Hawaii Pacific University aims to give students a more meaningful learning experience through project based learning. The teaching method allows students to learn and gain knowledge and skills by working on a defined project over time. This approach gives students an opportunity to work with a real problem, creating excitement and a deeper learning experience.
Wendy Lam is an associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at HPU and the recipient of the 2018 Teacher of the Year award. She uses project based learning to create unique projects in many of her classes, such as Hospitality Marketing and Introduction to Business. Lam says it all starts with identifying the learning objective. From there, she goes on to establish a realistic timeline for her students. HI Now Host Jobeth Devera explored a project HPU students completed at Paradise Bay Resort in Kaneohe.
About Wendy Lam
Wendy Lam has been a faculty and administrator at HPU since 1988. Currently, she is the Chair of the Hospitality & Tourism Management program. Lam often represents HPU and travels to various parts of Asia to conduct seminars, visit partner universities, and participate in education fairs. The courses she teaches include: Introduction to Travel Industry Management, Travel Industry Marketing, Introduction to Business, and Principles of Management.
About Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University is a private, nonprofit university on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. The campuses in downtown Honolulu and at the foot of the Ko’olau Mountains on the windward side of the island enable students to enjoy the best of both worlds; a vibrant, international city and a stunningly-beautiful, tropical setting. And with students and faculty from around the world, it is one of the most culturally-rich, private universities in the U.S.
Fusing this unmatched cultural diversity with personal support and a deliberately intimate learning environment, HPU enables students to get up-close and personal with the subjects they’re most passionate about. And when they do, when they look closer, they are empowered to see further and to do more. It’s how the institution ensures its graduates enter a competitive global workplace market-ready.
In 2016, the Princeton Review named HPU a “Best in the West” university. That same year, The Chronicle of Higher Education named HPU the most diverse private nonprofit university in the nation. And just this year, The New York Times listed HPU as one of the top 8% of private colleges in the nation for graduates’ income mobility; students also enjoy the #1 return on investment in the Islands.
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