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Preferred Learning styles: the case of students at a satellite campus in the Middle East’

Barron, Paul and Ali-Knight, Jane and Stephenson, Marcus (2009) Preferred Learning styles: the case of students at a satellite campus in the Middle East’. International Journal of Excellence in Tourism, Hospitality and Catering, 1 (2). pp. 1-41. ISSN 1993-8683

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Abstract

The education of international students has long been a focus for universities in the major English speaking destination (MESD) countries of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Studying for and successfully completing a qualification from a university in an MESD country is viewed positively by international students, and universities in such countries have shown a significant increase in the number of enrolled international students. The provision of education by MESD universities is not confined by national borders and increasingly universities are developing satellite campuses in a number of locations. These satellite campuses provide an MESD country university qualification to two distinct groups of students. Firstly, local students are attracted to study an international qualification in their home country as this eliminates the costly experience and personal upheaval of studying overseas. Secondly, the creation of a satellite campus of a university based in an MESD country will attract expatriate students and also other international students from the immediate area. This research is focused on international students studying undergraduate programmes at a satellite campus of a United Kingdom university located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East. The study is set within the context of those students’ preferred learning styles and experiences. Focusing on issues of pedagogy, the study is based on the suggestion that international students will experience a Introduction Understanding how individuals learn has been of academic interest for a number of years. However, with current attention focusing on the importance of the knowledge society, the understanding of learning becomes more critical. Gold and Smith (2003:1) argue that learning is the key factor for survival, sustainability and competitive advantage at the level of the individual, the organization and the nation. Nevertheless, understanding learning is not a straightforward process. Merriam (2001:38) emphasize that the knowledge base of learning comprises a myriad of theories, models, sets of principles and explanations. This paper explores one aspect of learning from a cognitive perspective, by examining differences in the student learning process. The context for the study is tourism and hospitality students studying at a satellite range of new and unfamiliar teaching and assessment methods and consequently have to make a substantial adjustment in terms of their learning styles in order to succeed in a Western university. This paper examines the individual and collective preferred learning style of a sample of international students studying tourism and hospitality in the Middle East. The work analyses the links between ethnic origins and preferred learning style, suggesting that preferred learning styles should be taken into consideration when developing curriculum which is accessed by international students.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: L Education > L Education (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Tourism and Hospitality Management
Depositing User: Fulori Nainoca - Waqairagata
Date Deposited: 30 Jun 2016 03:46
Last Modified: 30 Jun 2016 03:46
URI: http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/8801
UNSPECIFIED

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