An exploratory study on Singapore Polytechnic Hospitality and Tourism students’ perception toward the use of virtual learning environments (E-learning)

With the advancement of technology and the exponential growth of students in the hospitality and tourism field, the use of e-learning has become more prolific amongst higher education institutions. However, the hospitality and tourism line has always been known to be one which requires manual labor with personalized service. In educational institutions, especially at the polytechnic level in Singapore, the training and learning provided to the students have mirrored the industry, with a “hand-on” approach, such as role-plays, simulations, tutorials, and so on. This has led to a dissonance in the pedagogy of the hospitality teaching. This study delves into the perceptions of Singapore hospitality and tourism students toward e-learning and the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs). From the data and analysis obtained, most students who have prior online competencies tend to accept online teaching, with those lacking in the necessary computing skill disliking e-learning. Most students feel that the ability to remote learn from any location was an incentive. The students also noted that the level of satisfaction derived from e-learning is dependent on the subject content and the application and teaching abilities of the lecturer.