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VIII. Course outcomes and assessments

FSN 330 Introduction to Food Science

IFT Competency Learning Outcome

Bloom’s Taxonomy Assessment Tool(s) Learning Activities

Understanding the principles underlying the properties and reactions of various food components

Identify the major and minor constituents of food and the chemical reactions in which they participate

II

Written examinations Classroom lectures and discussions

Reading textbook and use of websites for clarification of material

Be able to identify the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in foods and the conditions under which they will grow

Understand the role and significance of microbial inactivation, adaptation and environmental factors (i.e., Aw, pH, temperature) on growth and response of microorganisms in various environments

Recognize the major food borne pathogens, foods usually associated with these pathogens, and means to control or prevent their growth in foods

II

Written examinations Classroom lectures and discussion

Reading textbook and class handouts, use of CDC and FDA websites

Be able to identify the conditions under which the important pathogens are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

Understand the principles involving food preservation via fermentation

Understand the properties and uses of various packaging materials

Describe the principles involved in the processing of the major types of food products

II-III

Written examinations

Class Project

Classroom lectures and discussion

Reading textbook

Food Product Development Exercise

Be able to identify the conditions, including sanitation practices, under which the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

Explain the principles involved in the processing of the major types of food products

II


Reading textbook and class handouts, use of CDC and FDA websites

Know the spoilage and deterioration mechanisms in foods and methods to control deterioration and spoilage

Understand the principles of food spoilage and the ways to prevent

II


Reading textbook


Bloom’s Taxonomy Assessment Tool(s) Learning Activities

or retard deterioration

Understand the unit operations required to produce a given product

Define unit operations and be able to develop a total process using unit operations

II-III


Class project


Dr. Paul Singh’s Food Engineering website


Be able to apply the principles of Food Science in practical, real-world situations and problems

Use various media to keep abreast of the latest development in food science and nutrition

III-V

Instructor observation and student participation

Group Food Product Development Exercise

Student weekly written and oral reports

Class response to situations posed by instructor

Be able to apply the principles of Food Science to control and assure quality of food products

Understand the principles of food spoilage and ways to prevent or retard deterioration

Be familiar with food quality and the methods that are used to measure it

II


Class project



Be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry

Use various media to keep abreast of the latest development in food science and nutrition

III-V

Instructor observation and student participation

Student weekly written and oral reports

Understand government regulations required for the manufacture and sale of food products

Describe the function of food additives in food processing

II-III

Written examination

Class project

Class room lecture and discussion

Food additives assignment

FSN 330 Summary of assessment results to date:

Introduction to Food Science (FSN 330) was designed to provide students with an overview of

Food Science with emphasis on food processing, food quality and how it can be measured, food

safety and food additives. The assessment tools used to measure learning outcomes include

written examinations, a class project, individual assignments and instructor observation.

Since the last IFT review of our program, a few changes have been made in the Introduction to

Food Science course in order to improve the expected learning outcomes. To reduce the amount

of time students spend attempting to copy all of the text from the PowerPoint slides, a student

version of the lectures is posted to a FirstClass folder prior to class. Using this format, students

are able to actively participate when I pose questions for class discussion during lecture. Class

participation has increased from one to two students to include over half of the class of 40

students.

Based on student evaluations, the unit operations lectures for the class have been eliminated and

unit operations are now discussed as part of the lectures for the processing of specific

commodities. I have been able to use Dr. Paul Singh’s website to demonstrate how individual

unit operations work (i.e. a plate pasteurizer for diary foods). This website is an excellent

resource for the visual learner. In looking at exam scores on essay questions addressing unit

operations, this change has enhanced the students understanding of the function of unit

operations in a unit process. Scores have gone from an average of 70-75% to 80 to 85%. In

addition, students working on their group product development projects are better able to

determine the unit operations necessary to manufacture their product. I have been able to assess

this improvement when viewing their group presentations and written project reports.

Three years ago, after serving as a judge for the Food Product Development Competition at the

FAA National Convention, I modified their exercise for my Introduction to Food Science class.

Working in teams of five students they are given a scenario for a new product including

ingredients with costs, packaging with costs, etc. During the semester the teams work on

developing their product and the last week of class they make a PowerPoint Presentation to the

entire class. A written project report is also turned in at the end of the presentation. The

importance of this exercise is that it provides an opportunity for group work while incorporating

many of the concepts from lecture into a single project. From the ability of the team members to

answer questions from their fellow students and the instructor, I can determine how well they

understand product formulation and costing, packaging, unit operations, food safety, etc. Student

evaluations since this exercise was introduced to the class have indicated that this activity is the

one the students enjoy the most and the one they felt was most beneficial in terms of

understanding food science. Of the twenty-four presentations made over the past three years,

eighteen of them received a grade of 90 or higher.

A second project was added to the class to provide students with a better understanding of the

difference between a new food product, a line extension or a reformulation of an existing

product. Prior to adding this exercise, most students didn’t fully understand these concepts.

