Research has shown
that high impact practices improve the quality of student learning, experience,
retention, and academic success, particularly for underserved students. The
teaching and learning practices that have been extensively tested and have been
shown to be beneficial for college students include study abroad and
field-based service-learning projects. In Summer 2019, a group of four
undergraduate pre-service teachers at a Hispanic-serving university from the
United States participated in a 10-day faculty-led Taiwan Study Abroad Program.
One of the components of the program was a service-learning project – a
2-1/2-day English Language Camp in a Taiwanese elementary school. Using this
study abroad program as a model, this article discusses how to develop and
implement a program with the end in mind, including the respective academic
preparation including the pre-travel, on-site, and post-travel assignments. The
backward design framework provides instructors a planning structure and process
to guide curriculum, assessment, and instruction.
