Optimizing learning outcomes in aesthetic education through technological integration: AR/VR applications in hospitality aesthetics course

In light of today’s experience economy and the forthcoming era of smart-technology and the metaverse, the aesthetic education needs to be revolutionized. In particular, integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) into such courses has been proven to significantly enrich the learning experience and enhance its effectiveness. This study aims to explore the effects of AR and VR on boosting hospitality students’ aesthetic literacy via aesthetic education. A quasi-experiment was carried out using the Aesthetic Dining Experience Design (ADED) course, with a primary focus on the integration of AR/VR technology as an educational tool. The main objective was to evaluate its impact on learning outcomes, specifically in enhancing students’ aesthetic literacy. The findings show that students from both the control and experimental groups achieved enhanced aesthetic literacy through ADED. Furthermore, the students in the experimental group who received AR/VR-assisted learning demonstrated significantly superior comprehension of the knowledge and skills related to the dining environment, the meals served, and employee- and consumption-related aesthetic literacy under the framework of hospitality aesthetic literacy. The details and implications are discussed further in this article.