Before the lecture on product development, each student is asked to bring to class what they

perceive to be a new food product. They then tell the class why they believe their product is truly

a new food product. This is followed by the lecture on food product development where these

three concepts are discussed. Following the lecture, each student again tells the class if they

believe their product is truly a new food product and why. This exercise has lead to a number of

lively discussions with 100% of the class better understanding the difference between a new food

product, a line extension or a reformulation of an existing food product.

Exams have continued to be an important assessment tool for this class with essay questions

being used to determine if students have at least a basic understanding of food processing and

food quality. When grading exams I will look for areas where students appear to have trouble

grasping concepts. This allows me to repeat the material in class and to look for websites which

may use a different approach to present the material. Exam format includes factual material from

lectures, which students tend to master easily. Grades on the factual questions average between

80 and 85%. Other questions on exams require students to apply the information presented in the

classroom and this is where average grades are generally lower (70-75%). For example, when

presented with the pH of a food product and the pKas for a set of antimicrobial agents they have

difficulty determining which preservative would be most effective in that product. In the past,

less than 50% of the students were able to correctly answer this question. For last fall’s class, I

spent an additional 10 minutes in lecture using a website and drawings to explain the concepts

involved in selecting an antimicrobial agent and the mechanism of their actions. The average

grade on this question for last fall improved to 80%.

In addition to the group Product Development project, a second exercise is also used to provide

an opportunity for students to address their peers. Each Friday 6-8 students are selected to make

a two to three minute presentation related to a new advance in food science, nutrition, food

engineering, etc. This exercise not only addresses student’s oral communication skills, but also

keeps the class informed of some of the latest advances in food science and human nutrition. A

question from these presentations is included on each of the exams.

FSN 340 Food Processing Laboratory

IFT Competency Learning Outcome Bloom’s

Taxonomy Assessment Tool(s) Learning Activities

Be able to use laboratory techniques common to basic and applied food chemistry

Use laboratory instrumentation (pH meter, refractometer, colorimeter, viscometer, and texture analyzer) to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of food products

IV

Survey

Instructor observation

Instructor grading of lab reports and group project

Pre-and post course survey

Weekly lab exercises with hands on use of instrumentation

Product development group project

Understand the basic principles of sensory evaluation

Describe the basic principles of sensory evaluation

II

Pre-lab quizzes and questions

Instructor grading of sensory evaluation lab report

Sensory evaluation lab exercise

Demonstrate the use of oral and written communication skills

Write a comprehensive lab report using data generated during laboratory

Prepare a Power Point presentation

VI

Instructor grading of lab reports

Use of rubric to grade oral and written project reports

Weekly lab reports and written group project

Power point presentation of group project

Work and/or interact with individuals from diverse cultures

Design and implement a product development project

Instructor and TA observations during lab exercises

Groups of 3-4 students work together on each week’s lab and the group project. Groups often include students from diverse cultures

Work effectively with others Use laboratory instrumentation (pH meter, refractometer, colorimeter, viscometer, and texture analyzer) to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of food products


IV

Instructor and TA observations during laboratory

Survey

Groups of 3-4 students work together on each weeks lab

Group evaluation form

Provide leadership in a variety of situations

Take a leadership role as part of a group project

III

Instructor and TA observations during group project work

Student evaluation of group members

Students are assigned a leadership role for specific segments of the group project (i.e. concept development, prototype development, etc.)

Deal with individual and/or group conflict

Take a leadership role as part of a group project III


Interactions of assigned leader with group members in building consensus for group project

Independently research scientific and nonscientific information

Write a comprehensive lab report using data generated during laboratory

VI

Evaluation of written lab reports

Lab reports

Competently use library resources

Manage time effectively

Handle multiple tasks and pressures

Write a comprehensive lab report using data generated during the laboratory class


III

Lab reports & group project grading

Instructor and TA observations during labs

Requirement of references for lab reports and group project

Weekly lab exercises

Group project

Facilitate group projects Design and implement a product development project

Take a leadership role as part of a group project

III


Student evaluation of group members

Group project development from project concept to final presentation


Students completing FSN 340 should have a basic understanding of food processing and some of

the instrumentation that can be used to assess product quality. Each student should be able to

write a comprehensive lab report following the general style of the Journal of Food Science.

Students should be able to work affectively as a member of a team and to take a leadership role

when necessary. The assessment tools that have been used to measure learning outcomes include

surveys, pre-lab quizzes and questions, instructor and teaching assistant observations, lab reports,

and rubrics to measure group project presentations and reports, and student evaluation forms.

Since the last IFT review of our program, we have made a number of significant changes in the

Food Processing Laboratory class. These changes have been made in response to observations

made by the instructor and teaching assistant as well as to comments on student evaluations.

