iExperience, iLearn, iConserve: A comparison of mobile-driven, physical and guided interpretation for sustainable transformative learning

The discourse on sustainable tourism commonly advocates the value of effective interpretation in ensuring positive environmental outcomes, learning opportunities and visitor satisfaction. While environmental interpretation has been extensively discussed across various dimensions of sustainable tourism, the evaluation of different interpretative techniques available vis-à-vis their effectiveness in achieving sustainable transformative learning has not been explored. Moreover, while studies have examined the dimensions for effective learning within the contexts of pedagogy, technology-enhanced learning and transformative/experiential learning, there is yet to be an investigation of mobile-driven interpretation for sustainable transformative learning. This study aims to present a comparison of mobile-driven, physical and guided interpretation for sustainable transformative learning. Specifically, it examines the effectiveness of the different interpretative tools in achieving sustainable tourism, conservation and visitor learning outcomes. The study explores research themes within the domains of (1) environmental interpretation and visitor experiences, and (2) experiential and transformative learning for sustainable tourism. Qualitative research data were collected from field trips to a nature-based attraction in Singapore by a group of (85) undergraduate students taking a sustainable tourism module. Keywords: Transformative learning; Experiential learning; Mobile learning; Environmental interpretation; Sustainable tourism.