Making an Impact: Student Learning Journeys in Plymouth University Hotel School

1. Making an Impact: Student Learning Journeys in Plymouth University Hotel School Dr Craig Wight Programme Manager UG Hospitality Pathways

2. Aim: Sharing Practice in Situated Learning • This session will cover the impacts of structured learning journeys on the experiences of PU Hospitality Management students. • Part 1 introduces the concept of the Moffat Centre’s Tourism learning journey • Part 2 interprets how this thinking has been applied in T&L here at PU

3. The Learning Journey Concept • An idea developed at the Moffat Centre, Glasgow Caledonian University • The UK's largest university based consultancy and research centre for tourism and travel market research and business development • Clients: • The Scottish Government • VisitBritain • VisitScotland • Various National Tourism Organisations • Various local authority organisations

4. The Learning Journey Concept • Provides a platform for organisations to benchmark their own performance against others based on specific needs • Based on the idea that making best practice observations elsewhere in the sector can add value to ‘my’ business • Based on structured, objective-led and fully facilitated familiarisation visits to analogous organisations (Yasin, 2002)

5. Learning Journey Examples: Icons Branding • Icons Branding was about: • Addressing rurality in tourism and growing visitation to peripheries • Helping local businesses appreciate their own heritage • Providing informal education (learning journeys etc) • Putting economically deprived/undersold areas ‘back on the map’ • Creating a ‘sense of place’ • Encouraging civic pride amongst the tourism business public

6. South Lanarkshire

7. Heritage Learning Journeys • Participatory and workshop Focus • Reconsidering ‘home’ in a business context

8. Heritage Learning Journeys • Engaging with local heritage to • Interpret and educate businesses about local icons • Encourage the development of networked cultural tourism • Develop a sense of pride through reinterpreting identity • Create a cohesive environment for motivating businesses

9. Highlands and Islands to Galicia: benchmarking small destination development • The key objectives were: • To study an analogous destination to rural Scotland to identify opportunities and ideas; • To participate in a practical-based intensive programme delivered around key themes;

10. Highlands and Islands to Galicia Objectives of programme delivery were: • Business Development and Growth • Integration and Networking • Marketing and Destination development • Improving Product and Service quality • Dealing with Seasonality

11. The Learning Journey as Pedagogy Industry focus HE Learning Focus Enable participants to self-develop through gaining new knowledge and a set of business planning tools Activities are undertaken to elicit self-reflection over business processes and ideas. The idea is to initiate change Connecting prior knowledge with authentic & informal contextualised learning Activities should be applicable and transferable to student communities, and workplaces (Stein, 1998). The idea is to initiate learning and challenge assumptions

12. IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING (adapted from Kinder 2013,Caton 2010,Job1996 and Dfes 2006) Aim Outcome Conceptual- developing knowledge and understanding Skills related to allow data collection, presentation and analysis with real data Aesthetic, allowing sensitivity to and appreciation of business environments. Social and personal development so allowing personal learning and thinking skills. Independent Enquiry. Critical thinking, decision making and team work Improve academic achievement & offer a bridge to higher order learning in informal settings Develops early appreciation of management challenges in less abstract ways Engaging and relevant for learners Improves attitudes to learning and often encourages prospective students to take the subject.

13. Application to T&L in Hospitality Management Pre 2011 external learning format Post 2011 external learning format Semi structured itinerary Optional engagement Hosts vaguely aware of the purpose Students vaguely aware of the purpose Viewed as informal/fun Fully developed schedule of contact Compulsory, assessment-linked engagement Hosts chosen for bespoke expertise and fully briefed Students issued with delegate packs and briefed Viewed as instrumental to achieving LOs

14. Application to T&L • Two seminal LJs undertaken 2011-2016 to enhance experiential learning: • Glasgow (intro stage 1 module) and • Hospitality Dynamics Champagne (final year)

15. Glasgow: The assessment • Choose one of the hospitality operations you see in Glasgow. Research the operation thoroughly, and assess how sustainable it is making use of a PEST analysis. Provide short practical recommendations for the business, in terms of sustainability for the future.

16. Glasgow: The ‘Delegate Pack’

17. The ‘Delegate Pack’

18. The Impact on students Co-operation New experiences

19. Authentic Learning Situations

20. Social media dissemination

23. Photograph 1 FUN AND LEARNING

24. THE CENTRALITY OF CONTRASTING EXPERIENCES HTM127: Assessment 1

25. MANAGING LUXURY: REIMS, FRANCE HTM333 Assessment 1

26. Some of the Impacts on Students that are often quoted • Increased motivation and enthusiasm for the subject • Improved understanding of abstract concepts • Opportunity to relate to peers and academic staff in relevant physical and social setting • Creation of intellectual challenges and cooperation • Contribution to personal and social development • Growth in self -confidence and self –esteem • Growth in respect for others and emphasis on collaboration rather than competition