Comparison of students’ evaluation of online courses versus face-to-face format.

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a comparative study of the perceived differences between two similar courses (Accounting Principles I) offered in higher education, one offered online and the other with face to face teaching and learning. The internet has proven to be an effective tool in e-learning. At the same time, many courses are offered in the traditional synchronous way where the teaching and learning mainly takes place in the classroom. This study was conducted at a university in the USA amongst 25 students enrolled in an online accounting course and 35 students who studied the same course in a face-to-face format. The qualitative and quantitative data are based on the students’ course evaluation forms of the instructor’s teaching and overall satisfaction with the course. The findings suggest that the students found the asynchronous online teaching and learning interesting, however they expressed their concern on the difference in the communication style with the instructor. Many students nevertheless, suggest that learning and teaching in the classroom is equally effective in their learning

M-learning in higher education in Bahrain: the educators' view

Universities in the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) have shown particular interest in m-learning which currently is treated as fashion, but at the same time is considered by corporations and educational institutions to be very promising. This papers investigates the adoption of m-learning at universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and explores the educators' views and perceptions of m-learning, as well as its future potential in higher education. A survey questionnaire was distributed to instructors in four universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain, both private and public. This papers presents the pilot study, which includes the results of 45 responses. The findings suggest that although most of the educators understand the concept and they use M-Learning tools to some limited extent, there is a long way until we reach full integration with curriculum and the blended learning approach. In addition, despite the fact that most educators understand the necessity and role of M-Learning in content delivery, they do not seem to embrace at its full potential, as it is mainly used for communication purposes and navigation. The paper proposes that m-learning provides opportunities for more creativity in designing and delivering the course with further enhancement of the student experience, but it will be utilized in its full potential in the area within the next 5 years. This study provides guidance to instructors on the potential of m-learning and the need to change the teaching and learning culture to student-oriented for more effective and appropriate use of m-learning. TI highlights the need for institutions to invest in faculty and staff training, and in technology as well as provides suggestions to other stakeholders on the need to incorporate m-learning in decision-making for further development in the region

The glass ceiling and women in management in the Middle East: Myth or reality

Although globalization and equal employment have created opportunities for female managers, they are still underrepresented in the corporate ladder. Gender and gender role stereotypes are persistent in organizations that operate in the Middle East, challenging women’s employment and showing evidence of the glass ceiling in management. This paper explores the position of women in management in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the barriers they face in climbing the career ladder. The findings from the semi-structured interviews with 15 female managers suggest that they identify long hours work, stereotypical behavior and gender discrimination as the prevailing factors to career growth. In addition, society and culture have also been widely identified, including family commitment and balancing work with family. The paper proposes that women who want to lead a successful professional life have found their way to break through the barriers of the invisible glass ceiling by commitment, family support and education. In addition, companies are gradually learning how to create cultures in which expectations and professionalism are not necessarily gender-linked

The learning styles of tourism management students

This paper aims at identifying the learning styles of tourism management programme students in Greece and the investigation of embedding problem- based learning (PBL) via online activities in the assessment. There is need for degrees in tourism management programmes that will enable students to think critically. Tourism education and training is required to adapt to patterns of change which seem certain to exert a profound influence on future roles and behaviours, since the vocational aspect of learning and teaching has been criticised. In order to understand the students’ learning style and behaviour it is important to develop learning and teaching strategies that enhance the student experience. The author has used Honey and Mumford’s Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ); even though it has been used widely in management training, very few studies using the LSQ however, have focused on hospitality and tourism. The results suggest that the students have a preferred style that poses challenges to lectures in understanding the students’ learning behaviour as well as at developing their teaching strategy. The findings show that students prefer concrete learning styles, active and occasionally reflective. The author suggests that an appropriate teaching method is problem-based learning with the use of online techniques to trigger the students’ interest and give them the opportunity to reflect and practice the knowledge gained at the course

Using problem-based learning to teach tourism management students

This paper aims at identifying the learning styles of tourism management programme students in Greece and the investigation of embedding problem-based learning (PBL) via online activities in the assessment. There is need for degrees in tourism management programmes that will enable students to think critically. Tourism education and training is required to adapt to patterns of change which seem certain to exert a profound influence on future roles and behaviours, since the vocational aspect of learning and teaching has been criticised. In order to understand the students’ learning style and behaviour it is important to develop learning and teaching strategies that enhance the student experience. The author has used Honey and Mumford’s Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ); even though it has been used widely in management training, very few studies using the LSQ however, have focused on hospitality and tourism. The results suggest that the students have a preferred style that poses challenges to lectures in understanding the students’ learning behaviour as well as at developing their teaching strategy. The findings show that students prefer concrete learning styles, active and occasionally reflective. The authors suggest that an appropriate teaching method is problem-based learning with the use of online techniques to trigger the students’ interest and give them the opportunity to reflect and practice the knowledge gained at the course. An example is discussed in the article

Female leadership style. Myth or reality

In Gree

For or against the smoking ban in restaurants?

A considerable number of countries have applied laws for the ban of smoking in public places. Furthermore, the separate area for smokers and non-smokers customers in private places such as restaurants and bars, is a significant change that has caused positive or negative attitudes. The different views of customers and restaurant owners have created a legal and social debate. The findings suggest that on the one hand, the majority of the restaurant owners impose the law, but not actively. On the other hand, the non-smokers are in favour of the smoking ban and they have not reduced their visits in restaurants, whereas the smokers have reduced their visits and consumption to those restaurants that impose the law

AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENT SATISFACTION FROM HOSPITALITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS IN GREECE

The purpose of this paper was to investigate internships in the hospitality sector and identify factors that contribute to student satisfaction from this working and learning experience. Students that had completed their internships from both public and private higher education institutions in Greece participated in this study. The findings suggest that overall students demonstrated a favourable perception towards their internship experience. This research also suggests that working in a professional environment, the learning experience, social interaction with supervisors/staff and the working conditions are factors that contribute to motivation and student satisfaction from internships. Finally, student expectations towards the internship experience were focused in learning and working in a professional environment. Long working hours, low or poor pay and lack of coordination are the issues that were raised and contribute to low satisfaction

Using Tripadvisor© for exploring cultural tourism development in Bahrain.

Social networks have brought new opportunities in tourism destinations management and marketing. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study explores how users in tourism accept and use technology based on the perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use, in this case Trip Advisor. The findings suggest that travellers and visitors use TripAdvisor to collect information about a destination and share experiences with other community members, before and after visiting key cultural attractions. Furthermore, cultural tourism has a potential to grow in the region however, there should be more information available on the attractions websites. Cultural attractions should be more organized, offer more information and enhance the cultural experience. This paper recommends that social networks and TripAdvisor should be used by the local tourism authorities for the development and promotion of cultural tourism in Bahrain