Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education xxx (xxxx) xxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Hospitality, Leisure,

Sport & Tourism Education
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jhlste

A personal learning environment (PLE) approach to mobile

teaching and learning on a short-term study abroad
Wei Wei a, *, Cynthia Mejia a, Ruoxi Qi b
a
Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, 9907 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL, 32819, USA
b
Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 1787 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research examines the effectiveness of a per­
Personal learning environment sonal learning environment (PLE) approach in using mobile technology for experiential learning
Mobile technology during a study abroad to China. Thematic qualitative analysis of 21 undergraduate students’
Short-term study abroad
written post-trip reflections on their experiences revealed valuable benefits and challenges of the
Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)
PLE utilizing students’ personal mobile devices in real time. Recommendations are offered for
program leaders, educators, and trainers with a vested interest in learners’ engagement and
experiential learning. Sharing these findings with the teaching community at large makes unique
and significant contributions to the SoTL literature.

1. Introduction

Recent efforts to improve and modernize higher education outcomes have placed an increasing emphasis on enhancing creative and
engaging learning methods. One teaching strategy of note is experiential learning that creates a dynamic process to deliver knowledge
through experimentation, experience, observation, and conceptualization (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). The core concept of experiential
learning typifies “a lived experience that learners can reflect, think and act” (Girvan, Conneely, & Tangney, 2016, p. 130). A short-term
study abroad is a prime example of experiential learning, which advocates for faculty-student engagement and promotes students’
experiences through group discussions and critical reflection (McKeown, 2009). By traveling and studying in an unfamiliar social
environment, students gain the potential to change their worldview and improve their global knowledge and connectivity through
international and experiential learning (Tarrant, Rubin, & Stoner, 2014).
In the past decade, a growing number of hospitality and tourism educational institutions have offered short-term study abroad
programs to help students broaden their international perspectives and achieve competitive advantage in the global economy (Kim &
Jeong, 2018; Rivera, Murphy, & Khalilzadeh, 2018). Prior literature demonstrated various benefits associated with short-term study
abroad programs. For example, Behnke, Seo, and Miller (2014) examined 185 students’ experiences and satisfaction across 11
short-term study abroad programs. They revealed that most students favored their study abroad experience, which led to advanced
cross-cultural perceptions, enhanced academic experience, and a potentially brighter career. These extensive journeys also pose
challenging logistics, such as the structure for assignments during the trip, and difficulties with assessing students’ learning compe­
tencies in real time (Kim & Jeong, 2018). For example, student reflection and journaling is considered an optimal method of
assessment found in study abroad programs, which requires coordination between the instructor(s) and students, both during and after

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: Wei.Wei@ucf.edu (W. Wei), Cynthia.Mejia@ucf.edu (C. Mejia), qi.424@osu.edu (R. Qi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2020.100296
Received 21 September 2019; Received in revised form 29 September 2020; Accepted 6 November 2020
1473-8376/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Wei Wei, Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2020.100296
W. Wei et al. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education xxx (xxxx) xxx

the trip (Panvini, 2020). Students might find journaling activities to be cumbersome in traditionally written or electronic formats,
while instructors might encounter challenges with receiving and grading journaling assignments throughout the duration of the
course. In recognition of the significance of study abroad programs as a prime form of experiential learning, it is important to explore
innovative methods for evaluating students’ real-time learning and the associated outcomes to improve teaching strategies.
Following the “bring your own device” (BYOD) concept in experiential learning, mobile devices have recently been integrated into
classrooms, which have opened new possibilities for creating an effective teaching and learning experience, rendering students and
instructors more flexible communication and interactions (Heflin, Shewmaker, & Nguyen, 2017). One of the emerging trends is to
leverage mobile devices to create a personal learning environment (PLE), in order to engage students in an individualized environ­
ment, where they can manage their own learning activities and meet their study needs (Conde, García-Peñalvo, Alier, & Piguillem,
2013; García-Peñalvo & Conde, 2015). The present Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research was designed to assess the
use of mobile technology in creating a personal learning environment (PLE) and engaging college students in experiential learning
during a short-term study abroad program to China. Specifically, the objectives of this research were (1) to evaluate the benefits of
using mobile technology to create a PLE as it pertained to the students’ study abroad journaling experience; and (2) to explore
challenges students may have encountered in their PLE which would indicate areas of improvement.
The findings from this SoTL research offer unique contributions to the literature by integrating the theoretical perspectives of a
personal learning environment (PLE), “bring your own device” (BYOD), and mobile technology in understanding an experiential
teaching and learning strategy during a short-term study abroad program. The results of this research also offer valuable guidance on
how to better motivate learners to participate in these mobile activities during an experiential learning process, and eventually foster
more interactive and effective teaching strategies.