Three major areas of concern have been the failure of the students to read the lab manual prior to

coming to lab, the poor quality of written lab reports, and the student’s lack of familiarity with

lab instrumentation that was used for individual lab exercises and for group projects. These areas

of concern negatively impact the learning outcomes that we expect each student to achieve for

this class.

To address the students failure to read the laboratory exercise prior to the start of class, a WebCT

component was added to the course. For each laboratory exercise, we developed a pre-lab quiz as

well as a set of pre-lab questions that were based on that week’s lab. In addition, two to three

websites with information on the concepts for that week’s lab were provided for students. The

pre-lab quizzes and questions were made available to students for 48 hours prior to the start of

lab. These two components account for 28% of the student’s grade. Based on results over the last

two years, approximately 95% of students complete the pre-lab quizzes and pre-lab questions

each week. During my pre-lab lectures, I have found that students can now answer my questions

concerning the objective(s) for that week’s lab. Over 60% of students have visited the websites

provided on WebCT. Prior to implementing the pre-lab quizzes and questions as assessment

tools only 15-20% of the students had read the lab prior to coming to class.

To assess the student’s ability to understand the concepts involved in the use of laboratory

equipment as well as their familiarity with its use, we developed a pre and post-class survey

which was first administrated in 2003. Based on the five year results of the pre-class survey

which has been completed by over 150 students, we have found that over 50% of the students

have no or minimal experience with the concepts and use of the instrumentation to measure

water activity, texture, color, calories, microbiological or organoleptic characteristics of foods.

In order to address these issues lab exercises were modified to include more hands on experience

with the processing equipment and the instrumentation used to measure product characteristics.

In addition a WebCT component was added to the class which included several websites with

information on the theory behind the instrumentation that would be used for that weeks lab

exercise. When the pre-class survey was again administered at the end of the course over 80% of

the class felt they had a moderate to very experienced understanding of the concepts involved

with each piece of equipment and instrumentation. Over 85% of students felt they could operate

the equipment or instrumentation with a minimum amount of supervision. Statistical analysis of

the data from last year’s pre- and post-class survey demonstrated a significant (p≤0.005) increase

in the students’ understanding of the lab exercise concepts and their ability to use the laboratory

equipment and instrumentation. One area that students still seem to have difficulty understanding

is the use of the bomb calorimeter to measure food energy. During this semester’s lab, we will

use an animation in the pre-lab lecture to address this issue.

Quality of lab reports continues to be an area of major concern that we have tried to address

using a number of strategies to include extensive pre-lab lectures and more recently the use of

the following website (http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite). I have found that sophomores and juniors

taking this class have no understanding of what constitutes a comprehensive lab report. Over the

three years following our last review, the average grade on the first lab report (for approximately

90 students) was 7 out of ten. Students do not know the difference between Tables and Figures or

how to formulate Tables and Figures so that they will stand alone in a lab report. Discussion of

lab results tends to be brief and not comprehensive. Areas of strengths have been Introduction

and Methods and Materials sections of lab reports. After two years of using pre-lab lectures to

reiterate the lab report information in the class syllabus, the student’s average grade on the first

lab report improved by only 0.5 points. During the first lab session of the semester, I now use

the Labwrite website to demonstrate the requirements for a comprehensive lab report. Using

Labwrite as a tool has resulted in an average grade of 8.5 on the first lab report. In addition as

students generate results from the labs, I will ask them to explain their results based on the pre-

lab lecture and information presented on the websites for that particular lab. By performing this

activity, I have seen a 40 to 50% improvement in the Discussion section of their lab reports. I

have thought about letting students rewrite lab reports for up to a 50% increase in their grade, but

with 40-50 lab reports to grade each week this would be extremely difficult.

To assess the Group Project I use a rubric for the oral presentation and written report. The rubrics

are posted to WebCT at the beginning of the semester and groups are reminded several times the

last month of the class to review them prior to preparing their oral presentation and written

report. Oral presentations in general are excellent with grades falling between 80 and 95. Written

Group Project reports are generally of poorer quality with grades ranging from 70 to 90. Problem

areas as with weekly lab reports are incomplete discussion of results. The inability to think

critically is a major reason for this problem. As we work with students on interpreting results

from their weekly lab reports, we should see an improvement in their group project report.

Development of leadership skills is an important aspect of this class, and is assessed through

observations by the instructor and the TA. Each student in a group is assigned to be the leader for

two or more aspects of the group project. In addition, at the completion of the Group Project

students are asked to unanimously assign a grade from 60 to 100 to the members of their group.

Only rarely will the students give a group member a grade of less than 90 even though the

instructor and TA are aware that some group members have contributed little to the project. I still

struggle with finding a means to get students to honestly assess the contribution of their fellow

team members to the group project. For the time being, I rely on the observations made by the

TA and myself.

