Despite its significant damage to the hospitality and tourism industry, the pandemic of COVID-19 indeed has reinforced the needs for not only the hospitality and tourism education, but also the whole educational system of Vietnam, to make use of technological innovations in education, among which synchronous conferencing tools are currently utilized for changing their mode from physical classroom to online learning. This study adopts the constructivist approaches to propose a training course designed to enhance the skills needed for teaching with synchronous conferencing technology for teachers in Vietnam's hospitality and tourism institutions. We based on the current literature to identify the necessary skills to implement classes via synchronous conferencing environments. We also selected and designed learning activities to translate constructivist teaching theory into online pedagogies. Although it needs to be evaluated in further studies, this course design is expected to contribute to the growing literature on methods to improve instructors’ readiness to teach in virtual classrooms.

Purpose As Vietnam needs to shift from physical to virtual classrooms owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to propose and evaluate a constructivist training course designed to improve instructors’ self-confidence in conducting synchronous online teaching by helping them develop the skills required for such. Design/methodology/approach A total of 67 in-service instructors in various hospitality and tourism institutions in Vietnam participated in the proposed course. Constructivist approaches were adopted to design learning activities. Delivered via Blackboard Collaborate’s classroom version, the course aims at enhancing instructors’ self-confidence in the knowledge and skills required for synchronous online teaching: developing online presence, planning lessons, handling technology, adapting to learners’ preferences and classroom management. Using qualitative and quantitative analyses, this paper evaluated the proposed course by comparing participants’ levels of self-confidence in conducting synchronous online teaching before and after the training. Findings The results show that participants’ self-confidence was enhanced after the course. To improve the course, however, more time should be allotted for practice sessions where participants can pedagogically and technologically familiarize themselves with online teaching tools. Originality/value By translating constructivism into online pedagogy, this study provided empirical evidence of how a teachers’ training program was designed and implemented to meet the need to shift from real-life to real-time classrooms in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also contributes to the growing literature on methods of improving instructors’ readiness in synchronous online teaching.

This paper adopts the hybrid use of soft systems methodology (SSM) as a process of inquiry into understanding the lack of a framework for evidence-based teaching (EBT) in hospitality and tourism education in Vietnam. By combining SSM techniques with interview data, we also develop an EBT framework for the hospitality and tourism profession. The proposed framework addresses three essential sources of evidence for teaching: (1) research-based professional and pedagogical methods, (2) industry-based materials to ensure education-industry linkage, and (3) instructors’ knowledge, experience and assumptions about their teaching roles in the classroom. This conceptual framework can be used as a guideline for conducting relevant curriculum renewal and pedagogical reforms in hospitality and tourism institutions in Vietnam.