A mixed methods approach to learning styles in hospitality online education : support for faculty and students

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Hospitality online education has received more attention over the past years. Potential students are seeing this avenue as a compromise to obtaining a degree while employed with an erratic work schedule. Online education growth is in part due to the technological advances that are continually improving communication between educators and students. Unfortunately the constant advances in technology make it difficult for educators to stay abreast of new technologies. Online education in general has been scrutinized and has raised a lot of questions regarding its ability for students to obtain the same quality education as if they were in a traditional brick and motor university. This study used a mixed methods approach to identify the quality of hospitality online education utilizing VARK learning styles. The first methodological procedure, explore and described, indicated that there was only one major difference in learning outcome growth between the two methods of course delivery. The second methodological procedure utilized grounded theory to develop a construct identifying variables that could engage students of different VARK learning preferences in an online learning environment.