mLearning as a softer visitor management approach for sustainable tourism

With increased visitation to protected natural areas over the last four decades, there is a need for implementation of effective visitor management strategies at these sites to mitigate visitor impacts. This study explores the application of mobile learning (mLearning) in environmental interpretation and visitor education within the context of conservation and sustainable tourism. Specifically, it proposes a conceptual framework for mLearning as a visitor management tool for sustainable tourism. Current developments and innovations in mobile broadband networks, smartphone technology, and mobile software applications present opportunities for the utilization of such mobile-driven applications in interpretive programs to encourage free-choice learning and mindful visitor experiences. If effectively implemented, such interpretive programs and mLearning applications can affect visitor perceptions, attitudes, and future intentions toward conservation and environmental protection.     

Anatomy of a flipped classroom

A well-designed flipped course requires a significant amount of planning and preparation, but has great benefit to both students and instructor. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide, one can design effective online and in-class components that maximize benefits to students. A flipped classroom allows students more time to interact with peers and their teacher, and collaborate with teams. This paper will describe how one tourism educator flipped an advanced marketing course, as well as the technology tools used in content creation.     

The relation among self-efficacy,learning approaches,and academic performance: an exploratory study

Self-efficacy influences students’ activities, effort and persistence, and it can help predict their motivation and academic performance. This study attempts to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy, preferred learning methods, and academic performance under different learning methods in a unique hospitality course setting. The results indicate that hospitality management students prefer a “learn by doing” approach instead of computer-based learning and lecturing. This study concludes that self-efficacy affects the academic performance in both lecturing and practical learning in hospitality education. However, students’ preference in terms of learning methods does not influence their academic performance. Emphasizing “learn by doing” in the hospitality higher education curriculum is recommended in addition to recruiting faculty members with extensive industry experience. Conversely, it is recommended that faculty find the means to increase students’ self-efficacy when adopting different teaching approaches.     

LearnSmart,adaptive teaching,and student learning effectiveness: An empirical investigation

Facing the growing number of digital natives entering the classroom, business professors look for innovative ways to enhance the student learning experience. The authors focus on the online interactive learning tool LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill, New York, NY), and examine its impact on student learning effectiveness by testing the direct and indirect relationships among perceived competence, perceived challenge, instructors, perceived value, and satisfaction with LearnSmart. Constructionism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. About 215 students at a public university in the United States took the survey and 197 valid responses were received. Regression analysis results showed that the use of LearnSmart improved students' perceived competency, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart, as well as their satisfaction with LearnSmart. Perceived value was also found to mediate the impact of perceived competency on satisfaction with LearnSmart, and the instructor played a significant role in facilitating and improving student learning. Perceived challenge impacted student's perceived value of using LearnSmart, but it did not influence satisfaction with LearnSmart.     

The comprehensive business exam: Usefulness for assessing instructional and student performance outcomes

The authors explore the results of the Comprehensive Business Exam (CBE) administered to business majors during their senior-year business capstone course. The study results identified students' SAT and grade point average as a predictor of CBE performance, and variables that explain the correlation between CBE performance, SAT score, and grade point average are discussed. This study expands the research stream by demonstrating how faculty can use CBE information to more deeply assess student learning at both the course and instructor level than is possible with the Major Field Test for Bachelor's Degree in Business.     

Venturing into the unknown: Blogs as a means of advancing leadership skills

The author describes a theoretically eclectic exploratory assignment that helped students in a managerial communication class practice and advance a comprehensive range of leadership skills. Specifically, the author combined E. M. Eisenberg, L. H. Goodall, and A. Tretheway's (2014) model of leadership with pertinent concepts from the theory of learning and used blogs as the communication medium. The outcome was very positive. Students practiced and advanced a range of cognitive, ethical, and communication skills.     

关于大学生体育学习心理的培养

大学生的体育学习心理包括体育学习动机、学习兴趣和学习态度,应运用目标与反馈、表扬与批评等方法激发大学生的体育学习动机;通过改进教学方法,更新教学内容等,培养大学生体育学习兴趣;通过加强引导,帮助大学生端正学习态度。     

地理邻近在区域创新中的作用机理及其启示

由于隐性知识需要直接交流的特性与创新的背景依赖,邻近性在创新研究中越来越受到重视。文章从知识流动和集体学习的视角,探讨了地理邻近在区域创新中的作用机理。地理邻近是"距离产生美",太多或太少的地理邻近都不利于集体学习和区域创新,地理邻近与其它类型的邻近之间相互促进,并可以相互替代。最后给出了研究结论带来的启示。     

企业网络强度对企业技术创新能力的影响研究

企业若在竞争残酷的市场中立于不败之地,只有不断从外界获得各种资源,进而帮助企业开展有利于自身发展的创新活动,只有这样才能在市场中站稳脚步。企业网络中的成员随着企业网络的发展,在这个环境中不断加强互动关系,这种互动关系在某种意义上也促进了企业各方面的创新。从现实出发构建了企业的网络关系强度、组织学习能力、创新能力三个变量之间关系的模型,并以河南省平顶山市产业集聚区内的企业为调查对象进行了实证研究,发现了以上三个变量之间的关系：企业的网络关系强度对企业技术创新能力的影响呈正相关,与企业的组织学习能力的关系也是正向的;组织学习能力在企业网络强度和技术创新能力两者之间扮演着不完全中介的角色。     

“论文研习”实践教学模式初探

以＂论文研习＂的途径开展实践教学,不仅能藉由学生论文之选题,把握专业的发展走势,而且在老师的指导下,围绕专业论文所进行的选题、加工、研习、讲授、反思等环节,提高学生提出问题并运用所学知识分析、解决问题的能力。论文研习会上,通过学生与老师的角色互换,也使学生在表达思想、随机应变等方面得到了锻炼。