Mobile learning: paving the way for the future in Tourism Education and training

Abstract

In the increasingly competitive world of Higher Education, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are playing an increasingly important role in promoting new and innovative educational experiences in different settings, including Tourism education and training. An example of this growing trend is the expansion of mobile learning. In this paper, the authors set out to provide a comprehensive review of recent published research on the use of ICT, and more specifically mobile learning in Tourism education. In addition to a theoretical framework, they also document a recent project that took place at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, in which the online application Socrative was used to promote language learning within the school’s Tourism degree. Socrative is a student response system that makes it possible for students to answer quizzes by using their mobile devices. In this project, the platform was used to give students the opportunity to check their progress in class and correct their mistakes as they answered questions focusing on vocabulary, grammar and cultural issues. The project focused on two different German for Specific Purposes courses and analysed students’ perceptions regarding mobile learning and its potential for learning and how this particular experience reflected on their motivation and long-term content retention. The onsite use of mobile devices is still regarded as a challenge. As a result, students are often discouraged from using mobile devices in the classroom. However, recent reports suggest that students are willing and able to use mobile devices for academic purposes. The review and findings presented in this paper support this argument, as participants became more engaged and motivated for class work. Mobile learning can become instrumental in bringing together students and educational institutions, also bridging the gap between education, skills and knowledge needs, something that is key in the tourism sector and education.