Towards eLearning for hospitality operations in nigeria

Wavecrest College of Hospitality, Nigeria

Towards e-Learning for Hospitality Operations in Nigeria

Ifeoma NwabachiliWavecrest College of Hospitality, Lagos,

Nigeria


Introduction

As e-Learning is increasingly becoming an important approach for education, key players are studying

innovative ways to make this more beneficial for all stakeholders.

This study focuses on e-Learning for Hospitality Operations with the aim of achieving a wider reach, attempting to meet industry demand for graduate

employment and at the same time achieving economic empowerment for the girl child from the

urban poor.


Hospitality Operations eLearning How?

• Education for Hospitality operations (the focus of this study) requires a ‘learning environment’ where experiential learning can

take place for acquiring the necessary practical knowledge

.• This ‘learning environment’ needs

to fulfil requirements for the expected outcomes of the

curriculum.


Background of Study Wavecrest College of Hospitality

Hospitality Monotechnic - first

and only

Developed curriculum

Strong potential to benefit from

introducing an online component

and review curriculum

A species of blended learning

and more effective training

Empowerment & Employability focus

Empower girl-child population

among the urban poor

Aim: - Education towards

immediate employment

through sustainable

entrepreneurship and economic independence (Nwosu, 2014).

Subsidized fees

Subsidized to 65%; high in

comparison to similar institutions

Greater economic value for all stakeholders

Industry demand

Established partnerships with leading hospitality

organisations

Inability to meet 10% of demand

for graduates for hospitality and

tourism industry

Enabling moreenrolees - wider reach - to meet

industry demand


Literature review…

Alexander, (2007)‘develop skills at both

practical and theoretical levels’

Sigala (2002): ICT Tools and other

internet learning aids

Innovative - facilitating and assessing the

learner

Vasconcelos (2013): e-Learning

‘use … technologies and internet to

improve quality of learning

Wurdinger & Carlson, (2010): Experiential

Learning

‘applying knowledge and conceptual

understanding to real-world ….

Cantoni, Kalbaska & Inversini (2009)

‘Absence of extensive research on e-

Learning in hospitality and tourism’.


Research Question

How can e-Learning for hospitality operations

empower as many enrolees as possible and thus change more lives?


Research Objectives

Discuss e-Learning methods for practical programmes

Assess extent of internet use for facilitating and assessing practical based courses by National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)

Review effectiveness of online education for hospitality operations

and

Suggest a framework to be adopted for e-Learning in hospitality operations


Research Methodology…Qualitative approach: Purposive non-probability sampling

NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA (NOUN)

Only higher institution in Nigeria offering online hospitality programme1. NOUN Archival data2. In-depth face to face interview - course coordinator 3. In-depth phone interview survey of 31 graduates for

2014 /2015 NOUN Hospitality graduates using semi-structured questionnaire


FindingsNOUN Structure, Processes, Key Attributes

• Study Centres – Majority visited

• Course materials posted on web portal

• Tutorial sessions by invited facilitators

• Online assignments and end of semester

exams – (hand written and online)


Findings - NOUN choice

• NOUN - only option for online• Preference for hospitality careers

motivated mostly by ambition & need for career progression

Key attraction: • Ease in gaining admission• Flexibility to study at own pace, attend to

work/family


Findings – Job/Finance

• Work/Study - Job retention– Fear of not being able to obtain a job

immediately after studies– Impossible not to work as income was

needed

• Sensitivity to the cost of internet, downloading and other unexpected payments


Findings - Technology

• Network breakdown - regular• Most students - first time

experiences of using the computer as major tool of work

• Little or no interaction with teaching staff, encouraged objectivity in assessment


Findings - Practical component

• Main source of schooling in practical skills: Industrial Training (IT) in Hospitality organisations under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) – 6 months– Extra practical sessions sourced– Prior practical work experience – no need

for practical sessions


FindingsPracticability of Online Learning…1

• Impossibility of doing anything practical as an online programme unless accompanied by practical experience

• More interaction between staff and student needed

• Job not so easy to obtain with online training without practical experience


FindingsPracticability of Online Learning…2

• 6.5% of respondents did not engage in IT exercise – employers reluctant to give time off regular jobs.

• IT Duration – perceived as inadequate for 1st

timers. • Irregular visits and assessment of students on

IT placement- remoteness of locations or inadequate resources (time, staffing and finance).


Impact of training: From online learning to practical

How does NOUN evaluate the impact of its training?• Final score obtained • Number of hospitality graduates produced for the

Nigerian labour market. ‘We have seen graduates gainfully employed in hospitality organizations after study’.

