The role of technology in the teaching, training and learning of hospitality students

Abstract

This study investigated the role of ICT in the teaching, training and learning of hospitality students at The International Hotel School (IHS), and was conducted in the form of a case study based on the teaching, training and learning techniques used at the three campuses of The International Hotel School (IHS) in South Africa, and involved purposive and stratified random sampling. It was conducted over an 18 month period, using survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, and interviews. The researcher had, over a considerable period while in the classroom, observed a trend by students to increasingly use the internet to source information while studying, rather than spending time in a classroom being taught the required information. Based on observations of how students chose to learn, the researcher also deduced that there needed to be a shift from traditional face to face teaching and learning in a classroom environment, in order to accommodate the changing learning needs of students. The aim of the research was thus to define the role of ICT within hospitality studies at the IHS and gauge the impact of teaching, training and learning on the current hospitality curriculum, as well as the long- term initiatives within the hospitality field. A sub-objective was to enhance the learning process of students by making use of ICT to assist the learning process and make the learning material more interactive. This would assist both the student and the lecturer. The findings, based on the responses from students and academic staff at the Cape Town Campus of the IHS, and the interviews and focus group discussions with all IHS staff suggest the recognition for a move to the use of ICT’s in the formal educational process at the IHS. The results of the study lead to the recommendations for a change towards the role of ICT in the teaching and learning process.