2. Literature review

2.1. Mobile learning (m-learning)

The use of mobile technologies, such as smartphones and tablets, has become an increasingly predominant learning tool in the
classroom (Domingo & Garganté, 2016; Heflin et al., 2017; Sung, Chang, & Liu, 2016). Mobile learning, or m-learning, can be defined
as any type of learning within a variety of learning spaces, inclusive of the mobility of technology, the learners, and the mobility of
learning in general (El-Hussein & Cronje, 2010). With such features as affordability, portability, and personalization, mobile tech­
nologies have created flexible teaching and learning models, which promote collaborative learning behaviors, encourage student
engagement, and enable a more convenient, real-time, innovative, and seamless learning process (Zhang et al., 2015).
M-learning has gained mounting attention from educational practitioners and researchers over the past decade, and as a result, the
positive effectiveness of mobile technology in a learning context has been acknowledged. For example, Fleischer (2012) conducted a
systematic review on the impact of educational projects with a computer and found that the use of laptops positively influenced
students’ learning performance and increased students’ motivation to engage in learning activities. Ekanayake and Wishart (2015)
evaluated the implementation of mobile phones in a professional development training context and discussed how the integration of
mobile devices could positively impact the learners. Their empirical results asserted the potential power of mobile phones in fostering
students’ positive learning attitudes and encouraging students to share their knowledge and skills in the learning process.
In a typical experiential learning environment (e.g., such as a study abroad program) for example, instructors and students are co-
creators of the learning process, which requires collaborative knowledge construction (Korhonen, Ruhalahti, & Veermans, 2019).
M-learning facilitates such collaborative, experiential learning, owing to its real-time and transportable features. Research has
demonstrated that students learned better because mobile technologies enabled them to simultaneously self-reflect while sharing
feedback before, during, and after a learning experience (Schnepp & Rogers, 2017). Given the increasing use of mobile technologies in
the traditional learning context (Domingo & Garganté, 2016; Zhang et al., 2015), the growing potential of these technologies is poised
to facilitate real-time experiential teaching and learning outside the traditional face-to-face classroom, creating a digitally-constructed
mobile personal learning environment (PLE).

2.2. Bring your own device (BYOD)

As mobile technology has become ubiquitous in today’s students’ daily lives, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is gradually
recognized as one of the most prevailing initiatives in education, allowing students to use their own personal mobile devices to
facilitate learning (Chou, Chang, & Lin, 2017; Song, 2014; Song & Kong, 2017). For instance, many educational institutions, including
K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, have adopted the BYOD approach as an innovative method to support teaching practices and
to encourage students to use their personal computing devices in the classroom for learning purposes (Chou et al., 2017). In recent
years, BYOD has been adopted as a teaching strategy in higher education hospitality and tourism classrooms with the intention of
engaging students and promoting active teaching and learning practices. For example, hospitality faculty have utilized student
engagement platforms, such as Poll Everywhere and Top Hat, to empower students to ask questions both inside and outside the
classroom, manage classroom discussions, and/or track attendance (Brown, Thomas, & Thomas, 2014; Green, Chang, Tanford, & Moll,
2015).
In recognition of the potential of a BYOD approach, prior studies have examined the perceptions, outcomes, and benefits of BYOD
for teaching and learning (e.g., Chou et al., 2017; Song & Kong, 2017). Empirical findings suggest that BYOD supports student-centered
learning, helps enhance students’ participation, and promotes better learning outcomes (Song, 2014). For instance, Kong and Song

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(2015) developed a personalized learning program embedding BYOD to explore its influence on learning processes and outcomes.
Findings from this study revealed that a transparent learning platform enabled students to share experiences, interact with instructors,
and engage in reflection activities with their peers, ultimately advancing students’ knowledge creation and enhancing their learning
experience. Cheng, Guan, and Chau (2016) investigated students’ willingness to use their personal mobile devices both inside and
outside the face-to-face classroom. Their research findings showed that students felt encouraged and inspired to develop independence
and control over their own learning through a variety of BYOD-supported learning activities, such as managing their learning ma­
terials, searching information and accessing various online resources, discussing with peers, and responding to teachers. As BYOD
enables real-life learning and reflection with the use of mobile technology, the present research employed the BYOD approach in the
context of experiential learning, by instructing study abroad students to bring their own smartphones and to document/share their
experiences via a mobile app platform, enabling their own mobility within each personal learning environment (PLE).

2.3. Personal learning environment (PLE)

Personal Learning Environment (PLE) is a relatively new concept representing an advanced technological pedagogy, catering to
students of the current digital age (Wheeler, 2015). Built on Web 2.0 tools and services, PLEs “serve as platforms for both integrating
formal and informal learning and fostering self-regulated learning, to help learners aggregate and share the results of learning
achievements, participate in collective knowledge generation, and manage their own meaning making” (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2012,
p. 3). With the rapid development of information technologies employed in teaching and learning, learning management systems
(LMS) are considered one of the most common learning technologies in the educational context (Craig, 2007). However, LMS are
limited in adapting to students’ personal learning preferences, in that students using LMSs not only depend on the fixed learning
resources and activities designed by their instructors, but also are restricted in specific learning periods or spaces (Czerkawski &
Gonzales, 2014; García-Peñalvo & Conde, 2015). This contradicts the current educational philosophies emphasizing individualized
and customized learning (Czerkawski & Gonzales, 2014; Martindale & Dowdy, 2016). PLE can be leveraged as a strategy to overcome
these LMS limitations. PLEs are different from traditional learning management systems because PLEs can either stand alone within a
course, or may be integrated into the LMS using blogs, videos, RSS feeds, etc. (ELI, 2009).
The growing popularity of PLE has resulted in emergent research interests, asserting its many advantages. One stream of such
research focuses on students’ perceptions and experiences of the use of PLE. For instance, Lim and Newby (2019) found that when
using Web 2.0 as a PLE, students actively controlled their self-regulated learning experience by selecting their preferred learning tools
and resources in order to achieve effective and efficient learning outcomes. Rahimi, van den Berg, and Veen (2015) adopted a
pedagogy-driven learning model integrating Web 2.0 PLEs, and evaluated its influence on students’ engagement in their learning
processes. The researchers found that PLEs facilitated students’ engagement in constructing their own learning environment, thus
improving their learning skills, tools, resources, and creating a feeling of self-control within the learning environment. Another line of
PLE research emanates from the institutional point of view. For example, one study by García-Peñalvo and Conde (2015) provided
empirical evidence that the implementation of a PLE enabled by mobile technology offered an effective solution for instructors to carry
out more and different learning activities, engaging students to achieve better course performance. Several researchers have also
discovered that PLE supported life-long learning and facilitated collaborative relationships between teachers and learners, achieving
successful learning experiences (Korhonen et al., 2019; Yen, Tu, Sujo-Montes, & Sealander, 2016). In the present study, a PLE was
created via the use of students’ personal mobile devices. Specifically, students accessed the PLE platform with the smartphone
application, “Journi” (please see Methodology for more details), to journal their experiences during a short-term study abroad
program.