FSN 396 Field Experience



Be able to apply and incorporate the principles of Food Science in practical, real-world situations and problems

Be able to apply the principles of Food Science to control and assure the quality of food products

Complete independent projects assigned by their supervisor

III

Instructor grading of oral presentation and written report

Ability to answer questions from faculty and peers following oral presentation

Weekly log of activities

Oral presentation of Field Experience

Written report of Field Experience

Demonstrate the use of oral and written communication skills

Write a comprehensive report detailing Field Experience

Prepare a Power Point presentation

V

Instructor grading of oral presentation and written report

Oral presentation of Field Experience

Written report of Field Experience


Three years ago, in order to provide students with experience in the food industry, all food

science students were required to complete an Internship. The Internship is performed under FSN

396 Field Experience and is graded as a Pass/Fail class. The class is generally taken for 3 credits.

The Field Experience course follows the guidelines established by the University of Maine

through their Co-op/Internship program. To date student interns have been employed in quality

assurance, product development and food processing positions. For their oral presentations and

written reports in addition to discussing their job responsibilities, students are asked to comment

on the positive and negative aspects of their internships. Based on the presentations and written

reports, it is evident that the internships have had a positive impact on the student’s level of

maturity and their ability to work with minimum supervision. The other important aspect of the

internships has been that students have been given hands on training in areas that employer

surveys have mentioned as lacking in their formal class work. For example, one student as part

of his internship was given responsibility for performing an in plant audit of their frozen product

line. Another student was given responsibility for purchasing the equipment and establishing the

quality control protocols for a small cheese processor.

In order to strengthen the student’s internship experience, we are currently developing a survey

for employers to provide the Department faculty with formal input on the student’s preparedness

for the internship and their contribution to the company. This information can be used as one tool

to modify our curriculum to better prepare our students for employment in the food industry.

FSN 436 Food Law



Know how to use computers to solve Food Science problems

Use federal and state websites to locate information relating to food laws and regulations

II-IV


Assignments

On-line lectures

Weekly assigned questions to be answered and graded

Be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry


Discuss the current and proposed food law legislation and its importance to current regulations

II & IV

On-line class discussions

Assignments

On-line lectures, federal and state government websites

Essays

WebCT discussion folder


Understand the law making process as it applies to food and food technology II


Assignments

On-line lectures


Independently research scientific and nonscientific information


Discuss the current and proposed foods law legislation and its importance to current regulations

Interpret information on food labels

II


Assignments

On-line lectures


Essays

Competently use library resources


Describe the law making process as it applies to food and food technology

II

Assignments Weekly assigned questions to be answered and graded

Essays


Upon completion of Food Law students should have a basic understanding of the law making

process at both the federal and state level. Students should be able to search federal and state

websites to locate information related to food laws and regulations. They should be familiar with

the major provisions of current food laws and regulations (i.e. FDCA, NELA, etc). The

assessment tools used to measure the learning outcomes for this class haven’t changed

significantly since the course was developed ten years ago and include weekly assignments, class

discussions, written examinations and three essays. The major changes have been in who teaches

the course and how the course is delivered.

Until five years ago Food Law was team taught as a traditional classroom course. Since 2004, I

have had sole responsibility for teaching Food Law and in 2004 we introduced a WebCT

component to the class to handle written assignments. As improved instructional technologies

became available, it was determined the Food Law would lend itself to delivery as an on-line

course. Thus in 2005, Food Law was converted to an on-line class with the WebCT platform

being used to foster communication among class members and the instructor. All assignments,

examinations and grading were handled through WebCT. The examination format was changed

from traditional exams to take home exams requiring students to use the information from the

lectures and external websites to answer the questions.

One lecture is taped and aired each week using Camtasia. Imbedded within the lecture are 10 to

fifteen questions that students have one week to answer and submit to the instructor through

WebCT. Questions are structured to be factual based or critical thinking based. Grades on factual

based questions average 90% while the average grade on critical thinking based questions

average 75%. Based on the grades for the entire class, the instructor can determine areas that

require further clarification and pose questions for discussion through WebCT.

Examinations questions are also structured to be either factual or critical thinking based.

Questions are posted to WebCT and students have 48 hours to complete and submit to the

instructor. In general, students score well on factual based questions and poorer on critical

thinking based questions. Examples of questions asked on exams during the Spring 2009 class

with class averages follow:

1. You are the Director for Regulatory Affairs for a large chemical company. The head

for Product Development comes to you and says they have a new chemical

compound that shows great promise as an antimicrobial agent in refrigerated

salads. How would you proceed to get FDA approval for this new antimicrobial

agent? Provide some detail on what would need to be submitted to FDA. (85%)

2. You are an FDA inspector and on visiting a processing plant you notice the

following label on a product being manufactured in the facility. Old Fashioned

Willow’s Wild Apple Jelly “pectin-free”. Would you take regulatory action? Fully

explain your answer. (70%)

3. Below is an example of a Food Label for Nonfat Milk and an ingredient statement

for a flavored snack cracker. Please comment based on current food labeling

regulations. (75%)

Ingredient statement for snack cracker

Flour, water, sugar, vegetable oil, lecithin, Sodium caseinate, salt, ground nuts,

seafood flavor

Students’ grades on the three essays range from 60 to 100% and points are typically deducted for

superficially covering the topic, poor grammar and sentence structure and not citing references.

