Keywords
Experiential learning, transferable skill, hospitality, internship, cooperative education, engagement, communication, emotional intelligence, professional qualities, ethics
Abstract
Presently, there is a national focus on the industry-benefitting skills developed through undergraduate education. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an experiential learning course on building three ability-based transferable skills: communication, emotional intelligence, and professional qualities. These skills have been determined to be important components to the skill set of graduates intending to enter any career, including one within the hospitality industry. Results from an examination of three related instruments led to conclusions that an experiential learning course positively impacts self-perceived skill development among the three aforementioned skills as well as perception of overall performance. In addition, it was determined that experiential learning courses benefitted interns irrespective of self-reported learning style preference and that such courses may aid in narrowing the perceived gap between intern and employer perceptions of intern skill levels and thereby prepare graduates with increasing success for societal productivity
Notes
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Graduation Date
2012
Semester
Fall
Advisor
Cintron Delgado, Rosa
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
College
College of Education and Human Performance
Department
Educational and Human Sciences
Degree Program
Educational Leadership; Higher Education
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0004568
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004568
Language
English
Release Date
December 2012
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
Subjects
Dissertations, Academic -- Education, Education -- Dissertations, Academic
STARS Citation
Lee, Shara, "Academic Engagement Through Experiential Learning: Building Transferable Skills Within Undergraduate Education" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2399.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2399