3. Methodology

This Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research project was designed to assess study abroad students’ perceptions on the
use of mobile technology for journaling their assigned reflections within a PLE. This aim aligned with the intended purpose of SoTL
research which, according to Boyer’s (1990) seminal work, endeavors to study teaching techniques in order to improve student
learning and share findings publicly with the teaching community. From the personal learning environment (PLE) context, this SoTL
research employed a qualitative thematic analysis of undergraduate students’ responses in an assigned post-trip reflection paper
regarding their opinions and thoughts on using a journaling application (i.e. Journi) while traveling on a short-term study abroad trip
to China in the summer of 2017. Prior SoTL research has underscored the strengths of qualitative thematic analysis, which includes the
benefits of rich data from human experiences, and the analysis of a contextual narrative directly from the source (Divan, Ludwig,
Matthews, Motley, & Tomljenovic-Berube, 2017).

3.1. Sample and study design

Twenty-one (21) undergraduate students from a 4-year university located in the southeastern region of the U.S., participated in a 3-
week hospitality management-based short-term study abroad program to China in Summer 2017. The students were enrolled in two
courses as a requirement of the program, Culture & Cuisine and Destination Marketing & Management, which served as the structural
and educational platform toward the learning objectives. The itinerary included visits to Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and
Shanghai, with major points of interest and visitation to world-class hotels, cross-cultural lectures with four participating Chinese
university hospitality and tourism programs, and field trips to unique cultural attractions such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

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hospitals, tea valleys, and heritage museums, for example.

The student participants were required to post daily reflections to questions prompted by the instructors, tying course learning
objectives to the daily field trips and tours. The mechanism for this daily activity was supported by the smartphone/desktop appli­
cation, “Journi” (https://www.journiapp.com/). In addition to the daily reflections, the participants also were assigned a post-trip
reflection paper, sharing their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about their cross-cultural experiences, which included the stu­
dents’ assessment on the pedagogical strategies implemented by the two instructors delivering the courses and study abroad
experiences.

3.2. The journi app and data collection

The instructors selected “Journi”, a cloud-based mobile application (app), to create a personal learning environment (PLE) while
traveling. Journi, at the time of the study, was accessible in both the U.S. and in China. As mentioned above, students were required to
post two reflections to the Journi app daily, as part of the study abroad deliverables. The student participants were also required to post
one to four photos with each reflection, and 140 words of text (up to 1000 characters as constrained by the app) germane to the
question prompts. If geo-location services (i.e. wifi) were available at the time of posting, the Journi app would capture the students’
position on a map, citing the location at the time of the photo, and only visible within the desktop version at the time. Due to the social
nature of the app’s design, and to the instructors’ requirement that all students “friend” each other and the instructors, the students’
postings were deemed as public discourses within the community of learners, accessible among other students to view, “like”, and/or
comment. Some students elected to share their designated study abroad course Journi accounts with their own families and friends,
while others chose to create separate accounts for personal use. Students were informed as to the public nature of their study abroad
discourses within the learning community relative to the course requirements.
The data collected for this study were derived from the student participants’ post-trip reflections, where they were asked a series of
questions related to the study abroad, including a section to discuss their impressions and use of the Journi application as part of the
mandatory reflection requirements while traveling. Students’ answers were provided in the form of an electronically submitted essay,
which they uploaded to the course learning management system upon returning home in the U.S. The essay responses were collected,
isolating the data related to students’ journaling experience in the PLE created by the Journi app, and uploaded into a qualitative data
analysis software for thematic analysis.

3.3. Data analysis

The researchers on the team employed Creswell’s (2014) multi-step procedural analysis for thematic qualitative research. First,
members of the research team read through all of the transcripts independently, identifying potential overarching themes toward a
coding strategy. Next, one of the researchers coded the data using Maxqda v.11 qualitative data analysis software. The data were coded
in two iterations, first scanning for overarching themes, then second, isolating more detailed, emergent sub-themes. The sub-themes
were organized according to frequency, and interpreted for richness of description. A second researcher on the team independently
triangulated the data by spot-checking the coding for accuracy, and individually re-interpreting the descriptions of the sub-themes and

Table 1
Demographics of the participants (n = 21).
Participant Gender Major Yr

BA-1 F HM Jr
EM-2 F HM Jr
FA-3 F EM Sr
FM-4 F EM Sr
HK-5 F HM Sr
HJ-6 F HM Sr
HT-7 F HM Jr
HL-8 F HM Sr
HE-9 F HM Sr
KJ-10 F HM Sr
LJ-11 M HM Jr
NM-12 F Th Jr
RG-13 F EM Jr
SA-14 F EM Sr
SP-15 F HM Sr
SR-16 F HM Sr
SK-17 F HM Sr
SA-18 F HM Sr
ST-19 M HM Jr
VD-20 F HM Jr
WE-21 F HM Fr

HM: Hospitality Management; EM: Event Management.

Th: Theater Studies; Fr: Freshman; Jr: Junior; Sr: Senior.

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related frequencies of the findings. Finally, the research team verified the findings through checking field notes generated during the
study abroad trip, as well as referring to the literature for congruence related to the phenomenon under investigation.

4. Results

4.1. Profile of participants

Twenty-one (21) undergraduate students enrolled in two hospitality management-based courses, participated in the short-term
study abroad to China and agreed to take part in the research (see Table 1). The majority of participants (85%) were between the
ages of 18 and 30, and 15% were between 31 and 75 (n = 3) years of age. The majority of participants (65%) had never lived in another
country, while two participants were foreign exchange students from other Western countries (Ecuador and Hungary). Most partic­
ipants were female (n = 19), which was consistent with the population of the hospitality college from which the majority of student
participants emanated. At the time of the study abroad trip, the majority of students (n = 16) were declared Hospitality Management
majors, 4 were declared Event Management majors, and one student was a declared Theater major. This degree program profile was
consistent with the demographics of the hospitality college, where 65% of students enrolled during 2017 were Hospitality Manage­
ment majors, followed by Event Management majors, and a minority of students enrolled in hospitality courses from other degree
programs at the university.

4.2. Emergent themes and sub-themes

The results of the qualitative data analysis initially divided the data into two overarching themes: (1) Benefits of the Journi App
within the PLE; and (2) Challenges with the Journi App within the PLE. Upon refinement, the codes were further delineated within
those overarching themes, resulting in a total of 8 emergent sub-themes. Under Benefits, the sub-codes were: (1) Enjoyment of Use; (2)
Tangible Memories; (3) Academic Innovativeness; (4) Interactivity; and (5) Functionality; and under Challenges the sub-codes were:
(1) Situational Factors, (2) Structural Challenges; and (3) App-Related Factors (see Table 2). The following sections provide an
interpretation of these emergent sub-themes as they related to the participants’ perceptions of the app’s benefits and challenges, in
addition to the overlapping PLE factors.

4.2.1. Benefits to using the Journi app in the PLE

Enjoyment of use. The highest frequency sub-theme under Benefits was Enjoyment of Use, where student participants in this study
enjoyed using the app, and several expressed interest in using the app to record personal future travel. The participants also liked being
able to post photos to their narratives each day, with one student mentioning that she enjoyed “knowing where we were each day and
exactly what we were doing” (SK-17), and another describing the app as helpful in “sharing moments [with others] by posting a picture
and writing a note” (HE-9). One student noted, “I loved how I could upload a picture and write a detailed description of the day the
picture was taken; It brought the picture to life” (RG-13). Finally, one participant encapsulated how the reflection of each day brought
a sense of enjoyment, but with added practical benefits, “It was a good way to keep the day fresh, because after a few days [of
traveling], things tended to blur together” (FA-3).
Tangible memories. Although the original intent of the Journi app was to serve as a platform for each student’s PLE, the data revealed
unintended benefits. The majority of participants envisioned the app as a virtual diary, recording an otherwise intangible memory
while on the study abroad, and thus this sub-theme was coined as Tangible Memories. As one student expressed relief for a journaling
solution, “I was wondering how I was going to be able to document everything throughout my trip in China” (RG-13). Another
participant said, “I originally had plans to keep a paper journal throughout the trip, but by being obligated to post reflections [as a daily
assignment], it held me accountable to myself, reflecting on each day as it occurred” (HJ-6). While it may have been challenging for the
participants to find the time each day to post their mandatory assigned reflections, the ability to look back and read prior postings from
students’ personal mobile device provided an innovative way to tangibilize their memory, and was described as a worthwhile endeavor
by the majority of student participants.

Table 2
Frequency of Emergent Codes & Sub-Codes in this Study (n = 21).
Emergent Code Freq. %

Benefits to Using the Journi App in the PLE

Enjoyment of Use 15 26.8
Tangible Memories 13 23.2
Academic Innovativeness 12 21.4
Interactivity 9 16.1
Functionality 7 12.5

Challenges with Using the Journi App in the PLE

Situational Factors 11 39.3
Structural Challenges 11 39.3
App-Related Factors 6 21.4