• For graduates, the IT was seen as very beneficial equipping participants with skills necessary for the industry.


Findings Practicability of Online Learning

• Need for more practical experience even amongst the ones that would opt for future online programmes.

• Practical aspect – need greater presence in the curriculum. – closer follow up of progress of students on IT. – posting practical sessions on the web portal and using

videos to show activities - ‘how to do videos’. – the education provider to ‘own’ practical centres – or liaise with hospitality organisations with formal

contracts to make this practical training possible and beneficial.

What rings through is the need to establish places for practical learning.


Discussion – what next?• Opportunity to acquire skills for quicker economic

independence - An aspect of assessment that makes online learning more credible and NOUN a good education provider.

• Existing immersion in an environment where practical-based skills can be acquired, tested, and assessed = probable optimal setting for achieving effective learning.

• Making the gap from theory to practice less of an issue for those already in the industry.


Discussion…1• Effective implementation of practical curriculum

needed giving valuable employability skills. • If employers were hospitality training outfits -

better cohesion would be established between the employers and the education provider- No need to go out of their current work place to do the IT.

• E-workplaces to serve as learning environments. • And also reduce the cost of training to the

student or empower students to cover cost.


Discussion…2

• Specific areas and methods for training -based on the curriculum specification rather than dependent on whatever activities operate in the organisation or on the availability of the student for the IT.

• Formal collaboration with employers as official training providers will effectively ensure 100% participation in the IT exercise.


From this study, three aspects ...

First - earning power and economic stability of the candidateSecond – programme pre preparation - ready the candidates for the use of online platforms Finally, - most importantly, a learning environment for developing practical skills must be ensured

The NOUN programme has already gone a long way towards achieving online education for hospitality

professionals – build on this


PROPOSED FRAMEWORKLike NOUN study centres: - Approved Hospitality organisations as learning centres and teaching platforms • Located anywhere in the country with e-Learning facilities: to

enable as many enrolees as possible

• Dual purpose: teaching tool + work tool. Students get paid.Benefit - Student and to the education provider;

more affordable labour for the industry ; an opportunity to give back to society.

• Responsibility of education provider for curriculum planning,monitoring, assessment and facilitating theory based courses.

Wavecrest College can build on this frame work.


Proposed Framework for e-Learning in Hospitality Operations: Fig. 1

Education ProviderCurriculum Planning

Monitoring Assessment

Awarding Body

Learning centre 1

Hotel

Learning centre…

Restaurant

Learning centre… 3




Learning centre… … Learning

centre… …Learning

centre… …

Learning centre…

Learning centre…

Learning centre…

Learning centre…

WWW field


Joint venture...• Modalities for practitioners to play more active roles in

facilitating and assessment of student employees.• Curriculum development.• Education provider and employer involved in facilitation/

assessment.Hence, this study proposes two ‘JV’ formats (Figs 2 and 3)• The internet provider would make provision for the World

Wide Web field as a medium for communication betweenthe learner, the education facilitator, and the industryfacilitator.

• Thus, facilitation and assessment of practical learningcould be done remotely by the lecturer.

A challenge (not insurmountable) for programme developers of e-Learning models


Stakeholder Collaboration Framework for e-Learning in Hospitality Operations: Figure 2

Hospitality Industry

TeleTele--communicationcommunication

--

Internet Internet provider provider

Education provider

Student Learner

Aimed at making hospitality education available to the less capable urban communities


Stakeholder Collaboration Framework for e-Learning in Hospitality Operations: Figure 3

Education provider

Telecommunications Internet provider

Student

Aimed at making hospitality education available to the less capable urban communities


Conclusion

By adapting the framework (Fig. 1) and adopting suggested ways of implementation (Figs. 2 & 3), the NOUN programme can be enhanced and used in other institutions. • Specifically, build on the developed curriculum and

established industry partners of Wavecrest College of Hospitality to provide:

a) paid employment for the students, b) facilities for initial training in the use of electronic media, c) work environments in which skills acquisition can be facilitated and assessed.

NOUN can develop stronger industry partnerships and utilise them to supplement their programme along these same three

lines of improvement.


Future study…• Limitation: data generated in a specific context (of a

developing country).• Most outcomes from study are generalizable to all

online programmes since the practical naturehospitality education remains the sameindependently of contextual differences.

• Hence, framework is expected to be valid for allinstitutions intending to provide such education.

• Further research could help to develop theframework more, test it and build learning modelsfor Hospitality operations that will contribute moreeffectively to changing lives.


National Open University of NigeriaWORK AND LEARN

Wavecrest College of Hospitality, Lagos, Nigeria

Research and Conference powered by:

And Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi of the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria