Table Research
Harry Shapiro
Hospitality Management
HGMT 3502
Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity
Students "hear" a discussion about solving management problems/issues but don't really understand what that means. It's the difference between writing a paper that explains why recycling is needed (which is hardly original), vs. designing a recycling program for a business that needs such a plan..
"Research" is a tough course to teach for a variety of reasons including that most students have a deeply held concept of what it means to write a research report. In short most feel it means read what a few folks have said about a topic and repeat it back using lot's of quotes.
HGMT 3502 Hospitality Management Research Seminar – is focused on students finding original solutions to *management problems* within the industry.
While there are many ways to continue research from a in depth literature review, statistical analysis of secondary data, or going through the IRB process and collect primary data — 100% the best way for a hospitality management student to do original research is to find a management issue some place where they work, or have worked, and solve it!
Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?
The goal of this activity is to ask students in small groups to define what are and what are not "management issues and problems" and to understand the scoping issue between "a global issue" like fair wages and a "management issue" — how to help a specific business implement a fair wage policy that doesn't pay (for example) women less money (for the same job) as men.
Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?
1st class — first 1/2 of the first class. About 20 minutes.
Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?
I will read from the syllabus to explain why HGMT is focused on solving "management issues" and identify a few examples. Then I will ask each group to find 1 more example. Each group will present their example(s).
I will provide a list of global issues and a rubric for evaluating if it has been transformed into a management issue.
Then as a follow-up each group will be given more time to find "new" global issues and a corresponding management issue.
Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?
Teamwork and collaboration: are the groups dominated by a single student or are they as a group working through the problem.
Finding answers that fit into the rubric of a management issue.
Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?
Instructure Eval:
Discussion: post even discussion about possible topics and the focus of original research –> have students understood the scoping issue.
Student "want" to write about one or more very broad topics which they can discuss with little depth and details; whereas a typically successful paper covers one very narrow topic in super depth and detail.
Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.
If students don't really understand what type of paper is required from them, they can't really pick a topic.
They (typically) pick global topics of interest to them (recycling, diversity, etc.) but the rarely go to the next level and pick a narrowly scoped topic that allows to solve a problem with actionable details.
Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab