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Due to the intentional compressed schedule of the study abroad and the vast differences in time zone between the East Coast of the
U.S. and China, students reported occasional fatigue and appreciated the ability to journal with the app in real time. One student
mentioned, “My memory was typically mush by the next morning [after a busy day], and completely vacant after a few days when it
came to [remembering] my experiences in China; The app helped control some of this loss” (EM-2). This same participant reported an
appreciation for “letting go” and feeling more peaceful after journaling in the app each day and revealed, “I appreciated having a
medium to let out my day; I’d write my Journis every night and would feel peaceful and less stressful afterwards because I didn’t have
thoughts or memories from the [previous] day weighing down my mind” (EM-2). From this comment and others similar to it, because
the students were experiencing vast cultural changes, the use of the app for journaling within a PLE serves as a convenient vehicle to
process their thoughts and feelings in real time.
As a reflection component, students used journaling to make purposeful experiential connections to the course content, and this
requirement may have fatigued some students at different times throughout the trip. One student illustrated this phenomenon, “In
many ways, the Journi app was used as a service for this class and for our peace of mind; To my understanding, [journaling] each day
gave us the opportunity to fully realize what we went through, with an ability to revisit what we wrote” (ST-19). Finally, after the study
abroad, participants appreciated the entire exercise (i.e. mandatory reflections in the app) more upon returning to the U.S., as noted by
one student, “Now that I’m back in the U.S., I am grateful for the fact that I can look back and read what I wrote each day during the
[study abroad]; This is probably the greatest advantage of using the app, and it’s an amazing memory holder that I can read whenever I
want” (BA-1).
Academic innovativeness. The student participants reported both satisfaction and delight with the novelty of the Journi app for
journaling their reflections throughout the study abroad in China, and in recognition of using innovative technologies in the learning
context, the researchers attributed this sub-theme to Academic Innovativeness. One student felt “the daily assignment was ingenious and
a great way to capture and process the days which held so much cultural enrichment” (HJ-6), while another explained, “The use of the
Journi app ended up being a proficient way to maintain educational responsibilities while encouraging cultural processing” (EM-2).
This data demonstrated the appeal of using a new mobile learning technology, while at the same time being held to an academic
standard for deliverables, as one student mentioned, “I truly think Journi was a perfect solution for our [mobile] assignments;
Although we complained whenever we were assigned a new [Journi reflection assignment], I cannot think of a better method for
submitting an assignment [while mobile]” (SR-16).
Student participants may have endured a preliminary period becoming more familiar with the capabilities of the app, and in
situations where this occurred, the participants still articulated the academic value of the app, for example, “After some days I got used
to [the Journi app]; In my opinion, using Journi helped me to think more deeply about what I learned that day” (HE-9). In addition to
processing the day’s learning objectives while journaling, some students reported the academic value in going back to re-read their
postings: “By reading my posts, I was able to appreciate more and articulate more what I was seeing and feeling” (KJ-10), and another
participant described, “It was a good way to reflect upon our experiences while at the same time relating the trip to our courses” (HL-8).
Finally, some students reported the academic innovativeness of using the Journi app in the highly mobile environment of a study
abroad, creating a platform for learning, for example, “I think the Journi app was an excellent app to use in this type of learning setting”
(WE-21).
Interactivity. Revealed in the data were several mentions regarding the interactive benefits of using the Journi app in the partici­
pants’ PLE, thus this sub-theme was labeled, Interactivity. While students were interconnected among themselves within the learning
community, as mandated by the instructors, several students also chose to “friend” family members and close friends back home while
on the study abroad. This link to home served two purposes: (1) postings to the app allowed for family members to keep track of their
students, knowing at all times approximately where they were physically located; and (2) the student participants shared photos and
anecdotes with friends and family members as a way to share the travel experience virtually. One student illustrated, “The advantages
to using the Journi app included giving my family a chance to follow my experiences in China; My family and I loved this app because
not only could they see everything I was experiencing, and with whom, but they could also know I was safe since I was posting daily;
My family would look at my [posts] and knew everything was OK” (SA-18). As an extension to the family and friends connections while
learning and traveling abroad, one student shared how the comments her family and friends posted made her feel closer to her loved
ones: “I never looked at the Journi postings as something I had to do, but more as a tool to help me look back after our trip and all the
incredible things we did; It was also a way to share this with our families, the pictures and information about all that we were doing and
learning; It was exciting and heartfelt [reading] the posts of my family and friends back home, commenting about my adventures and
pushing me to hurry up and write more things” (HK-5). For many students on the study abroad, it was their first trip in another country,
and for some, homesick feelings were prevalent. In these cases, the interactivity between the students and their individual friends and
families back home gave them a sense of co-presence, community, and continuity within their PLE.
Functionality. Consistent with constructs from well-validated technology acceptance models, particularly TAM (Davis, 1989), the
student participants frequently mentioned the app’s ease of use and usefulness without being prompted. The sub-theme, Functionality,
cited the user friendliness of the app, its ease of navigation, and how useful the app was for posting their reflection assignments while
traveling. One student explained the app’s ability to connect to wifi when available, “I enjoyed how easy it was to write postings
anywhere and everywhere I went, and how without a second thought or action, [my posting] would upload all on it’s own once I
connected to wifi” (VD-20). Congruent with Gen Z’s desire for innovative ways with technological assistance (Chicca & Shellenbarger,
2018), participants in this research preferred using the app on their phones versus a computer desktop or laptop while they were on the
bus or train, traveling from location to location throughout China.

