Design thinking in hospitality education: Lessons learned and future opportunities

Abstract

The current study explores to what extent design thinking supports students in hospitality education to develop higher-order thinking skills. A survey and student portfolios were used to gain insight into students' thinking skills. Findings demonstrated that industry partners were more satisfied with the students' thinking and innovation skills than facilitators (educators). In addition, findings showed a variation in students' higher-order thinking skills depending on students’ prior education and/or experiences in the hospitality industry. The study suggests that a holistic and integrative approach to design thinking in the hospitality educational curriculum is needed to support the development of higher-order skills.