Problem-based Learning in the Teaching of Hospitality Law

Abstract

Problem-based learning (PBL) has emerged as an important alternative or supplement to traditional lecture methods of teaching. In a PBL setting, student teams face challenging situations or cases, and the teams are expected to develop and recommend solutions. This article discusses the application of PBL to a class of 100 students enrolled in a required course in hospitality law. The case that was used involved a resort housekeeper being sexually harassed by a maintenance worker. The article reports on the experience with PBL, including problems, student evaluations, and recommendations for future PBL endeavors. Times change, and what were effective teaching methods may no longer be as effective with today's college students. The lecture method has been fundamental to higher education in the United States. The method is particularly helpful in delivering information to large numbers of students. From an efficiency standpoint, what could be better than one professor teaching a hundred or more students in one class? Problem-based learning (PBL) has emerged in educational circles as an important alternative to or supplement to lecturing. PBL engages students by confronting them with problems that they must resolve through analysis, the discovery of relevant information, and the application of that information. Students become active learners in a PBL setting, whereas students are expected to be passive in a lecture setting. This article reports on an experiment using problem-based learning to teach a required undergraduate course in hospitality law. The discussion begins with a review of the literature on PBL and then proceeds to discuss the background that led to the experiment. The article explains the overall course structure, including how problem-based learning was incorporated into a class of approximately 100 students. The problem-based learning portion utilized a web-based case set at a fictional resort. As is explained in the article, the students had two major sets of assignments based on the case spread out over fall semester 2001. The discussion concludes with an analysis of pre- and post-surveys of the students and a critique of various problems that were encountered. Recommendations for the future are included.