Recommendations for Design
Introduction
This report will provide an overview of the application of learning theory and multimedia principles for a Hospitality Course focusing on Bell Desk Service in an e-learning program. Moreover, the report will present recommendations on the integration of specific technologies to the e-learning program.
Background
This course is applicable to personnel who have the desire to work in the hospitality industry, particularly the Bell Desk Department. It is devised in response to the hospitality needs to provide efficient porter/bell desk service. This includes exceptionally high standards of customer service, and the ability to deliver, transport, handle luggage in accordance to the occupational health and safety requirements
Leaner’s Profile
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Demographics |
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Education and Training |
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Different educational backgrounds; · High school graduates · Some continue tertiary education · Hands on training · |
Organisational Context
Bell Desk Department of the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel
The bell desk staffs of the five star Hotel is responsible for front of house duties of the hotel. The duties included, greeting guest as they enter the hotel’s lobby, valet parking, handling guest luggage as upon check in/check out, providing information to guest on services and facilities also providing directions to local places of interest around the hotel.
Just recently, the hotel has employed a number of new employees to join the bell desk team. This is due to movements within the hotel; many of the bell desk staff has transferred to other departments or have left the hotel.
Of late, the hotel has been receiving many guest complaints regarding lost/misplaced and damage luggage, delays in delivering luggage to guest rooms and poor customer service due to the lack of knowledge of hotel’s procedures, facilities and service.
Problem Areas:
Luggage Handling
- Handling guest arrivals and departures when major guest movements in the hotel takes place, (large groups)
- Incorrect procedures when collecting information from guest, therefore misplaced luggage and lost luggage
- Inappropriate handling of luggage, as a result damage guest luggage
- Inappropriate timeframes and delays when delivering guest luggage to guest rooms
- Lack of knowledge in OH & S safety procedures specifically for luggage, including safe lifting and bending
Bell Desk Service
- Lack of knowledge when responding to guest request for bell desk services and hotel’s facilities
- Not providing proper and unclear directions for various tourist locations
- Not recording messages and respond appropriately to guest requests
- The absent of team work between the different departments within the Hotel (Bell desk and Reception)
Purpose/Rationale
The learning outcomes and unit of competency have been taken from THHBFO10B: Provide Porter Services
The purpose of this e-learning course is to improve customer service particularly in the bell desk department of Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel. This e-learning course will provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to deliver excellent Bell Desk Service: this includes excellent customer service and outstanding luggage handling service.
Moreover, this course will to provide the hotel with the skills and knowledge needed to carry on the business, and thereby enhance the personal and professional skills of individuals.
On completion of this training, learners should be able to demonstrate excellent bell desk service; this includes
- Deliver/Provide outstanding guest service
- Demonstrate proper handling of guest luggage, storage and delivery
- Respond effectively and appropriately to general guest request
Cognitive Approach
The cognitive theory, it is a view of human behaviour that emphasizes internal processes rather than external responses. Its model of thinking person assumes that people try to ‘make sense’ out of their environment.
When applying a cognitive approach to learning and teaching, it focuses on the understanding of information and concepts. If we are able to understand the connections between concepts, break down information and rebuild with logical connections, then our rention of material and understanding will increase.
The main areas of study in cognitive psychology are perception, attention, memory and language.
The e-learning course will be structured and based from this leaning theory. Reasons for this application:
- Individuals are actively involved in the learning process.
- Knowledge is organized.
- Learning is a process of relating new information to previously learned information.
- New information is most easily acquired when learners can associate it with things they have already learned.
- Learners control their own learning.
- Enables problem solving skills
- Feedback provided after quiz, this will encourage
Integration of Technologies
Online Quiz – simple, easy to use, accessible for effective and beneficial for learning. Provides immediate feedback and the use of simple language will help the learner. Organisational of knowledge is moved from simple to complex to create a meaningful whole. Feedback is given to provide correcting and faulty learning. The facilitator structures learning problems so the essential features are open to the learner’s inspection. The sequencing of the context allows new concepts to be related to the old ones. Also use of current and relevant concepts that the learner already had, to make it possible to put new learning into the framework.
(I have done the quiz from Hot Potatoes)
Storyboard
Storyboard can be viewed from: http://www.gliffy.com/publish/1441813/
This outlines the e-learning program course.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of cognitive approach learning theory and the integration of multimedia principles such as online quiz have been designed to build the Bell Service course to facilitate the Hotel’s training program to achieve effective and exceptionally high customer service.
