27773 Guiding and Interpretation Management

Faculty of Business: Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Postgraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Handbook description

Students undertake a program that develops their skills as interpretative tourism guides and understand the management of this area of a company/agency. The program focuses on the roles of leadership and small group communication to develop an understanding of the skills that are required of a guide and to manage this area. Interpretation, and the forms it takes in areas such as heritage, museums, protected areas, is explored to enable the student to meet the needs and expectations of potential clients when operating or managing guiding. Environmental, outdoor and experiential education methods and techniques are presented to develop skill in the areas of guiding and interpretation such as an understanding of ecological concepts, risk management, legal liability etc. The program uses an experiential learning approach based in a variety of settings but particularly focuses on the outdoors.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

Define the various forms of communication in relation to tourism/visitor management and to describe the advantages and disadvantages of the types of communication used in guiding and leading groups;
Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the preparation and delivery of various personal and non-personal interpretation methods for tour groups;
Understand the politics of display/presentation/interpretation as it relates to incorporating cultural difference (cultural sensitivity); and
Understand the legal and visitor management issues that relate to guiding and leading small groups indifferent environments, including site, level of visitation, laws and regulations, risk management, signage etc..

Contribution to graduate profile

This unit is an elective within the Graduate Courses in the School of Leisure and Tourism Studies. The subject will provide the basis for students in arts management, tourism management and leisure management who have an interest in tourism/visitor management as it relates to guiding and interpretation. It will provide the basis for an area that is seen to be of increasing importance in these Industries.

Content

The subject `Guiding and Interpretation Management provides the basic skills and knowledge needed to manage or operate this area in the tourism industry. It builds on areas such as group interaction, small group leadership, interpretation, environmental and experiential education, heritage management to provide the student with a sound basis to manage guiding and interpretation in a variety of settings.

It will deal with the theoretical and practical aspects of these various communication forms needed to operate as an tourism/visitor guide. It will provide the skills to take the ideas found in interpretation and apply them to small groups. This will include areas such as a knowledge of the setting and how to transfer this in an interesting and informative manner.

Assessment

Design and Programming Exercise	50%
The objective of this exercise is to focus on and develop a critical appreciation for the management issues involved in tourism operations and how guiding and interpretation are an important part of the communication of these issues to the tourist/visitor. The student will design and a present a specific interpretation exercise based on a visitor management issue for a chosen client group. This should include a brochure and other information which is necessary to convey a message to the client. It will examine leadership and small group communication as it relates to this issue and a tour group (35% Exercise, 15% Presentation). This addresses objectives 1-4.
Guiding Exercise	50%
Produce an activity program for a guided walk and lead that walk. This will focus on leadership and group activities and the use of experiential learning for small group activities. This will include the demonstration of safety and legal issues appropriate to this area of a company's/agency's operation. This addresses objectives 1, 2 and 4.

Recommended text(s)

As no suitable text exists in this area a reader and operating manual will be prepared.

Indicative references

Beck, L. and Cable, T. (2002) Interpretation for the 21st century: fifteen guiding principles for interpreting nature and culture, Champaign, Ill. Sagamore.

Collinsm V.R., (2000) Becoming a tour guide: principles of guiding site interpretation, London: Continuum.

Pastorelli, J., (2003) Enriching the experience : an interpretive approach to tour guiding, Frenchs Forest, N.S.W: Pearson Education Australia.