Students in action: a destination-based learning approach to student engagement

Abstract

Cognisant of the importance of student engagement in education being an international concern, this chapter outlines a project to enhance student engagement undertaken at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland. The 'Students in Action Project' involved students from a range of programmes and modules in the School of Hospitality and Tourism working with the local community and businesses of two tourism destinations: Slane, Co. Meath and Drogheda, Co. Louth in Ireland. The aim was to involve students in an active collaborative learning environment using a destination-based approach to define the parameters of engagement and collaboration and identify ways in which tourism and hospitality within the destination could be enhanced. In contrast to many previous studies on student engagement, the destination-based approach takes a more holistic view by including local industry, industry groups as well as civic and broader community members as key components of the destination. This chapter outlines the motivations underpinning the project, the process involved, and reflects on the benefits, limitations and lessons learnt. Outcomes beyond those intended arose from engaging with stakeholders outside the educational institution. The project has been a steep learning-curve for all, and on-going planning, negotiation and reflection are essential to the process. Fundamentally, all participants -staff, students and destination stakeholders -agreed that the rich outputs justified the effort involved.

Creative design studios: converting vulnerability into creative intensity

“…An extension of participatory design, these kinds of interventions can be considered as a form of 'service learning', where students learn through engaging with and 'serving' a local community. These activities involve reflective learning and enable students to develop key skills and capabilities as well as a greater sense of civic awareness and active citizenship (Craggs et al, 2017;McKenna and Martin, 2014). Engagement with the public can also train their creativity and skills to better understand the work of the architect and of other creative professions.…”

Educational tourism and experiential learning: students’ perceptions of field trips

“…The benefits of field trips are generally categorized into discrete parts, namely, cognitive, affective, social, physical and behavioral (Morag and Tal, 2012). Some of these advantages are as follows: improved understanding of coursework (Scherle and Reiser, 2017;Coker et al, 2017), facilitating the development of theories (Orion, 1993), better retention (Falk and Balling, 1982), more confident approach toward the topic after the experiential learning (Bitgood, 1989;Knapp, 2000;King and Zhang, 2017), effectively engaging students (Craggs et al, 2017), promoting group interaction and presenting a more notable academic experience (Scarce, 1997). With all these benefits, field trips are seen as particularly relevant for students in tourism and hospitality (Scherle and Reiser, 2017).…”