Welcome to the world of virtual hotel training where hotel students interact with avatars that mimic guests in a virtual hotel.
The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia - regarded as the number one hotel management school in Australia and the Asia Pacific - recently launched an innovative virtual reality and extended reality training hotel.
The program has taken a year to develop for the Leura-based school and will supplement training already happening face-to-face. It was built by the product innovation team and extended reality developers at Torrens University.
Students use virtual reality goggles or their desktops to access 3D scenarios. It has been created using 360 degrees and 3D technologies to simulate hotel work in a rapidly evolving industry.
"We are passionately committed to exceeding the possibilities of classroom learning through digital innovation," Eoghan Hogan, director of product innovation, said.
"With everyone talking about the metaverse, BMIHMS's adoption of cutting edge technology can help lead the way for a new form of education."
The simulated hotel environment is open to Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) hospitality students.
Value of soft skills
They can service a guest's bedroom, serve digital guests in a dining room and reception space, and complete activities as they wander around the virtual hotel space - and importantly they will get real feedback for their "soft skills". Unlike a regular hotel, however, students can test their learning multiple times across varied or repeat scenarios in the safe virtual hotel.
So, as well as learning practical, technical skills, the hotel school is looking to build qualities like empathy and conflict resolution.
Mr Hogan said industry research showed a full 14 of the 16 skills identified as essential for hospitality management are soft skills, such as leadership, professional demeanour, working with a team, and developing positive customer relations.
A school spokesperson said soft skills are fundamental to hospitality careers, and yet hotel management students rarely get to practise these in a controlled environment before starting work. The virtual reality training lets students have structured role-play with real-time feedback as they move through scenarios in a hotel that is always open.
Last year the Harvard Business Review said companies were facing a growing soft skills gap which had been heightened by remote working. Some 59 per cent of surveyed hiring managers and 89 per cent of executives reported difficulty recruiting candidates with the requisite soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership.
The Review said "VR powered education was likely to become the desired platform for many soft skills training programs, from senior leadership development to new hire onboarding ...to help the next generation of workers cultivate essential soft skills they'll need to be valuable - and employable - in any organisation".
The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) at Torrens University Australia was established more than thirty years ago.
Simon Pawson, associate dean and academic director BMIHMS, said "by combining research and technology we are able to create an informed learning design strategy which transforms learning experiences while aligning to the future of digitally transformed higher education".
The initiatives are a natural progression for Torrens University Australia, recognised as one of 2021 Australia Financial Review's BOSS Most Innovative Companies List for bringing course guides to life through the Start your adventure: Billy Blue, an Augmented Reality (AR) 3D experience. The acknowledgment was awarded for the second year running following recognition in 2020 for their online Virtual Careers Expo for school leavers, following restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
