Project Team: Mrs. Josephine Holohan ([email protected]), Dr. Felicity Kelliher ([email protected]), Dr. Mary T. Holden ([email protected])
This project is funded by Failte Ireland’s Postgraduate Research Scheme. It had a lead time of 20 months, and commenced in October 2007 and completed in June 2009.
The Project Aim:
The aim of this research was concerned with tourism learning networks (TLN) and the role of virtual learning environments (VLE) in sustaining member viability following facilitated TLN interaction. The authors investigated user adoption and uptake of Failte Ireland’s VLE, commencing with a comprehensive literature review, relating to virtual learning network (VLN) environments, and resulting in a VLN framework for a small firm environment.
Methods:
A mixed method approach enabled the authors to comprehensively uncover quantitative measurements with qualitative insights through the use of key informant interviews, census questionnaire, click stream data analysis and semi-structured interviews.
Engagement Activity:
Research team engaged a tourism learning network at Waterford Institute of Technology which had over 600 enterprise participants.
Impact:
The findings suggested that very little virtual interaction was occurring among network participants (0.02%), supporting the view that without adequate levels of interaction among participants, learning does not occur (Lave and Wenger, 1991; Bessant and Francis, 1999; Bessant and Tsekouras, 2001). This research also indicated that there were:
• Poor levels of active contribution by individual participants, with associated weak relationship ties to the community.
• Time to interact was cited as a key barrier to the adoption and usage of online interactive facilities
• Two other prevalent attitudinal barriers were ‘lack of motivation to use’ and ‘lack of priority towards its use’.
Framework:
The proposed Framework offers a means for facilitation of small firm owner-manager learning in virtual environments by indicating the necessary dimensions involved in promotion of interactive learning online. It builds on previous literature on community/network learning and encompasses the unique characteristics of a small firm tourism enterprise. While this study was unique to the Failte Ireland learning network, it offered a basis for future research into the area of practitioner-based virtual learning. Finally, the study had further endorsed the concept of a “learning community” from a virtual perspective, thus adding to literature in the area which had mainly been studied from, a pedagogical orientation.
From a practical standpoint, enhancing levels of interactivity among owner managers enhances management capabilities and is the key to regional sustainability.
RIKON 2013.