Competency Based Learning in Hospitality Education and Its Impact on Future Leadership Skills

In the past five years, hospitality educational programs have seen a distinct decline in enrollment from year to year (Oakley, 2016). Upon reflection of this decline, there could be many reasons, which caused a consecutive downward trajectory regarding enrollment. First, individuals are finding that a formal degree is not required for entry-level positions in the hospitality industry. Second, people are utilizing technology and videos to substitute for formal education and are finding success in the entry-level hiring process. Third, this generation does not see the value in formal education for entry-level employment. True as that might be, trends have shown that these individuals forego formal education completely and immediately enter into the workforce (Hersh, 2015). However, these individuals work for a short period of time and discover that promotion is not attainable since they lack the proper skill-set essential for leadership roles. Brownell and Chung (2001) argued that hospitality curriculum may not be offering the right knowledge and skills to individuals seeking future work and that a change must be made in higher education to address the issue. Perhaps the notion is that individuals need more than technical skills in order to succeed in their careers. If this statement is true, then putting forth changes to the curriculum in order to fill gaps in education is the first step to accomplishment. This paper examines whether competency based learning (CBL) in higher education is predictive of leadership outcomes in the hospitality industry. Within the higher education framework, competency based learning focuses on theory supported skill development and the application of concepts in scenario-based and problem-based assessments. More importantly, competency based learning emphasizes student advancement via demonstrated mastery of competencies that are specific, measureable and are learning objectives that empower students. In addition, the student learning outcomes stress competencies that include application and creation of knowledge along with the development of important skills and dispositions. Finally, CBL allows students to learn skills vital to leadership success in the hospitality industry

2013-2014 Lynn University Academic Catalog

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Assessing the impact of “more-flexible” learning as part of a study program

With the increasing use of Flexible Learning approaches in Higher Education at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), measuring their effectiveness, from both an educational and a participant's point of view, is of particular importance. In response to the limited scientific contributions on this topic, this article presents a possibility of how an assessment can take place: this study analyzes 62 undergrad-uate student responses to a Blended Learning task and compares the participant findings with a pre-existing educational competency framework

Triangulation of Instrumentation and Data Source: a Stronger Method in Assessing English Language Needs

This paper proposes the importance of multiple instrumentation and data source (triangulation) in a needs analysis. Various data gathering methods developed in assessing learners' English language needs are reviewed. The justification of employing more than a single data gathering method and data source in a needs analysis is also presented by examining the strengths and weaknesses of each method and evaluating previous needs analyses carried out in some Asian countries. Highlights are then given to the methodology mostly implemented in assessing English needs in Indonesia and a recommendation is addressed to further studies on learners's needs in Indonesi

UTB/TSC Legacy Degree Programs and Courses 2013 – 2014

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UTB/TSC Legacy Degree Programs and Courses 2012 – 2013

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UTB/TSC Legacy Degree Programs and Courses 2011 – 2012

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UTB/TSC Legacy Degree Programs and Courses 2014 – 2015

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Career examination through a LEAP framework: liberal arts graduates' perceptions of employment skills in the workforce

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was to develop an understanding of the ways in which graduates of liberal arts programs recognize, make meaning of, and apply the competencies developed as an undergraduate within the workplace. In the first quantitative phase of the study, the research questions addressed the association among liberal arts graduates’ perceived importance, academic preparation, and assessment of value attributed by employers of eight critical skills in the workplace and any differences based on participants’ academic domain. The data were collected via a self-developed web-based survey (N=328) sent to graduates of six institutions representing four different Carnegie classifications. The overall response rate was 9.4%. A chi-square analysis in conjunction with the Holm-Bonferroni procedure yielded a statistically significant relationship in five of nine academic domain relationships. A post-hoc contingency table analysis further revealed statistically significant results between academic domain and perception value categories. In the second qualitative phase, eight case studies, consisting of graduates of liberal arts programs from four Carnegie classifications and four academic domains, delved deeper into the results from the first phase. Four themes emerged during the within- and cross-case analysis related to participants’ perceptions of the use of critical skills in the workplace: (1) Personal accountability to the job, (2) workplace dynamics among coworkers, clients, and supervisors, (3) self-awareness of what is important in the workplace, and (4) employer support of the liberal arts in the workplace. The final phase of the study integrated the quantitative results and qualitative findings to determine broad-scale outcomes of the study. Based on the overall analysis, the study provides policy implications and recommendations related to practical skill development within liberal arts programs

2018-2019 Lynn University Academic Catalog

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