Browsing by Author "Melo, Carla"
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- CEDH - a lifelong learning program to improve hotel managers pathsPublication . Melo, António; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, CarlaDue to the growth of the industry, hospitality professionals, and most particularly hotel managers, are increasingly being challenged to develop new skills and adapt to operational challenges, new trends of services, facing the ever-changing labour market, requiring them to be more flexible, creative, resilient and focused on recovery (the latter having become paramount in the post-COVID era). Following the end of regulated access to the profession of Hotel Manager, in 2013, the Portuguese Hotel Managers Association (ADHP), created a short specialization course in Hotel Management (CEDH), to contribute to the valorisation of the function of Hotel Director and promote lifelong learning (LLL). By combining academic expertise (through the involvement of experts and higher education professors) and practical know-how (through the participation of highly skilled and experienced professionals), CEDH aims to improve lifelong learning within the scope of Portuguese hospitality. Framed by a literature review, the data was collected through a survey with closed and open questions, aiming to identify: i) overall strengths and weaknesses; ii) suggestions for improvement; and iii) perceived impact in participants career path. In addition to describing the rationale behind the program and its implementation, this paper will address the affordances and potential of lifelong learning in hospitality education, based on participants’ initial expectations and final perceptions. It is expected to further advance recent research in LLL practices in hospitality education, as well as provide a plan of action to be reflected on the program’s next editions, as well as on other similar initiatives and projects.
- Cooking up a sustainable future: insights of circular economy in the restaurantsPublication . Maia, Beatriz; Silva, Susana; Melo, António; Silva, Goretti; Azevedo, Daniel; Camões, Henrique; Melo, CarlaRestaurants increasingly prioritize promoting sustainability within their kitchen’s operations, focusing their offers on valuing raw materials as a central point of gastronomy, thus highlighting the importance of local, responsible consumption and respect for nature and the environment. The Circular Economy (CE) emerges as a new sustainability paradigm, uncovering valuable opportunities for organizations and customers, in harmony with the environment. This study aims to characterize good sustainable and circular practices in the restaurant sector, understanding how endogenous products can enhance food waste reduction. Through a qualitative methodology, nine semi-structured exploratory interviews were carried out with restaurant experts, to gain in-depth knowledge into sustainable and CE practices used in restaurants. By conducting a thematic analysis, three main themes emerged 'Positioning and Branding,' 'Circular Economy,' and 'Product and Food Waste'. 'Positioning and Branding' covers the evolution of an eco-conscious mindset in organizations, from the inception of sustainable thinking to the imperative for change. It emerges from the categories: ´Organization, actions, and partnerships’, ‘Challenges and success factors’, and ‘Awareness’. The theme 'Circular Economy,' presents circular practices within daily restaurant operations, their understanding of circular concepts, and the progress made in adopting these behaviors. It arises from three categories: ‘Circularity’, ‘Resource Management’ and ‘Transition’. The 'Product and Food Waste' theme addresses concerns related to product and food waste, including supplier selection, innovative gastronomic offerings, and food waste minimization strategies. It is based on the categories: ‘Suppliers and Raw Materials’, ‘Food Waste Minimization”, and ‘Gastronomic Offer’. The findings reveal a growing awareness of the need for sustainability and circular practices in the restaurant sector. Organizations are actively seeking ways to reduce food waste, optimize sourcing, best operating procedures and offer more sustainable menus representing significant progress toward a more sustainable future in the restaurant business.
- Creating collaborative research opportunities at a distance: from Porto to Cluj-NapocaPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Liberato, Dália; Silva, Cândida; Amaral, Paula; Negrușa, Adina Letiția; Cosma, Smaranda Adina; Fleșeriu, CristinaFocusing on an Interdisciplinary Project (IP) involving Higher Education Institutions from Portugal (School of Hospitality and Tourism – Polytechnic Institute of Porto) and Romania (Faculty of Business – Babeş-Bolyai University), this short paper describes a joint project developed by tourism students attending tourism courses at both institutions. This project, which concentrated on the cities of Porto (Portugal) and Cluj-Napoca (Romania), involved different courses and set out to identify motivations, attitudes and perceptions of generation Z tourists, by collaboratively designing, applying and analyzing a joint questionnaire for each destination. Relying heavily on a technology-mediated, innovative approach that focuses on problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills, this paper draws on literature, field observation and informal feedback to give a general overview of the teaching and learning strategies used throughout the project and describe its implementation. Based on these premises, and taking into account the challenges currently being faced by HEI and the need to further enhance students’ learning experience and promote an articulated development of skills that meet the needs of an increasingly digital workplace, this project provides a practical framework for other initiatives within this scope, thus making a viable and constructive contribution towards educational innovation, particularly in the field of tourism education.
