internationalisation at a Distance.
Breslin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.