Modelling Determinants for the Integration of Web 2.0 Technologies into Hospitality Education: A Taiwanese Case

Abstract

This study explores the applicability of various Web 2.0 technologies in hospitality education in Taiwan. The affordances of Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed the landscape of higher education, and hospitality education is no exception. The research presented here involved the distribution of a large-scale survey to all hospitality major students at Taiwanese universities; 839 valid responses were received and subjected to statistical analyses. The results indicated that blogs are the most popular Web 2.0 technology exploited in hospitality education, followed by Facebook. Facebook was shown to cause the greatest cognitive load for learners, although the effect size was small. Next, structural equation modelling was employed to examine nine research hypotheses, in the effort to investigate causal relationships among five proposed constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, cognitive load, learning effectiveness and learning satisfaction. Five out of nine hypotheses were supported, showcasing, in particular, the significant effect that perceived ease of use had on perceived usefulness and on learning effectiveness. In addition, perceived usefulness positively affected cognitive load and learning effectiveness, and learning effectiveness positively affected learning satisfaction; these effects were also significant.