Use of the Internet for Enhancing Tourism and Hospitality Higher Education in Southern Africa: Implications for E-learning

Abstract

It should be noted that because of the limited response rate from SADC higher tourism and hospitality education educators (apart from South Africa), it is not possible to claim that the findings in this study are generally representative of the SADC region. The researchers speculate that the situation, concerning the use of tourism and hospitality higher education e-learning, is most likely worse in a number of SADC member countries than what the results of this study suggest. In addition, the sample size was determined in part by budget constraints, which inherently impeded the study. However, this study provides critical insight on the state of affairs in tourism and hospitality higher education e-learning in SADC. It is a ground-breaking study which could be explored further through longitudinal studies with larger samples. The research clearly indicates that the educators themselves seem to have no problems with access to e-learning resources and infrastructure and are seemingly aware of the benefits of e-learning for learners. Furthermore, the study revealed that the respondents had an adequate understanding of e-learning software and hardware issues, and received adequate support from their IT departments implementing e-learning. It can thus be surmised that though the Internet\u27s perceived usefulness and ease of use is understood, there is lack of understanding regarding its strategic value to the tourism and hospitality industry, in particular, has a significant effect on the reported patterns of the Internet\u27s educational implementation. To allow educators to further increase and enhance their type and levels of use of Internet\u27s tools in their pedagogical modes, institutions need to formulate strategic plans and implementation practices that overcome obstacles in educators\u27 behaviour toward developing the full potential of e-learning in tourism and hospitality higher education. South Africa has a potentially important role to play in providing support for developing a tourism and hospitality e-learning tertiary education platform for learners throughout the SADC region. The findings seem to suggest that the SADC educators lack a strategic sense of how to implement e-learning in tourism and hospitality higher education. Educators treated the Internet as a simple information-searching medium, with little sharing or making information available to learners; or, communicating with their learners. A noticeable proportion of SADC educators however, are increasingly aware of the potential of elearning in delivering education to learners who otherwise would not be able to enter tourism and hospitality higher education. Regarding factors affecting the usage of th