Transformative Hospitality Education through Tech Abilities: a blueprint for creating immersive (learning) experiences

The overall aim of THETA is therefore to prepare students and professionals for a changing profession through immersive real-life learning experiences. In addition to in-company research and learning (options that are currently scarcely available), the project seeks to offer these experiences in versatile, virtual contexts for real-life learning, using AR/VR-enabled learning spaces. These spaces, accessible through multiple platforms, in particular mobile phones, will be used to share content and learning experiences at four of the European top-notch universities. These Digital Learning Spaces open up new opportunities for real-life learning through active learner engagement and situated learning, independent from time and place, emulating how professionals in the future will collaborate. We developed 4 prototypes of DLS, held succesfull MEs, research symposium and webinar, conducted research and wrote articles, developed a train-the trainer programme and support materials.

The overall aim of THETA was to prepare students and professionals for a changing profession by offering versatile, virtual contexts for real-life case studies, using AR/VR-enabled learning spaces. These spaces, accessible through multiple platforms, in particular mobile phones, were used to share content and learning experiences at four European premier universities. To achieve this, we developed four intellectual outputs aimed at students and staff of tertiary hospitality management programmes. The specific objectives were to: - Create accessible digital facilities for real-life learning from a Design Oriented Research perspective - Prepare future professionals for a volatile and dynamic environment - Develop digital pedagogical competencies of educators - Develop digital, entrepreneurial and autonomous learning competencies - Develop high-quality digital content - Share the knowledge of leading hospitality institutions with other schools while building their knowledge base thereby strengthening their leadership role.

THETA envisioned the creation of Learning Spaces using Extended reality (XR) as an effective technology for active and experiential learning, enabling users to gain concrete experiences that might not otherwise be available. By providing "hands-on" experience, XR helps promote student engagement with learning materials and deepens student interaction with complex problems. These Learning Spaces must be accessible and useable at institutes in different environments and to all students without requiring special equipment other than those in regular use, such as mobile phones or tablets. We developed four pilot learning experiences that showcase how these Digital Learning Spaces can be used to address field problems using the Design Oriented Research Cycle. Similarly, the research potential of Digital Learning Spaces is being illustrated by the development of a pilot research study where they were tested to assess simulated training and consumer experiences. Finally, an instructor resource package was developed that allows faculty at consortium partners as well as colleagues from other institutes and industry stakeholders to use not only the pilot materials but also the experiences of the project to develop further courses and case studies. This instructor package has gone through several iterations aligned with the design thinking method. At the LTE in Finland, instructors successfully used the instructor package to develop their own prototypes. THETA lead to 4 intellectual outputs: • IO1: AR/VR enabled Learning Spaces: the consortium identified a very broad range of tools and technologies and condensed these to a number of solutions that could be used to create digital learning spaces • IO2: Courses that make use of these spaces: we developed four prototypes of different applications and uses of digital learning spaces • IO3: Research to be conducted making use of these spaces: we conducted several rounds of iterative research with staff and students to test the implementation of digital learning spaces, which resulted in the authorising of a number of articles • IO4: Manual and training for faculty on creating Digital Learning Spaces and embedding Digital Learning Spaces in education: the consortium developed four manuals in a recipe format to allow teachers and students recreate these prototypes and apply them in their classes. The XR (AR/VR) solutions were implemented in each of the consortium partners to ameliorate student learning. As part of the project, we organised one Learning, Teaching and Training activity as well as four Multiplier Events, as well as a research symposium and a webinar to disseminate our experiences and findings.

The outcomes and impact of THETA have a clear impact on the different target groups of the project. The overall goal of THETA was to enhance the skill set of future graduates in hospitality management, widening the scope of the curriculum from current discipline knowledge and managerial skills to incorporate ‘21st-century skills’, in particular those focusing on detecting and analysing new developments and trends, and on designing, implementing and critically assessing response strategies. To widen access to tertiary hospitality management programmes with Design Oriented Research as their ‘epistemological backbone’, digital AR/VR-enabled learning spaces were developed. Four prototypes were developed, tested and retested. These spaces offer not just a temporary solution for a crisis situation, but a sustainable incorporation of digital learning, research and exchange into the activities of the partners. The specific path to achieve this ambitious goal is to develop world-class online/blended learning that engages hospitality faculty, students and practitioners to address professional issues using a Design Oriented Management methodology. By creating a versatile virtual facility, they learn to analyse and solve emergent issues in the current and future professional environment of strategic hospitality management, in order to prepare participants as research-informed problem solvers and innovators for the hospitality industry and society following the Design Oriented Research problem-solving cycle. The THETA team also disseminated their results in the form of academic papers and industry events. Educators who attended the Train the Trainer programme have created AR/VR content to implement in their courses.