In an attempt to improve essay grades for the Spring 2009 class, three to four specific questions

were posed with the title for each essay. The questions were selected to focus students on the

important points that should be considered when developing their essay. Overall, the quality of

the essays improved in terms of the breadth of coverage of the topic.

High

source of

Vitamin A,

Vitamin D

& Calcium

FSN 438 Food Microbiology



be able to identify the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in foods and the conditions under which they will grow

Know important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in food and the conditions under which they will grow

I

Written Examination

Classroom lecture and discussion

be able to identify the conditions under which the important pathogens are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

Explain the conditions under which the important pathogens are inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

II

Written Examination


be able to utilize laboratory techniques to identify microorganisms in foods

Determine important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms using laboratory techniques common to food sample testing.

III

Instructor evaluation of written laboratory report; Instructor observations during laboratory; Practical examination

Lab partners work together to analyze pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Procedures start from sample preparation, quantitative (such as plating) and qualitative analysis (including enrichment, isolation/identification, and confirmation)

understand the principles involving food preservation via fermentation processes

Explain the principles of food preservation and fermentation

II

Written Examination


understand the role and significance of microbial inactivation, adaptation and environmental factors (i.e., Aw, pH, temperature) on growth and response of microorganisms in various environments

Explain the importance of microbial inactivation, adaptation and environmental factors (i.e., Aw, pH, temperature) on growth and response of microorganisms in various conditions.

II

Written Examination


be able to identify the conditions, including sanitation practices, under which the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

Determine conditions, including sanitation practices, under which the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods

III

Written Examination




know the spoilage and deterioration mechanisms in foods and methods to control deterioration and spoilage

Apply methods to control deterioration and spoilage

III

Written Examination


Classroom problem solving

understand the principles that make a food product safe for consumption

Explain the principles that make a food product safe for consumption

II

Written Examination Classroom lecture and discussion

understand the basic principles and practices of cleaning and sanitation in food processing operations

Explain the basic principles and practices of cleaning and sanitation in food processing operations

II

Written Examination Classroom lecture and discussion


Students completing FSN 438 Food Microbiology should have a basic knowledge about

important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in food and the conditions under which they

will grow. Each student should be able to determine important pathogens and spoilage

microorganisms using laboratory techniques common to food sample testing. The assessment

tools that have been used to measure learning outcomes include quizzes, written and practical

exams, written laboratory report, instructor observations, lab reports, and student evaluation

forms.

Since the last IFT review of our program, this course has a number of significant changes in the

Lecture and Laboratory sections in order to improve the expected learning outcomes. Through

the evaluations of laboratory reports and observations in lab, I have noted student’s lack of

familiarity with general procedures and lab instrumentation that were used for individual lab

exercises, therefore a lab manual entitled “Food Microbiology Laboratory Manual” was created

to improve the outcomes and students have a better way to read and follow the laboratory

activity. Study questions are also provided in the laboratory manual to help students to write the

discussion in the lab report. When exams were used to assess the students' ability to explain

concepts of principles of food preservation, some students misunderstood principles of the

techniques and the calculation used in the preservation process, therefore the lecture material was

modified and performance on that section of the exam improved. Based on student evaluations,

to reduce the amount of time students spend attempting to copy all of the text from the

PowerPoint slides during the lecture, slide handouts are provided in the class. I have also

incorporated the University’s First-Class electronic communication platform folder into the class

for additional lecture notes, reviews, and questions.

Exams have continued to be an important assessment tool for this class with essay questions

being used to determine if students have at least a basic understanding of food microbiology.

When grading exams I look for areas where students appear to have trouble grasping concepts.

This allows me to repeat the material in class.

FSN 482 Food Chemistry



Understand the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of various food components

Describe the composition, structure, and properties of water, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, and pigments in foods.

II


Classroom lecture and discussions.

Reading text and “applied” articles from food industry trade magazines.

Have sufficient knowledge of food chemistry to control reactions in foods Understand the major chemical reactions that limit shelf life of foods

Explain the chemistry underlying the reactions of food components, how they effect shelf life, and how to control those reactions

II-III


Instructor evaluation of paper.

Instructor evaluation of applied antioxidant assignment.


Reading text and “applied” articles from food industry trade magazines.

Writing a short paper about a technical topic in food chemistry for a general audience.

Investigating and reporting on antioxidant ingredients in a commercially available packaged/processed food product.


Food Chemistry is offered on an every-other-year rotation. Written exams (4) are the primary

assessment tool to determine whether students have met the following two learning outcomes:

1) Describe the composition, structure, and properties of water, lipids, protein, carbohydrates,

enzymes, and pigments in food

2) Explain the chemistry underlying the reactions of food components, how they effect shelf

life, and how to control those reactions.

