The Best of Both Worlds: Experiential Problem-Based Learning Approaches in Hospitality Education

ABSTRACT Hospitality education has long integrated experiential and problem-based learning for their positive effects on students’ learning outcomes. Yet, these types of learning have inherent shortcomings – whereas experiential learning is mostly conducted outside the classroom and thereby costly, time consuming and complex in ensuring learning outcomes, in-class problem-based learning suffers from an abstraction from reality. To address these shortcomings, this study conducted an in-class experiential problem-based learning activity within the corporate strategy class in 2018 at a university in Switzerland. The study showcases how a combined learning approach allows us to marry the best of both worlds. Further, these insights contribute to research on experiential and problem-based learning by extending knowledge beyond what the benefits of both approaches are to how these benefits are generated. The inductive method applied generates insights that explicate the levers in making the learning process successful and warrants important boundary conditions.