Does collaborative learning work for tourism students?

Published May 05, 2024 · Updated Oct 12, 2025

opportunities to work with other studentstourism, transport and travel

Yes. When collaboration is designed into modules, timetabled and easy to access, tourism, transport and travel students benefit; when left ad hoc or remote-only, experience fragments. In the UK National Student Survey (NSS), the opportunities to work with other students category captures sector-wide commentary on peer collaboration, spanning 7,331 comments and sitting near neutral overall (46.3% Positive). Logistics drive the biggest differences, with a full-time versus part-time tone gap of +22.7 index points. Within tourism, transport and travel, students emphasise people and applied learning: Teaching Staff account for 10.6% of all comments, while remote learning sentiment sits at −31.2, underscoring why well-structured, in-person teamwork remains pivotal.

What is the role of group work in learning?

Well-designed group work mirrors industry practice and develops professional capability. Students plan itineraries, analyse market opportunities and organise transport operations together, which builds problem-solving, communication and decision-making. Courses that timetable teamwork as a core pattern, publish roles and norms, and use staged milestones tend to report better collaboration and stronger learning behaviours. These approaches reduce friction for mixed cohorts and keep the focus on substantive project delivery.

How do group activities create social opportunities?

Structured projects produce the most sustained peer networks. Studio-style sessions, regular check-ins and showcases prompt students to exchange perspectives and build confidence. When activities include external contributors, students translate classroom skills into practice and extend their professional circle. Dedicated collaboration windows and visible signposting of student-led societies and industry events make participation feasible alongside part-time work or commuting.

How can we navigate challenges in distance learning?

In this discipline, remote modes trend negatively (−31.2), so online collaboration needs more scaffolding. Pre-provisioned group spaces, clear prompts and agreed roles help maintain engagement during virtual sessions. Asynchronous routes, rolling deadlines and short, focused collaboration windows in the evening support time-poor learners and increase accountability without overloading the cohort.

How can we enhance international student engagement?

Deliberately mixed groups harness diverse perspectives that the global tourism sector values. Staff can form teams to balance availability, skills and domicile, then provide short micro-skills resources on delegation, conflict resolution and decision-making. Tasks such as planning multicultural events or analysing international transport policies provide applied contexts for language development and cross-cultural competence.

Which creative and practical assessments build collaboration?

Live event projects, simulations and volunteering opportunities connect theory to practice and promote shared responsibility. Staged deliverables with light-touch peer contribution checks and a fair peer-assessment component deter free-riding and surface learning. These assessment designs align with student reports that people, applied learning and progression matter most, and they sustain motivation across the module.

What support should tutors provide for group work?

Tutors set the collaborative tone. They help form balanced groups, publish working norms early, and keep a single source of truth for timetabling and changes. Named ownership for communications and brief, regular feedback cycles stabilise delivery and reduce avoidable friction. Facilitating constructive critique and mediating early can prevent small issues from derailing progress.

How can we address student anxiety in workplace simulations?

Anxiety often arises when working with unfamiliar peers. Short, low-stakes practice runs, clear assessment briefs and opportunities to meet teammates ahead of major tasks reduce uncertainty. Open debriefs and timely feedback help students reflect on roles, contribution and group dynamics, strengthening readiness for real workplace settings.

How Student Voice Analytics helps you

Student Voice Analytics maps collaboration-related comments and tone over time for this theme and discipline, showing where design and delivery help or hinder peer learning. It benchmarks like-for-like across subject areas and segments such as mode and age, so programme teams can target timetabling and inclusion for part-time and mature learners. The platform produces concise, anonymised briefings with export-ready outputs for programme boards, quality reviews and departmental action planning.

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