Student Learning Styles: Assessing Active Learning in the Hospitality Learners Model

Abstract

A conceptual model for hospitality education is presented with a focus on testing an active learning theory by using the Felder-Soloman (2001) Index of Learning Styles (ILS). The ILS and the four dimensions, active–reflective, sensing–intuitive, visual–verbal, and sequential–global, are discussed. A total of 365 participants responded to the ILS and overall results found that the students were active learners. The outcomes of the ILS were active, sensing, visual, and sequential learners. Once the results were completed, it could then be applied to the Green and Sammons (2013) Hospitality Learners Model. The model, which includes several different “layers”—andragogy, instructional design systems, learning theories (peer, active, and experiential), technology, and evaluation—is discussed.