The Journal of General Education: A Curricular Commons of the Humanities and Sciences, Vol. 65, No. 1, 2016
Copyright © 2016 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
We know that in the ield of communication, service learning contributes to
a student’s understanding and application of course concepts to real-world
contexts (Britt, 2012). However, less is known about how service learning con-
tributes to a student’s general education. While most institutions deine ser-
vice learning according to their own particular needs (Brownell & Swaner,
2010), for the purposes of this study, service learning is deined broadly as “a
learning method that upholds a commitment to appreciating the assets of and
serving the needs of a community partner while enhancing student learning
and academic rigor through the practice of intentional relective thinking and
responsible civic action” (Duncan & Kopperud, 2008, p. 4). More and more,
students are engaged in service learning opportunities as part of their academic
experiences, with the hope that “the more relevant the service is to the stu-
dent’s coursework, the more meaningful the learning experience can become”
(Brownell & Swaner, 2010, p. 23).
While speciic beneits such as “the application of knowledge, a team
and community focus for learning, collective instruction and collective
Connecting Intercultural Communication
Service Learning with General Education:
Issues, Outcomes, and Assessment
RobeRt S. LittLefieLd, JeSSica M. Rick, and Jenna L. cuRRie-MueLLeR
abStRact | This study explored the intersection between service
learning and general education outcomes through the self-reported
perceptions of 382 college students participating in an intercultural
communication course that satisied the general education requirement
at a midsized Upper Plains research university for studying cultural
diversity. The data demonstrated student attention to cognitive,
behavioral, and integrative outcomes associated with general education
objectives. In addition, personal and social responsibility outcomes were
noted in the relections.
keywoRdS | service
learning, intercultural
communication, cognitive
outcomes, behavioral
outcomes, integrative
outcomes
JGE 65.1_05_Littlefieldetal.indd 66 01/06/16 2:56 PM