Hospitality Students Taking Synchronous Online Classes: Are They Ready?

ABSTRACT Hospitality programs have relatively heavier hands-on components, and many subjects (if not all) are conventionally taught face-to-face. However, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has forced teaching and learning activities onto online platforms, in theoretical and practical components. Considering that hospitality students are used to the uniformed and face-to-face interaction dominant environment, how are they coping with their online classes? The current study explores hospitality students’ online learning experience, taking into consideration their personality differences, learning skill levels, and perceived difficulty of learning tasks. A questionnaire was designed and distributed among hospitality students in Macao and Mainland China. Data were collected online from mid-May to early August 2020 using the platform Sojump. Over 700 students from all over the country responded to the survey, and 643 valid responses were included in the data analysis by using multiple regression models. Results suggest that the perceived level of challenge poses a good level of influence over students’ learning experience, and personality differences add complications. Theoretical development and managerial implications are discussed, and suggestions regarding online teaching for hospitality students are provided.