| dc.description.abstract | Purpose – The purpose of this study is to increase students’ business communication skills through project based learning. In the beginning of the business communication class for hospitality and tourism students, the students’ communication skills toward children is low. The potential market for hospitality and tourism market is mostly determining and influencing by children interest. Therefore, as future entrepreneurs in hospitality and tourism, students are prepared to tapping children market.
Design/methodology/approach – This study was an action class though project based learning with four learning sequences, which were Observation, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (ODIE). Two observation activities were designed on learning sequence one, through direct interview with children on public theme-park and direct interview with elementary school’s teachers and students. On sequence two, students designed fun and educative activities for children on the Children Festival Project. The design process had been checked through continuously improvement evaluation until find the final activities that suitable for children. The third learning sequence was implementation. The entrepreneurial project that student prepared was The World Children Character Festival 2014. This project had been held on Rotunda, Ciputra World Surabaya on May 5th to 9th, 2014. After implementation learning sequence, students had been asked to do self-reflection and peer-assessment to evaluate the learning process through open ended questioner. The research subject is 90 students second semester who took business communication class.
Findings – In the beginning of the class, only few students were comfortable to communicate with children. After the learning journey business communication class through project based learning, 85% students is confident to communicate with children. On top of that, students have not only learnt to communicate with children, but, they also learn how to attract children through fun and educative activities on the Children Festival.
Research limitation/implication – This study is specific to tapping children market as one of determine and influencing market at hospitality and tourism business for hospitality and tourism students University of Ciputra.
Practical implications – This action class research provides a creative idea for entrepreneurs’ enabler to explore and attract children market. Moreover, through this learning journey, we provide specific communication skills towards children and valuable experience for our students to dealing with children, in order to prepare our students to be entrepreneurs in hospitality and tourism business.
Originality/value – This paper is originally designed based on the learning journey outcome, which is students’ competency to communicate with specific target market, children as one of the most important market in hospitality and tourism business. | en_US |
