Increasing Student Learning: A Comparison of Students' Perceptions of Learning in the Classroom Environment and their Industry-Based Experiential Learning Assignments

Many hospitality curricula incorporate some form of industry- based experiential learning to complement the classroom environment. This study analyzed hospitality management student perceptions of learning both inside the classroom environment and in their experiential learning assignments outside the classroom. A review of the literature found documented benefits of experiential learning. This study confirmed many of these previously documented benefits of experiential learning and identified new learning outcomes or benefits for students who participate in experiential learning, such as an increased understanding of how organizations function, increased ability to view career expectations realistically, an increased network of professional contacts, increased ability to take initiative, increased ability to adapt to change, increased leadership skills, and increased financial management skills. This study attempted to identify the statistically significant differences, if any, between student perceptions of learning in the classroom and their perceptions of learning in experiential learning experiences. Unlike similar studies, this study investigated student perceptions of learning in both their classroom environments and their experiential learning assignments at the same time. This allowed the researcher a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the learning environments and identify specific benefits for each.