In-class written exams consist of short answer and essay questions. Most of these questions ask

students to list, describe, explain, and identify (Bloom’s taxonomy level 2). However, exams also

contain at least one question with graphical data and one designed to evaluate ability to

synthesize information and solve problems (Blooms taxonomy level 3). Students do best on the

short answer and essay questions, which only require them to memorize the information. In order

to improve performance on the more difficult questions, I have spent more class time going over

figures and describing some of the ways that I could potentially use figures as an integral

component of a written exam. Now that students realize that I will likely use figures in an exam,

the less confident students have started coming to my office hours specifically to discuss figures,

which has increased their understanding and performance. The last time the class was taught, I

also discussed the levels of Bloom’s taxonomy with the students. Although that sounds very dry,

I think it really helped some of the students to understand why and how I structured exam

questions, and made them think more about their own learning.

There are two homework assignments in the course. Although they do not make up a large part

of the grade, they also help me to evaluate the two outcomes described above. In assignment #1,

students demonstrate the ability to recognize antioxidants in processed foods and whether they

are natural or synthetic, and describe the roles of the antioxidants in that specific food. I have

spent more class time discussing the requirements for the assignment, and students have typically

done well on it the last five years. In assignment #2, students demonstrate their ability to

understand and summarize original research from the scientific literature regarding a specific

food chemistry topic (ie enzymatic browning) and write a brief non-technical short paper that a

lay person could understand. This assignment replaced a similar previous assignment. In the

former assignment students wrote a more scientific paper about a food chemistry topic for a

technical audience. It was longer and the use of scientific jargon was allowed. The new

assignment actually follows the format of the IFT Education Division’s Undergraduate Writing

Competition, which was developed to help students learn how to communicate scientific

information to a non-technical audience. I switched the format of the paper because I felt that if

students could interpret scientific information and communicate it to a non-technical audience;

this would clearly show that they understand the underlying food chemistry.

FSN 483 Food Chemistry Laboratory



Understand the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of various food components Have sufficient knowledge of food chemistry to control reactions in foods Understand the major chemical reactions that limit shelf life of foods

Explain the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of food components and how to control those reactions. I-III

Evaluation of research reports and papers.

Written quizzes.

Lecture, demonstration, and discussion.

Reading laboratory manual.

Learning about chemical reactions in foods through laboratory experimentation.

Be able to use the laboratory techniques common to basic and applied food chemistry

Understand the principles behind analytical techniques associated with food

Work competently in the laboratory, utilizing a wide array of common techniques and instruments in a safe and efficient manner. Collect scientific data and make valid conclusions from that data.

III-V


Observation of students during laboratory sessions.

Evaluation of laboratory notebooks.

Written quizzes.

Working together in 2-person teams to conduct laboratory experiments in basic food chemistry.

Demonstration of lab equipment and instrumentation.

Hand on use of equipment and instrumentation.

Demonstrate the use of oral and written communication skills Competently use library resources

Write cohesive and substantiated papers and reports, using laboratory and library resources.

III-VI


Writing papers and reports based on experimental data and information from the scientific literature.

Work effectively with others

Deal with individual and/or group conflict

Manage time effectively

Work effectively with team members.

III


Working together in 2-person teams to conduct laboratory experiments and collect data in allotted time period.


Food Chemistry Laboratory is taught on an every-other-year rotation, primarily to food science

undergraduate students. Students work together in 2-person teams to conduct laboratory

experiments in basic food chemistry. The primary assessment tools in the course are my

evaluation of the student’s written research reports and research papers (~70%), followed by

written quizzes (~20%), and lab participation (~10%).

In the past, students have typically performed best on the shorter, less intensive research reports.

These research reports succinctly describe the objectives, methods, results, and conclusions of

the experiment, and include specific experiment related questions which are attached as an

addendum. These reports are a good tool for teaching students to carry out experiments, interpret

data, represent data graphically, and learn more about reactions that occur in food systems. The

research papers are much more in-depth, and require that students do all the same tasks listed

above, plus they have to research the topic further in the scientific literature in order to write a

cohesive and substantiated report, in the style of a typical paper submitted to the Journal of Food

Science. This includes interpretation and discussion of the data. This requires a deeper

understanding of the chemical reactions involved, and that the students put the experiment in

context. They have to explain what impact the specific chemical reaction has on the food

industry. Students typically do not do as well on these research papers. In response, I have

changed the course assessment to include fewer research reports, which they already do well, and

more research papers, so they have more opportunity to work on these more difficult tasks.

Performance on these research papers improves throughout the semester.

I have also made changes in some of the laboratory experiments in order to help students have a

more comprehensive understanding of the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of

food components. Previously, there were three labs on food oils and only one on properties of

proteins. The lab on refining crude fish oil and olive oil, which relied considerably on instructor

demonstration, has been removed, and a new lab experiment on the comparative functional

properties of egg white, whey protein, soy protein isolate, and casein has been incorporated into

the course. I think this change gives the students a much better understanding of the chemistry of

the protein ingredients which play such an important role in many processed foods.