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4.2.2. Challenges with using the Journi app in the PLE

The vast majority of commentary about the use of the Journi app among the student participants was positive, reporting the many
benefits and advantages of using the app as a platform within each student’s PLE. Even though the students illustrated numerous
benefits, they also shared challenges they encountered with the app and the structural challenges associated with the reflection as­
signments, whether imposed by the software itself, or by their instructors.
Situational factors. Problems with access to Wi-Fi, and with reliable Internet were mentioned with the highest frequencies in terms
of challenges with the Journi app, and were collectively identified as Situational Factors in this study. Even though students could write
their reflections and post photos to their smartphone apps at any point during the day, these posts could not be uploaded to the cloud-
based platform until the students had a strong and reliable Wi-Fi connection. Students on the study abroad trip did not purchase mobile
Internet services, nor did most of them purchase international roaming packages. Thus, the respondents were subject to intermittent
and unreliable Internet access. This situation was complicated by due dates imposed by the instructors, although stringency was
lessened when the instructors were notified about poor Internet access in advance. The instructors did not penalize any students on this
trip for late postings due to poor Wi-Fi or Internet connections.
Another scenario which created confusion, was when multiple students encountered Wi-Fi challenges over 2–3 days. When this
occurred, all the missing Journi postings were uploaded within a short period of time, and not in the correct order according to the
timeline. Therefore, grading the students’ Journi postings became challenging, and the instructors often had to search through many
timelines to find the correct posting in order to issue a grade. One student explained this challenge, “Though we were told that posts
were able to be done offline and then posted to our Journi timeline once our phones were connected to Wi-Fi, there were still quite a
number of times when I was told I was missing a post that I could clearly see; I ended up having to re-post things several times in order
to fix the problem, when I was told I was missing an assignment; I was somewhat worried that I miss something even though I know I
completed it” (FM-4). Another student experienced the same issue: “The poor Wi-Fi made it so that my [post] would not update right
away, and I would sometimes have to go back into the app and check to see if my [reflection] posted; Even though this was a minor
challenge, the instructors realized this challenge and were lenient” (SA-14).
Structural challenges. Issues surrounding the reflection assignment criteria, due dates and times, and other instructor-imposed
constraints, were categorized as Structural Challenges in this study. Prior to the study abroad, the instructors had only limited expe­
rience with the Journi app, as they worked toward finding a mobile platform which worked in both China and the U.S. simultaneously.
After much deliberation, the instructors decided to use Journi as the mechanism for posting reflection assignments throughout the trip;
however, without having used the app in similar contexts prior to the trip, the instructors decided to create criteria for posting re­
flections that were rigorous, while being flexible with due dates, in anticipation of potential technological constraints.
The student participants revealed several challenges with the reflection assignment criteria, for example, “The disadvantage to
using the app was that we had to do our Journi entries while we were dead tired” (SA-14), and “At the end of the day we were
extremely tired after a whole day of walking and taking in all the experiences, so most of us had a hard time writing our Journi posts at
night in order to be on time for submitting the assignment” (HL-8). At the beginning of the trip, the instructors based their reflection
questions on the activities throughout the day, and assigned the questions toward the end of the day. Referring to the agreed-upon
flexibility in framing assignments and due dates, the instructors responded to the students’ call for requesting the day’s reflection
assignment question prompt at the beginning of the day, instead of at the end. The same participant continued, “[Posting our re­
flections] became much easier once we all came to the conclusion to offer the reflection questions at the beginning of the day” (HL-8).
App-related factors. The final sub-theme under challenges was App-Related Factors, which pertained to constraints within the app.
The reflection postings were limited to 1000 characters, and some students wanted to write more, for example, “I only wish that [the
app] offered more character space because more often than not, I ended up shortening what I wanted to say in order to fit my response
into the text box; I even went back and changed my “and’s” to “&‘s” so that I could save the two characters just to finish what I was
saying” (VD-20). Although this was a creative solution, it was an unnecessary constraint, possibly impeding the student’s PLE. One
student felt the app was limited in terms of fully incorporating the learning objectives: “I wish we could have talked more about what
we did on each day, or what we learned in order to show in better terms what we were fully locking in learning wise; Many times, I felt
the questions were repetitive, so it was challenging coming up with different ways to answer questions which were very alike” (HK-5).
For students who required more auditory forms of learning, the app may have impeded the PLE. Also unintended redundancies may
have frustrated some students, particularly coupled with being tired and experiencing Wi-Fi issues. If simultaneous, these issues
certainly impeded the PLE of the students, and may have exacerbated other individual factors, such as feeling confused, lonely, and
homesick during the trip.

5. Discussion and conclusions

This SoTL qualitative research investigated the use of a mobile application for the purpose of journaling (i.e. reflection assignments)
during a short-term study abroad to China. Utilizing a personal learning environment (PLE) approach in the mobile “classroom”, the
findings revealed helpful teaching and learning strategies for study abroad instructors and the greater teaching community at large.
Results from this research uncovered two overarching themes: (1) Benefits and Advantages of the Journi app within the PLE; and (2)
Challenges and Disadvantages of the Journi App within the PLE. After the second round of coding was applied, 8 sub-themes emerged:
(1) Enjoyment of Use, (2) Tangible Memories, (3) Academic Innovativeness, (4) Interactivity, and (5) Functionality represent the
benefits derived from the analysis, and (1) Situational Factors, (2) Structural Challenges, and (3) App-Related Factors describe the
obstacles students experienced when learning in the PLE designed this study.
In the latter steps of the qualitative analysis procedure, the sub-themes were further scrutinized and interpreted according to their

