Social networking sites and collaborative learning in tourism

Oriol Miralbell

Abstract


This research is intended to identify the key factors that make online social networks become useful environments for professional development and knowledge exchange among tourism professionals. We also want to understand how tourism professionals are using virtual networks for exchanging knowledge and how users perceive that social networking sites can help lifelong learning. Our results show that tourism professionals tend to use social networking sites more for increasing their professional relations and less for exchanging knowledge, though they perceive that autonomy, openness, diversity and interactiveness influence
their perceived usefulness of these sites for exchanging knowledge. Finally, we conclude that for professional development and efficient knowledge exchange social networking sites need better resources to facilitate better moderation of the interaction between members.

Keywords


Social Networking Sites, Tourism Professionals, Professional Development, Knowledge Exchange, Connective Networks of Knowledge

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eLCRPS. eLearn Center Research Paper Series is an e-journal promoted by the eLearn Center of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

 

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