Practices for Online Teaching and Learning: A View From the Hospitality Field

Abstract

Considering the issues triggered by COVID-19, remote learning was the only safe method to guarantee students could learn. The way instructors delivered information and interacted with students changed dramatically during COVID-19. Through the stress, pressure, and the emergency changes, professors had to choose the tools needed to provide the best teaching possible. It was necessary to create environments for the students to learn, to practice, and to apply the skills acquired. It was also necessary to entice some socialization during classes. Online classes require more autonomy, and if on the one hand students can learn on their own provided professors hand out some material, on the other hand it is difficult to control how their skills and knowledge evolve. The authors detail the methods used in their online classes (asynchronous or synchronous), the main concerns both instructors and students had, as well as the solutions found to meet those concerns as successfully as possible and to scaffold the learning process of their students at the School of Hospitality and Tourism of the Polytechnic of Porto.