International Service Learning: Conceptual Frameworks and Research

International Service Learning (ISL) borrows from the domains of service learning, study abroad, and international education to create a new pedagogy that adds new and unique value from this combination. It is a high-impact pedagogy with the potential to improve students’ academic attainment, contribute to their personal growth, and develop global civic outcomes.
This book focuses on conducting research on ISL, which includes developing and evaluating hypotheses about ISL outcomes and measuring its impact on students, faculty, and communities. The book argues that rigorous research is essential to improving the quality of ISL’s implementation and delivery, and providing the evidence that will lead to wider support and adoption by the academy, funders, and partners. It is intended for both practitioners and scholars, providing guidance and commentary on good practice. The volume provides a pioneering analysis of and understanding of why and under what conditions ISL is an effective pedagogy.
Individual chapters discuss conceptual frameworks, research design issues, and measurement strategies related to student learning outcomes; the importance of ISL course and program design; the need for faculty development activities to familiarize faculty with the component pedagogical strategies; the need for resources and collaboration across campus units to develop institutional capacity for ISL; and the role that community constituencies should assume as co-creators of the curriculum, co-educators in the delivery of the curriculum, and co-investigators in the evaluation of and study of ISL.

Robert G.Bringle is Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Psychology and PhilanthropicStudies and Senior Scholar in the Center for Service and Learning at IndianaUniversity Purdue University Indianapolis. From 2012-2015, he was theKulynych/Cline Visiting Distinguished Professor of Psychology at AppalachianState University. He was the Executive Director of the Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis Center for Service and Learning from 1994-2012.Dr. Bringle was awarded the Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning,the IUPUI Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Legacy ofService Award from Indiana Campus Compact. In 2004, he was recognized at the4th Annual International Service-Learning Research Conference for hisoutstanding contributions to the service-learning research field. TheUniversity of the Free State, South Africa, awarded him an honorary doctoratefor his scholarly work on civic engagement and service learning.

JulieA. Hatcher is Associate Professor Emeritus of Philanthropic Studies in the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy atIndiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). From2012-2018, she was executive director of the Center for Service andLearning and associate professor.  Julie serves as co-editor of theIUPUI Series on Service Learning Research (Stylus, 2011, 2013, 2016). Herresearch focuses on the role of higher education in democracy and civilsociety, civic learning outcomes in higher education, philanthropic studies,and civic-minded professionals. She serves on the national advisory boardfor the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement elective classification.Julie is the 2017 International Association forResearch on Service-Learning and Community Engagement DistinguishedCareer Award recipient, and the 2008 Dissertation Award recipient.Julie earned her PhD in philanthropic studies with a minor in higher educationat Indiana University.

Steven G. Jones is the Assistant Director for Faculty Development in the Center for Teaching and Learning at Georgia College and State University. From 2002-2004, he was the Project Associate for Integrating Service with Academic Study at Campus Compact. During that time, he edited the second edition of the Compact's Service Learning Toolkit. He was also a co-author of two other Compact publications: The Promise of Partnerships and The Community's College. From 2004-2008, he was the Coordinator for Service Learning in the Center for Service and Learning at IUPUI. He was also the campus co-coordinator for the American Democracy Project. He was co-editor, with Robert Bringle and Julie Hatcher, of International Service Learning: Conceptual Frameworks and Research and co-editor, with James Perry of Quick Hits for Civic Engagement. Over the course of his career, Dr. Jones has published several book chapters and journal articles on civic engagement.