Loading...
4 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- 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.
- Interdisciplinarity in action: developing students’ soft skills through project-based learning and field workPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, Carla; Melo, António; Liberato, DáliaRecently, much due to the growth of the industry, tourism professionals are increasingly being challenged to develop new skills and adapt to dynamic markets, requiring them to be flexible, creative and, particularly after the recent COVID-19 pandemic, resilient. Mirroring these changes, Higher Education Institutions (HEI), and more specifically Tourism Higher Education (THE), are increasingly becoming aware of the need to rethink and further expand their programs, not only to make them more diverse and inclusive, but also meet current demands, particularly concerning the development of tourism graduates’ soft skills. Focusing on a project carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism (Vila do Conde, Portugal), this paper aims to describe an innovative interdisciplinary approach that combines academic and technical knowledge with the development of (inter)personal transferable skills, by challenging students to complete a collaborative assignment on different industry subsectors. Involving five different courses and facilitators, this assignment followed a Project-based Approach (PbL), having challenged students to carry out field work to collect stakeholders’ perceptions on what they considered to be the most important soft skills within the industry, most particularly in the Entertainment/Events, Travel Agencies/Tour Operators, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) and Accommodation subsectors. Framed by a literature review, the data and ensuing analysis were compiled and put forward in a short paper, that was publicly presented and discussed. Working in groups of 3 to 6 members, students conducted a total of 45 interviews, which resulted in 13 short papers, all of which identifying key soft skills and reflecting on how they can be developed. In addition to describing the rationale behind the project and its implementation, this paper will address the affordances and potential of interdisciplinarity in tourism education, not only by reflecting on the project’s outcomes, but also on participants’ expectations and final perceptions. Drawing from two questionnaires and unstructured observation, it is, therefore, expected to further advance recent research in innovative practices in Tourism Education, as well as provide other educators a case study that can support similar initiatives and projects.
- Soft skills in action: developing tourism students skills through interdisciplinarityPublication . Vasconcelos, Sandra; Melo, António; Melo, Carla; Liberato, Dália; Lopes, Maria CarlosTourism research has highlighted the strategic need to identify and assess relevant skills for the sector to ensure organizations’ competitiveness. Describing an interdisciplinary project carried out at the School of Hospitality and Tourism (Polytechnic Institute of Porto), this paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the importance of soft skills in the tourism industry and the role played by higher education institutions and tourism education in promoting their development. Working toward bridging the gap between academia and the labor market, this project covered five different courses and challenged students to write research papers, drawing from interviews with stakeholders from different tourism subsectors. Making use of a collaborative approach, based on complementarity and field work, the project succeeded, exceeding initial expectations and enhancing participants’ teaching and learning experiences. In addition to being aligned with current trends in tourism education, it also provides valuable insights on the affordances and attainability of interdisciplinarity, ultimately informing further joint initiatives within this scope.
- 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.