Developing an experiential learning-based assessment framework for pre-university tourism planning courses

Learning tourism planning for non-design-based students at the pre-university level can be challenging for some students. Experiential learning can facilitate a better understanding of the course. It is essential to form a comprehensive assessment plan, including the course outline, assessment methods, course learning outcomes, and problem-based learning outcomes, all grounded in experiential learning. However, designing an effective assessment plan that meets course learning outcomes must first be explored and modelled. This study aims to benefit tourism planning instructors in pre-university tourism management programs by improving teaching and learning processes and enhancing students' understanding. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework of assessment methods based on experiential learning for the fundamentals of tourism planning at the pre-university level. The literature indicates several elements that need to be embedded in the assessment plan to meet course learning outcomes. These elements include site inventory, analysis (including SWOT analysis), formulation of goals and objectives, zoning, design, and program implementation. The formulation of this assessment plan synthesizes experts' opinions highlighted in past literature to create an overall assessment plan. This paper presents a framework of an assessment plan for the fundamentals of tourism planning course at the pre-university level, based on experiential learning. Future studies could measure the effectiveness of this method and its impact on students' perceptions in pre-university tourism management programs.