Absolutely Zozee and prior posting on "collage." Please find the official definition at the bottom. As to your friend, first, let her enjoy the blessing that she has enough time to do her preferred method. Indeed, needle turned is beautiful, but so, so labor intensive. I prefer to get the look via very lightweight interfacing sewn completely around the fabric's right side, cut out with a very narrow seam allowance, slit the interfacing and "birth" the piece, carefully poking out points and corners, etc. and ironing flat. A nice blanket stitch or narrow hem stitch with barely discernable thread and it's hard to tell the difference.
I think your "friend" has a need to be appreciated and is making all kind of effort to get her skill acknowledged. Sad.
As to the collage definition, pass the responsibility of it to Webster, but do share with your friend:
noun
1. a technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another, as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theater tickets, and fragments of an envelope.
2. a work of art produced by this technique.
Compare assemblage (def 3).
3. an assemblage or occurrence of diverse elements or fragments in unlikely or unexpected juxtaposition:
The experimental play is a collage of sudden scene shifts, long monologues, musical interludes, and slapstick.
4. a film that presents a series of seemingly unrelated scenes or images or shifts from one scene or image to another suddenly and without transition.
I think her life is somewhat empty. Help her fill it up in a positive way and I believe she'll settle down a bit. Bless you for handling this and may you have a wonderful class full of choices.