From Feedback to Framework: Exploring a Student-Centric Development Process for Low-End Immersive AR/VR Learning Content in Hospitality Education

Abstract

There is a vibrant debate concerning the integration of immersive learning content into hospitality education to (a.) embed the learning process in real-life professional contexts and, (b.) uphold student engagement. Contributing to this debate, this article explores the development process of low-end immersive AR/VR content for hospitality education, leveraging design-based research (DBR) centered around student feedback. This study is based on qualitative focus group data triangulated with survey data collected across four universities located in Europe, each of which offers hospitality programs. Our findings suggest a three-stage development process framework. This process comprises three decision-making dilemmas which need to be addressed in developing low-end immersive learning content for hospitality education: 1.) Identifying application scenarios, 2.) Choosing technology solutions, and 3.) Designing immersive content. Our study has implications for hospitality educators by underscoring the importance of student feedback, ongoing experimentation, and educator upskilling in evolving hospitality education through integrating immersive content.