Another important change in assessment has been the addition of a lab notebook evaluation. I

now evaluate student lab notebooks periodically throughout the semester. Although students

were always required to keep a laboratory notebook, there were no specific instructions about

how that should occur. Now I require students to follow a specific format which includes the title

of the experiment, any written calculations that can be done in advance, sketching a brief flow

diagram, and setting up tables for recording data, in addition to recording and clearly labeling all

observations and data, dating each page. This was initiated in response to observing that some

students were not completely prepared to carry out the experiments on time and in the allotted

time. The 3-hour lab period is long enough to carry out each experiment only when each student

in a 2-person team is prepared, and knows what they are supposed to do ahead of time. In

addition, some of the descriptions in the lab manual are a little confusing. By requiring students

to read through the experiment ahead of time and sketch out the flow of the experiment, I found

that they were less likely to make mistakes that end up wasting limited time and resources.

FSN 485 Introduction to Food Engineering Principles



Be able to use the mass and energy balances for a given food process

Conduct material and energy balances for a given food process. III


Evaluation of weekly homework assignments.


Solving problem sets.

Understand the transport processes and unit operations in food processing as demonstrated both conceptually and in practical laboratory settings Understand the unit operations required to produce a given food product

Develop flow diagrams for food process operations. Describe commonly used unit operations in the food industry.

II-III




Solving problem sets.

Understand the requirements for water utilization and waste management in food and food processing Be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry

Discuss some of the important sustainability issues facing the food processing industry, including energy and water use, LEED certification, selection of packaging materials, and generation of liquid and solid waste streams.

II



The student researches a practical sustainability issue in each weekly homework assignment.

Be able to apply and incorporate the principles of Food Science in practical, real-world situations and problems Work effectively with others

Work with team members in the pilot plant to solve a practical food processing problem.

III-IV

Observation of students during pilot

plant sessions.

Students work together in the pilot plant to convert raw incoming product into a finished processed product, and collect data to calculate mass flow and energy use.

Define a problem, identify potential causes and possible solutions, and make thoughtful recommendations Independently research scientific and nonscientific information Competently use library resources

Write a cohesive and substantiated laboratory report using experimental data and information from peer-reviewed journals and nonscientific sources.

IV-VI

Evaluation of laboratory report.

Students use experimental data, internet and library resources to assess mass flow and energy use in production facility, and to identify methods to increase production efficiency and energy usage.


This is a new course, which has been taught once in the past 5 years. It is now on an every-other-

year rotation. I made some modifications in the class throughout the semester, and intend to

make some further changes the next time the course is taught.

Written exams and weekly problem sets are the major assessment tools for the course. Written

exams are made up primarily of food engineering problems that must be solved, for example:

“Milk is flowing through a heat exchanger at a rate of 1500 hr/h. The heat exchanger supplies

125,000 kJ/h. the outlet temperature of the product is 95 C. Determine the inlet temperature of

the milk. The product specific heat is 3.9 kJ/kg C.”

These types of problems are used to assess whether students meet the following learning

outcomes:

1) Conduct material and energy balances for a given food process

2) Develop flow diagrams for food process operations

Students displayed mixed abilities in answering these problems. About 1/3 of the class did an

excellent job in correctly answering all problems, 1/3 of the students were able to answer most

problems, and the rest were quite poor. The students who did not do well typically felt that they

did not have enough time to answer all the questions in the exam time allotted. Although the

exam questions were based on the same type of questions that students did in their weekly

problem sets, some students needed more time to think through and process the problems during

exams than I had anticipated. For the first exam, I had seven problems, one memorization

question, and one description question. As the semester progressed, I continued to drop one

problem off each subsequent exam (there were three exams total), and some of the poorer

students improved. The ones that continued to do poorly were those students who typically did

not complete all the homework assignments.

The weekly problem sets were the most important tool for giving the students hands-on

experience in solving problems. I will continue to assign these problem sets next time the course

is taught. Most students did well in the weekly problem sets, and were able to improve their

overall grades and improve their confidence in problem solving. The next time the course is

taught, I will post more practice problem sets (with solutions) for students who want to practice

without negatively affecting their course grade. At the end of the semester, some students said

that they would have appreciated more group problem work in the class. The few times I tried

group problem work in class, I felt that some students were not participating fully, so I’m not

sure how to implement this successfully so that all students contribute and learn. However, some

students felt that working with their peers enabled them to learn the material more effectively.

An additional component of the weekly assignments that will be retained for the next time the

course is taught was a question related to either unit operations or sustainability issues in the

food industry. These questions required the students to research a practical industry-related issue

each week. The students did extremely well in these questions and seemed to enjoy them a lot.