- Creative tourism in Vila Nova de Foz Côa: current challenges and future perspectivesPublication . Liberato, Dália; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Paulos, Adriana; Liberato, Pedro; Melo, CarlaThe tourism industry is constantly evolving, mostly due to the development of destinations and ever-changing tourist preferences. As a result, there has been a growing concern with promoting the use of existing resources and increasing profitability, particularly by encouraging diversity and creating local dynamics, moving beyond mass tourism. As tourists show a preference for more personalized and authentic experiences, there is also a growing demand for different experiences, paving the way for creative tourism and co-created activities. Focusing on creative tourism in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, this paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the concept of creative tourism, as well as to identify its potential and impact on this region. Drawing from a literature review crosscutting the concepts of authenticity, creativity, and memorability, and on semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders, authors put forward a comprehensive analysis of the state of the art of local policies and available tourism activities, outlining key-areas for future development. Overall, the main results of this research show that creative tourism in Vila Nova de Foz Côa is still at an early stage, and even though there is a common interest in developing this practice, it is necessary to improve the relationship between the different stakeholders, particularly when it comes to their communication and involvement in shared initiatives. On the other hand, given the potential of the region, it was also possible to identify prospective tourism products and activities, which can leverage future initiatives within this scope.
- Designing a toolkit for tourism educators: from paper to actionPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, AntónioTeaching practical and transversal skills is a key component within Tourism Education (TE), not only because of its service-oriented nature, but also due to the fact that most programs include some sort of practical component, ranging from classes and seminars to workshops and work placements (Chandra et al., 2022). On the other hand, with TE being a fairly recent area, particularly in Higher Education, where it has become the object of an ongoing discussion regarding academic and vocational streams, teacher training and development is increasingly being perceived as a challenge, thus creating a need for initiatives that address these issues (George, 2007). Based on this premise and focusing on the concept of Experiential Learning, this paper aims to outline the design phases of a Toolkit to support educators and practitioners currently working in Tourism Higher Education, highlighting its key areas of application, and reflecting on its potential. In addition to presenting the rationale behind the project, the authors will put forward the different sections of the toolkit, which will include guidelines, expected outcomes, sample lesson plans and a list of annotated resources, as well as overall reflections based on their application. Stemming from an interdisciplinary collaboration from educators currently working on different programs and industry subsectors (i.e., accommodation, catering, travel agencies, tour operators, etc…), this toolkit will integrate contributions from different fields and reflect different educational approaches and activities, including simulation, project-based learning and role-playing activities. As a result, it will reflect hands-on experiences, being consistent with current best-practice and action-based research approaches.
- Fostering pedagogical innovation in tourism education through experiential learning: an interdisciplinary toolkitPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, AntónioDue to its service-oriented nature, Tourism and Hospitality Education relies heavily on experimental learning (EL) approaches, that focus on real-word challenges and can replicate future professional settings. In addition to simulation, project-based learning, fieldtrips and role-play, educators are looking for alternative and innovative strategies to enhance students' learning experiences and support the development of technical and high-level skills. Recognizing the importance of EL, and aiming to contribute towards its development, and support practitioners working in Tourism Higher Education, this chapter focuses on the development of a toolkit that supports activities within this scope. Drawing from a literature and best practice review and their experience, the authors expand on Kolb's experiential learning cycle's model to frame the toolkit's principles and key concepts and describe its creation process, the target audience, and overall sections, that will include different tourism and hospitality subsectors, offering a provisional glimpse of the artefact being created.