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Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education xxx (xxxx) xxx
Fig. 1. Code co-occurrence model depicting the benefits and challenges of the Journi app and integration of PLE factors. Note: coding frequency depicted according to line thickness.
W. Wei et al. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education xxx (xxxx) xxx

relationships with either the Journi App, the PLE, or a combination of both (see Fig. 1). For example, Academic Innovativeness,
Functionality, and Interactivity were benefits pertaining to the use of the Jouri app, while Structural Challenges and App-Related
Factors pertained to the challenges associated with the Journi app in this study. These sub-themes were interpreted as relating
most closely with the use of the Journi app (Academic Innovativeness and Interactivity), its capabilities (Functionality), and its
constraints (Structural challenges and App-Related Factors).
Shared between the Benefits and Challenges in this study were sub-themes interpreted as most closely aligned with PLE factors,
which included Tangible Memories, Enjoyment of Use, and Situational Factors. What can also be gleaned from the conceptual model is
that while Tangible Memories and Enjoyment of Use were more closely related to Benefits (see frequency of coding according to line
thickness), Situational Factors were more closely related to Challenges. The interpretation of this finding is that both positive and
negative factors can simultaneously exist in the personal learning environment, and that Situational Factors, such as problems with Wi-
Fi and Internet accessibility, can impede learning and frustrate students.
Two sub-themes generated in this study, Academic Innovativeness and Structural Challenges, were deemed as factors pertaining to
both the Journi app and the PLE. For example, when student participants commented on the innovativeness of the Journi app for use in
a mobile “classroom”, they did so within the context of a personalized learning environment. The blending of smart devices in the face-
to-face classroom is not new, however the incorporation of smart devices in a traveling “classroom” might be considered a novelty at
the time of this study. As mentioned by one student participant, “I can actually see it being used in the classroom proper as a touchstone
to see where students might need more guidance and what is being retained” (SA-18).
Structural Challenges in this study also were interpreted as a factor shared between the use of the Journi app and the personal
learning environment. The majority of codes in this sub-theme related to challenges with using the Journi app (i.e. problems uploading
photos, confusion with on and offline capabilities, and concerns regarding late assignment posts) and crossed over into the fatigue the
student participants were experiencing during the technological challenges. Similar to the finding of PLE-related Situational Factors
described above, the finding that Structural Challenges intertwined negatively within the shared technology and PLE space,
demonstrated significant obstacles that the students encountered while on the trip, the degree to which was undetected by the
instructors.

5.1. Theoretical implications

This research contributes to the extant literature on personal learning environments (PLEs) by scrutinizing the effectiveness of the
use of personal mobile technology in improving students’ experiential learning performance. While the integration of smart devices in
the face-to-face classroom is not uncommon in both practice and research (Stephens & Pantoja, 2016; Sung et al., 2016; Uskov, Bakken,
& Pandey, 2015), the blending of smart devices in a traveling “classroom” might be a novelty at the time of this study. By testing the
effectiveness of mobile technology integration into an experiential learning process, this research adds to the knowledge base of
innovative experiential teaching methods and assessments. The findings from this study advocate for the use of mobile technologies to
create a PLE, which was found to foster student-centered learning in real time, encourage student participation, and offer innovative
experiential teaching and learning opportunities. Mobile learning (m-learning), the most recent disruption to e-learning and distance
learning, differs from the current e-learning models in that m-technologies engage learners who are mobile themselves (Koszalka &
Ntloedibe-Kuswani, 2010), which was found critical to the learning style of participants in the present research. Moreover, m-learning
envisions the learners as idea generators, content developers, and sharers of new knowledge (Koszalka & Ntloedibe-Kuswani, 2010;
Stead, 2006, pp. 6–15). The study abroad participants cited idea generation and sharing as one of the advantages to using the Journi
application.
This research also advances the growing literature on the use of technology and learning preferences of two generational cohorts -
Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z). The majority of the current cohort at the time of this study were Generation Z, with a few
Millennials (Goh & Lee, 2018), which was reflected in the age composition of the student participants in this research (not divulged
due to privacy). In the 21st century, education has been called to become more individualized for nurturing the individual talents and
abilities of modern students (Johnson et al., 2016, pp. 1–50). Exploring cohort characteristics and differences contributes to better
understanding students’ unique needs, wants, and expectations, and provides specific recommendations or approaches for educators
(Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2018). Consistent with prior studies (Chicca & Shellenbarger, 2018; Oblinger, 2003), this research found that
Millennials and Gen Z students were highly accustomed to communicating in an individualized, innovative, and technologically
advanced way. In addition to being motivated by learning through new technologies, both Millennials and Gen Z were inclined to
actively engage through interactions with peers and instructors (Cekada, 2012; Seemiller & Grace, 2017). This notion was supported in
this research by one of the salient recommendations raised by the study abroad students, which related to a need for more frequent
interactions with both instructors and peers via the PLE created by their mobile device, despite the fact that they interacted on a daily
basis for up to 12 h per day for 3 weeks. Another interesting finding was that the students expressed their preference for separating
their academic sphere from their personal sphere in the PLE, which advances previous studies advocating for different platforms for
school work and for social connections (Neier & Zayer, 2015).
Finally, the unique qualitative methodology applied in this research provides guidance for future study abroad research. A large
number of study abroad literature adopted interviews (e.g., Allen, 2010; Czerwionka, Artamonova, & Barbosa, 2015), surveys (e.g.,
Behnke et al., 2014; Paris, Nyaupane, & Teye, 2014), or focus groups (e.g., Cai, Wei, Lu, & Day, 2015; Murray Brux & Fry, 2010) post
the occurrence of a study abroad experience, in order to evaluate students’ experiences and perceptions related to their trip. This
research utilized mobile technology which enabled students to instantly document their reflections and thoughts on a daily basis. This
research also identified situational, structural, and app-related challenges associated with leveraging mobile devices during an

