Dean of University of Oklahoma Honors College Discusses Higher Edu Change

A recent video dean David Ray of the University of Oklahoma Honors College discusses the value of higher education and how that education will need to change to encourage greater skill development in students. He talked for nearly 20 minutes on TEDxOU to discuss the changes in higher education, how that education is viewed by students and faculty, and where it should move. 

The discussion includes information on past recessions and when the economy recovers most employers began to hire again. More modern recessions, including the Great Recession, have seen a jobless recovery. This means that it took 12 or more months for employers to start hiring and this in turn created a shift in the type of jobs and skills employers are looking for. 

This shift has created a need to encourage more rigorous academic standards. Students read about half the amount they did in the past and engage in college much less. There is a lack of motivation from students while the job skill requirements are increasing. Students may be graduating from the unchanged academic system not being prepared for the working world. More radical change is needed to make it work again.

Technology affords some changes and benefits in education. Content rich information that helps students understand and apply concepts is important. However, these content rich formats need to include reading and writing as part of the coursework. Without the skill to write well it is difficult for students to formalize concepts and express them accurately. 

Because of a lack of motivation MOOCs have not done as well as originally thought. Free classes mixed with an instant culture and lack of motivation means that 90% of students either fail or drop out. There are 10% of students that are highly motivated and they are willing to learn on their own and use the MOOC system to enhance that learning. 

The speaker offers a suggestion for engineers and scientists in the audience to go read about Iliad. For those with Liberal Arts Degrees they should take a MOOC on math to develop their skills. This type of humanities balanced with analytical skills helps people understand the development of greater lives and societies.

College and High-School Cheating by the Numbers

Source: BestCollegeReviews.org

The Importance of Verbal Skills in the Hospitality Industry

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Communication in the hospitality industry is an important method of raising customer service levels and ultimately customer satisfaction. The preparation of students in communication is important for a range of duties in life but is a core element of the service industry. Rahim & Tazijan surveyed a number of hospitality managers and interns to determine their communication needs for future course development (2011).

The hospitality industry is a growing field in the U.S. as manufacturing stagnates and the service sector increases. According to the World Bank, the service sector comprises a significant portion of the overall economy in the post-industrial countries. As this service sector grows, the need for students that can communicate well is important.

Verbal communication is something we learn since we first begin to walk and as we become more proficient, the more capable we are in relaying information. Customers in particular desire communication that is friendly, accurate, and helps them solve a problem. The choice of words and tone has a large impact on customer impressions.

It is not a skill that is easily learned but can be mastered over time. College graduates should have a level of eloquence in their speech that affords them the opportunity to take higher-level positions. Whether one is within the service field or within a management position, it is beneficial to be able to speak well and communicate effectively.

Once graduates have mastered the basics of proper language, they are able to apply those concepts in other situations. Whether they are giving directions or helping a guests with an inquiry the ability to speak well makes all of the difference. It is this clear transference of knowledge that helps customers feel as though their needs are being addressed appropriately. Such skills are highly important in conflict situations.

The researchers found that the majority of managers (91.6%) indicated that interns had low ability and this influenced their ability to inform guests of transportation, entertain guests, and explain hotel policies to guests. Of all the respondents the skills of transportation arrangement, entertaining guests, answering customer questions on items, explaining fire escape routes, and explaining local attractions appeared important. Amazingly nearly a third of interns believed that some of these skills were unimportant leaving dissonance between the manager and themselves.  

Kusluvan, S. & Kusluvan, K. (2000). Perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate tourism students towards working in the tourism industry in Turkey. Journal of Tourism Management, 21(3)

Rahim, S. & Tazijan, F. (2011). Analyzing the training and internship needs assessment of verbal communication skills amongst hotel practitioners. English Language Teaching, 4 (3).

World Bank. Growth of the Service Sector. Retrieved 11.19/2013 from http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/beyond/beyondco/beg_09.pdf