- Fostering student agency in tourism education: examples from the Tourism and Hospitality fieldPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Mouta, CristinaFocusing on the development of student agency within the scope of tourism education, the following paper outlines different interdisciplinary, student-centred initiatives, briefly describing their design, implementation and assessment and reflecting on how they can enhance student involvement and overall engagement. These initiatives, which include the development of a digital platform (blog), featuring student-generated content, examples of context-based simulated activities and an interdisciplinary project involving two different courses and an external partner (Village Tourism Association), offer an alternative to traditional lectures, relying both on Project-Based Learning (PBL) and group work, as ways of addressing real- world challenges and promoting 21st century skills, particularly flexibility, teamwork and creativity. Furthermore, by involving students in dialogic processes, which required them to look for (rather than just receive) feedback from different sources, at different times, crosscutting it with their personal experiences and contexts, the projects have also promoted accountability and autonomy, moving beyond the scope of specific tasks, and becoming catalysts for skill transferability and hands-on experiential and simulated-based learning. Based on observation, documentary research, content analysis and questionnaires applied to the students, the paper establishes the importance of interdisciplinarity, collaboration and simulation as key components of teaching and learning experiences. Moreover, by sharing what could be considered best practices for tourism education, it also supports and informs practitioners and researchers, leveraging future initiatives.
- Fostering students' employability in Tourism and Hospitality: a cross-cutting view at the role of HEI and students' perceptionsPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, AntónioFocusing on the importance of employability skills and the different ways they can be developed within Tourism Higher Education (THE) institutions, this paper describes different activities within this scope, reflecting on their affordances and potential implications for students. Selected based on their perceived impact and currency, these activities, which include filed trips, simulations/role-plays and job fairs, were all carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism, having involved students, faculty and external stakeholders. Making a case for experiential learning and University-Industry (U-I) collaboration, the paper aims to make a contribution the ongoing debate on the role of HE institutions in enhancing employability by crosscutting different perspectives and sharing insights from the field. Drawing from observation and questionnaires applied to the students, the findings are empirical and practice-based, deeming it necessary to carry out further research and initiatives on the topic.
- From volunteering to experiential learning: a service-learning project in tourism higher educationPublication . Melo, Carla; Meneses, Daniela; Vasconcelos, SandraIn recent years, there has been a growing adoption of more active, student-centered pedagogical strategies, which aim to develop skills beyond theoretical knowledge and better prepare future professionals. Motivated by a diverse range of factors, such as the need to bridge/fill in training gaps identified by the job market, or the difficulty to engage 21st century students, this adoption of innovative methodologies can also be framed by the lack of systematized data, which allows effective reflection and sharing of good practices in tourism higher education (THE). Innovative pedagogical methodologies are diverse and include service learning, which is understood as an approach that “combines the learning goals and the community service in such a way that it can simultaneously benefit both the students and the community” (Chau et al., 2023, p. 5). This approach is at the root of the Events Team project, a volunteer group that includes students from different courses and levels of higher education (vocational courses, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees) of the School of Hospitality and Tourism of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESHT-IPP), in Portugal. The project – Events Team – aims to support the organization of events promoted by and/or requested to the School, while providing students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning experiences. The research hereby presented aims to further contribute to the ongoing reflection on the affordances of service and experiential learning by sharing the insights and key results of the project, namely by exploring the students’ motivations join and take part in the group’s activities, as well as their perceptions on the contribution of the experience to the enrichment of their learning and their future employability.
- In_Spire: fostering pedagogical innovation in tourism educationPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, António; Mouta, Cristina; Silva, José António; Ferreira, Fernanda A.; Monteiro, BebianaThis paper aims to establish a didactical framework that can scaffold the adoption of experiential approaches in Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education (THHE). Having been developed in the context of the collaborative project In_Spire – Sharing Best Practices in Tourism Education – it draws on a systematic literature review, putting forward a model that supports the creation of a toolkit for tourism educators and the sharing of innovative pedagogical practices. In addition to reflecting on the affordances of experiential learning, this review will set the foundations for the toolkit, whose main goals include the dissemination of good practices, the enhancement of teacher training and the development of a dynamic repository of annotated resources for THHE, paving the way for future work, leveraging pedagogical innovation within this scope.
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