Experiential Learning Through Virtual Tours in Times of COVID-19

Abstract

Many argue that experience plays a significant role in learning. However, previous research has shown that experience alone does not necessarily produce learning. This study describes the application of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (experiencing, reflecting, thinking and acting) as a framework to design assignments for an English for Tourism Industry course at a private university in Japan. The scope of the study was to ensure students a firsthand tourism experience through active participation in virtual tours and events during emergency remote teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to explore the implications such an approach may have on students’ learning, in acquiring new knowledge and reflecting on its further use. Through the use of free virtual tours available online, students completed three assignments over a 15-week semester. Each assignment included a different type of virtual activity: (1) a tour of a UNESCO World Heritage Site using Google Earth, (2) an online event, museum exhibition or concert, and (3) a walking tour of a major world city using 360° interactive video. Analysis of the collected data, in form of students’ assignments, revealed how the implementation of such an approach not only allowed for various realizations about the perceived usefulness and benefits of virtual tours, but also motivated students themselves to think more about the use of virtual tours in the tourism industry beyond COVID-19 pandemic.