A Technique for Teaching Craft Skills On Higher Education Courses

Abstract

A problem which has always confronted the development of higher level education courses in hotel management in the U.K. and Hong Kong has been the need for students to gain some basic competence in craft subjects, e.g. food production. This need exists partlybecause of the traditional expectations of employers, and because it is difficult to appreciate the managerial demands within the industry and therefore the taught theoretical aspects, without having some working knowledge of operational-level tasks and procedures. Traditionally, management students have been taught in a similar way to craft students, through many hours spent in practical situations, with the emphasis on practice or learning through repetition. I have addressed and partially solved this problem by developing anew approach to learning/teaching within the department. It was essential, initially, to recognize the students' needs. a) the need to develop craft (Manipulative skills) or b) the need to develop an appreciation and understanding of the skills and principles involved. Few students from managerial courses pursue a career in the "hands on "areas of food production. The approach consists of an interactive program which integrates the use of videos, a written text and a series of self-learning questions. Each section is divided into eight stages, the penultimate being arguably the most important, "The Practical Laboratory Class, " where the students display their comprehension of the system. This comprehensive approach allows the integration of closely related areas, e.g. commodities and applied technology, which are often divorced as separate subjects. The course covers: • principles of professional cookery • large and small scale equipment • Heat transference methods • temperature ranges • commodities • service presentations, etc. The approach is successfully applied to the teaching of professional food production skills on the Higher Diploma and B.A. degree courses. A major benefit is the saving on time—the syllabus is now covered more comprehensively, in approximately one third the time. The same techniques can be adapted to any higher level education course, which requires students to appreciate and experience craftskills withoutnecessarily becoming craftsmen.