Hospitality Management Students’ Expectation and Perception of a Virtual Field Trip Web Site: An Australian Case Study Using Importance–Performance Analysis

Abstract

This study examined students’ expectations and perceptions of quality features of a virtual field trip in a course within a hospitality degree. A quantitative research design was used and data were collected from 182 hospitality students at an Australian university. Descriptive analysis and Importance–Performance analysis were performed to analyze the data. The results revealed that overall students were satisfied with the quality of the learning experience they gained from using the website. Through Importance–Performance Analysis, the study also identified aspects of the website that need to be further improved. The study enriches the literature in electronic-learning and confirms the virtual field trip as an effective tool for supporting the practical components of hospitality education and improving students learning experience. To allow a similar approach to be applied to other courses within hospitality degrees, additional research is required to assess its effectiveness in terms of students’ learning experience and educational outcomes.