Learner Profile Worksheet 0136 Fundamentals of Online Teaching

Designer: David Berry

Course Title :
Date:

Strategic Crisis Management for the Hospitality Industry

March 25, 2013

Student Body A:

The demand for this course is specific to the 4th year curriculum in a Bachelor of Business Degree that specializes in the managerial operations area of the Hospitality Industry. For the purposes of this design exercise, the learner profile presented will be specifically for these young students.

Student Body B:

The course is unique and there would be a demand for Managers in the Hospitality Industry. These would be junior to senior department managers that are looking for a course that would help them acquire the knowledge to be better prepared for crises, to better perform during the crisis and to mitigate the effects of the crisis during the recovery stages.

Age range

Educational background

Cultural background

Student Body A: 4th year Business Students Students in this course are at the 4th year level of the program. Their minimum age will be 20 years old. Colleges have experienced a great increase of mature students over the past decade, so the maximum age could be 40 years old. Even so the vast majority of students are younger, meaning the median age would still be 23 or 24 years old. All students have graduated from High school at an advanced level. (Admissions standards in Ontario require Degree (4 year) path courses rather than Diploma (2 year) courses.) About 20% of students have been admitted to the Degree program after graduating with a 2 year diploma in Hospitality Business Management. An 80% GPA is required to get into the program after the Diploma. Our students cultural background vary considerably. Half are domestic students from Ontario. But 20% of these students could be first generation Canadians. The other half have student visas, originating from countries all over the world. International students are from China, India, Russia, Jamaica, Brazil, Africa etc Their cultural background varies, but since this is a 4th year course, all students have worked in groups together and are very familiar with each other. Their academic and work culture should be similar. For design purposes of this course, I shall pay close attention to the cultural norms of the students.

Student Body B: Hospitality Business Managers Students will be middle to upper management, all in the Hospitality industry. Age will vary from 25 to 45

Varies: The development of the Industry in the last 20 years has seen management hires requiring College / University education. Unfortunately business or hospitality programs never presented courses in crisis management and the most experience that hospitality mgt have with such a concept is the detailed training required by local authorities and brand Head Offices for fire emergencies. The hospitality industry has always been an easy entrance employer. Immigrants and first generation Canadians were welcomed to the industry and the progress to management was a natural progression. The result is a varied cultural mix within the managerial composition.

Employment and family responsibilities Student status (part-time, fulltime) Geographic locations (local, regional, statewide, national, international) Computer and Internet access

Student Body A: 4th year Business Students All 4th year students in Hospitality work part-time. The average student will work 20 to 25 hours per week, with the majority of hours on the weekend. International students have work visas but tend to work less hours. All students are Full time students. That will require 5 courses or 15 hours of class scheduled per week. All local

Student Body B: Hospitality Business Managers The hospitality industry is a very time consuming occupation. During high season, 50 to 60 hours a week could be the norm. Part-time student The course would be offered on a global perspective together with a Hospitality Management Certificate requiring 6 or 7 other courses. Will have experience in emailing and basic internet searches. Will need to have reinforced instructions on how to use LMS systems ie Wikis Journals Discussion Boards Group Management Will need to have instructions on how to research using Library Data Bases.

100% Experienced in LMS Wikis Journals Emails Discussion boards Group Management MS Word and excel Knowledgeable in Internet research with Library Data Bases

Prior online learning experience

Student Body A: 4th year Business Students The Bachelor Degree program requires that at least 2 course be delivered On-line. This means that by the 4th year, all students have done at least one on-line course. College policy encourages Blended learning techniques for course delivery. Students will have experienced at least 6 of these types of course delivery. All courses delivered in the college use the Blackboard LMS. By 4th year, students will be completely familiar with Blackboard tools including Discussion Boards, Wikis, Journals, group management, etc. They understand Operational and legal Risk Management but not Crisis management techniques. 3 credits required for graduation

Student Body B: Hospitality Business Managers Varies Some experience with industrial training systems

Prior knowledge of subject matter Goals, motivations or reasons for enrolling in the course Learning needs and interests related to the content

Advanced knowledge and experience with Operational and legal Risk Management systems. General Interest Desire to improve managerial Skills Impress the boss These students are looking to learn managerial processes and techniques. They have experience and education to understand organization structure, and behavior. The course must present planning and ethical problem solving techniques that management will use to manage, control and mitigate the crisis. Capable to write a report. Will need support and reinforcement for Research and referencing Students will need to access and know the structure of academic journals.

Reading and writing skills Research Skills

These students are looking to learn managerial processes and techniques. They have experience and education to understand organization structure, and behavior. The course must present planning and ethical problem solving techniques that management will use to manage, control and mitigate the crisis. Experienced and capable to structure a report or an essay. All essays must follow the APA reference guidelines. Students will need to access and know the structure of academic journals.

English language proficiency

Computer skills

Student Body A: 4th year Business Students Level 6Formerly Limited-English Proficient/Now Fully-English Proficient: A pupil shall be classified level 6 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil was formerly limited-English proficient and is now fully English proficient. (b) The pupil reads, writes, speaks and comprehends English within academic classroom settings. Experienced Word Processing Learning Mgt. System usage Email Research data bases Journal writing Wikis Discussion Boards

Student Body B: Hospitality Business Managers Level 6Formerly Limited-English Proficient/Now Fully-English Proficient: A pupil shall be classified level 6 if all of the following criteria are met: (a) The pupil was formerly limited-English proficient and is now fully English proficient. (b) The pupil reads, writes, speaks and comprehends English within academic classroom settings. Experienced Word Processing Email Needs detail instructions on how to access and operate Learning Mgt. System usage Research data bases Journal writing Wikis Discussion Boards

Learning skills

Student Body A: 4th year Business Students Cognitive: As 4th year students they are (or should be) capable of critical thinking to facilitate analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Every student in this course has at least a year of experience in the industry and thereby capable of applying these processes to realistic business problem solving Metacognitive: Survival as a 4th year students means that they are organized and fully capable of scheduling time and pacing of workload. Their motivation at this point is graduation. They have great experience working as a group within the educational environment.

Student Body B: Hospitality Business Managers

Cognitive:

These students are experienced in the industry. They are fully capable of problem solving in the business environment. By maintaining this course as an application within the Hospitality industry, their experience will be a tremendous asset to their ability to analyze, synthesis and evaluate. Metacognitive Teamwork for this student will be a challenge. Not because they do not have experience in working in teams. The hospitality industry is a Team driven industry. They have the experience and leadership capacities from work. They will find the on-line management of teams a different role and will probably need assistance. Otherwise their time management skills will be directly proportional to their motivation. Reasonable Accommodation can be made for all disabilities. However; as an on-line course a good deal of the accommodations will have to be arranged and sponsored by the student. The professor and the institution can provide extra time, and more frequent tutoring. Reading impaired software and tools are examples of features that the students will have to acquire themselves.

Disabilities

Other (describe)

Reasonable Accommodation can be made for all disabilities. However; as an on-line course a good deal of the accommodations will have to be arranged and sponsored by the student. The professor and the institution can provide extra time, and more frequent tutoring. Reading impaired software and tools are examples of features that the students will have to acquire themselves.

The dilemma demonstrated by the above comparison means that the course design for the Student body (B) of management personnel will have to be developed with a complete supportive library of instructional tools. These students will be inexperienced with Learning Management Systems. Extra time and support will be a necessity.