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- 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.
- 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.
- To play or not to play: a snapshot of the contribution of game-based approaches in tourism higher educationPublication . Melo, Carla; Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, AntónioIn a volatile and increasingly digital world, with rhythms (of life, learning, and experimentation) becoming more fast-tracked, it is with no surprise that students’ engagement and ability to focus have become one of the greatest challenges for higher education teachers. Despite the growing interest surrounding student-centred and active teaching and learning methodologies, there seems to be a growing disconnection from students, which hinders their learning and professional growth, making it necessary to invest in research, as well as the development of more meaningful and engaging strategies. In tourism education, game-based approaches have been successfully pointed out as strategies that enhance students’ motivation to act, by making learning more attractive and fun. Likewise, experiential learning methodologies (in general) have proved to be especially suitable within this setting since many of the skills to be developed are best worked on through learning-by-doing activities. Within the scope of this study, researchers have used gamified approaches that include board games and quizzes (e.g., Kahoot and student response systems such as Socrative), as well as other activities where game principles have been adopted to create more attractive and challenging learningscapes. Based on the data collected through classroom observation and students’ perceptions and results (e.g., their quiz scores), researchers were able to conclude that students are open and motivated to engage in gamified approaches. Moreover, despite the more relaxed and playful environment of these activities, students' ability to focus is greater, as is their involvement in the tasks to be performed. The findings also suggest that using games can help teachers pinpoint and address students’ doubts more quickly and effectively, which in some cases is enhanced with technology playing an instrumental role in collecting and recording data. In addition, gamified strategies proved to be reliable and simple to use, having yielded valuable insights on learners’ progress and the way they learn.