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experiential learning experience.

5.2. Practical implications for inclusion of learning apps in the PLE environment

Both the approach undertaken by this research and its results generate unique practical implications for educators/trainers,
schools/universities, as well as study abroad instructors and students. First, the approach of this research, by introducing personal
mobile devices for learning purposes, provides useful recommendations for educators and trainers to design effective PLEs in expe­
riential teaching and training educational initiatives. The current generations’ use of technology is dramatically intensified, and the
creative use of emerging technologies is “not just relevant and beneficial but absolutely imperative to foster the natural ability and
traits of today’s students” (Jones, Jo, & Martin, 2007, p. 3). The findings of this research demonstrate that by allowing students the
flexibility of using their personal mobile device in a learning process, this method of teaching and learning offers a convenient and
innovative way to capture instant feelings, thoughts, and reflections through mobile journaling, without going back to a computer and
editing first perceptions, leading to more productive and self-motivated learning. PLEs are thus helpful for academic and industry
practices particularly in terms of training and development; for instance, training blogs can be utilized for reflections, assessed by
educators and managers in real time.
This research also offers evidence that there are benefits for schools and universities to track students’ real-time reflections and
experiences throughout their study abroad programs, shedding light on the education curricula that should be transformed rather than
renovated. As found in this research, the benefits of encouraging students’ real-time reflections during experiential learning extended
beyond the commonly stressed academic learning purposes to include the enhancement of students’ engagement in self-reflection and
person-environment interactions for their personal growth. Given that traditional face-to-face interactions are increasingly being
replaced with innovative teaching and learning strategies and technological assistance to better connect students (Chicca & Shel­
lenbarger, 2018), findings from this research point to the need for seamless integration of mobile technologies in the increasingly
popular “mobile” classroom. With the changing pace of education, it is essential to “implement emerging technologies in order to keep
pace with the needs of the techno-hungry and techno-savvy Millennial and Generation-Z students” (Jones et al., 2007, p. 6).
Finally, the first-hand challenges shared by the students of this program offer valuable recommendations on how to better engage
students in the context of experiential learning. Despite the benefits a personal learning environment brings to experiential learning,
there also exist structural and situational challenges (e.g., inability to access discussion questions in advance, absence of a personal
mobile space separate from the mandatory academic mobile space, and unstable internet connection) faced by study abroad students
that could potentially impede their learning. Surprisingly, unless solicited, some students will not voice their problems and issues with
software, assignment design, etc. When faced with technological challenges, and this may exert an adverse impact on student
engagement and course satisfaction. The majority of the student participants of this study were from the generational cohorts of
Millennials and Generation Z, who are highly accustomed to communicating in a technologically advanced way. While these gen­
erations are willing to take part in testing new technologies, PLEs possess challenges, and it is up to instructors to create an overarching
environment which allows for dissent, or complaining behaviors. For instance, instructors can actively seek out feedback if technology
(apps) are working or not, and/or create an open classroom where (especially with new technology) students feel comfortable voicing
concerns and obstacles of said technology.

5.3. Limitations and suggestions for future research

This research generated unique implications for academia and the hospitality industry alike, yet the findings need to be interpreted
with caution due to some limitations at the time of the research. First, while 20–25 is commonly accepted as a reasonable sample size
for research of a qualitative nature (e.g, Li & Qi, 2019; Manoharan & Singal, 2019), it should be noted that the findings were based
upon one single study, and should be replicated with larger groups of students enrolled in a short-term study abroad program. Second,
the context of this research was a short-term study abroad to China, developed and led by two of the researchers and delivered great
value to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. In order to exert a more influential impact on experiential teaching and learning,
however, the research efforts undertaken in this study should be conducted in multiple cultural contexts (e.g., Chinese students’ use of
mobile journaling technologies in the U.S. or other Western countries) to determine the cultural perspective on the topics of interest.
Third, this qualitative research identified the salient benefits and challenges study abroad students experienced in a PLE created by a
mobile application. It will be interesting for future research to quantitatively measure how much the identified situational factors
impact the benefits; and/or conversely, how much the benefits attenuate the negative impacts.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Wei Wei: Conceptualization, Design of study, Data curation, Formal analysis, Data analysis and interpretation, Writing - original
draft, preparation, Writing - review & editing. Cynthia Mejia: Conceptualization, Design of study, Data curation, Formal analysis,
Data analysis and interpretation, Writing - original draft, preparation, Writing - review & editing. Ruoxi Qi: Writing - original draft,
preparation, Data curation, formatting.

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