Example issues included water use, energy use, LEED certification, processing of waste streams,

etc. Each week one student was selected to describe how a specific food company of their choice

(e.g. B&M Baked Beans) addressed the issue in their processing facility.

FSN 502 Food Preservation


Bloom’s Taxonomy

Assessment Tools Learning Activities

I.A.1. Understand the chemistry underlying the properties and reactions of various food components 1.B.2. Understand the major chemical reactions that limit shelf life of foods 3.A.1. understand the source and variability of raw food material and their impact on food processing operations

apply food

science to control

and assure food

quality

III Faculty evaluation of examinations

WebCT lectures and reading assignments

2. A.2. be able to identify the conditions under which the important pathogens are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods 2.C.1. understand the role and significance of microbial inactivation, adaptation and environmental factors on growth and response of microorganisms in various environments 2.D.1. Be able to identify the conditions, including sanitation practices, under which the important pathogens and spoilage microorganisms are commonly inactivated, killed or made harmless in foods.

3B.1. know the spoilage and deterioration mechanisms in foods and methods to control deterioration and spoilage

describe

necessary steps

to control

microbes in

foods

II Faculty evaluation of examinations


3.B.2. understand the principles that make a food product safe for consumption

2.B.1. understand the principles involving food preservation via fermentation processes

identify species

and products

involved in

fermentation

I Faculty evaluation of examinations


3.C.2. be able to use the mass and energy balances for a given food process 3.C.3. understand unit operations required to produce a particular food product 3.D. 1. understand

principles and practices

of food processing

3.E.1. understand the

properties and uses of

food packaging materials

compare

processes and

distinguish

individual

operations used

to produce and

package foods

IV Faculty evaluation of examinations


3. D.2. understand

effects of food processing

on food quality

4.F.1. be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry 4.G.1. understand

government regulations

pertaining to food

manufacturing

II Faculty evaluation of examinations


4.A.1. be able to apply

food science to solve

practical real-world

problems

II & III Faculty evaluation of quizzes and examinations


5.B.1. define a

problem, identify

potential causes and

possible solutions, and

make thoughtful

recommendations

5.B.2. apply critical

thinking skills to new

situations


In the fall of 2008 FSN 502 was converted to a completely asynchronous class using the WebCT platform. Narrated PowerPoint presentations and links to journal article and relevant websites were placed in folders on WebCT pertaining to specific topics. Four short quizzes and three exams assessed students’ knowledge of key facts. Each assessment could be taken only once. Quiz question types included multiple choice, matching, short-answer, essays requiring application of lecture material, and true-false problems. Questions were randomized among knowledge areas to minimize the possibility of academic dishonesty. WebCT allows us to check how the class fares on all assessments. Since 2008 was the first time the course was taught entirely on WebCT, we will download the assessment statistics into Excel so that we can compare future classes’ performance. Exam questions included essay, short answer, fill-in the blank and matching questions. Essay questions are designed to determine if students can apply the lecture material to situations they may encounter in industry. Listed below are examples of examination questions and the average score achieved on that question:

• What unit operations might take place in the production of blueberry wine? Briefly explain what each operation does. (89%)

• List four different methods to kill or slow the growth of bacteria in foods. (97%)

• What is one reason sulfites and/or sulfur dioxide are added to foods? (98%)

• Please provide an example of a means to control lipid oxidation that does not involve the use of antioxidants. (89%)

• What are the common features of an aseptic process? (89%)

• Please identify three different unit operations that occur during extrusion processing. (100%)

• With respect to heat processing of foods, what are F, D and z values? (90%)

• Briefly describe the three main steps of freeze drying foods, and explain approximately how much water is removed from the food at each step. (95%)

• Based on the IFT Scientific Status Summary Irradiation and Food Safety, describe four areas where research is needed in order for this technology to move forward. (98%)

• You are the Director of Product Development for a large multinational food processing company. Your boss comes to you with three new product ideas (Maine apple slices for fresh market, fresh aquaculturally raised salmon in a Dijon mustard sauce, and vacuum packaged beef tenderloin) and asks you which processing method you would suggest for theses products. What method would you select for each product? You can not use a method more than once. What is the mechanism involved with each of the methods you have selected? (75%)

• Modified and controlled atmosphere packaging offer a number of advantages for chilled/refrigerated foods, but also pose some major food safety concerns. What are the advantages of these packaging methods? What are the concerns? What experiments might have to be performed to reduce these food safety concerns? (83%)

FSN 520 Food Product Development



Be able to apply and incorporate the principles of Food Science in practical, real-world situations and problems Be able to apply the principles of Food Science to control and assure the quality of food products Define a problem, identify potential causes and possible solutions, and make thoughtful recommendations

Optimize formulation and/or processing parameters of a product to address quality issues

III-IV

Evaluation of written reports.


Evaluation of student participation during lecture and discussion.

Students go through multiple steps to develop an innovative new food product including ideation, market research, formulation, production, quality evaluation, reworking, package development and product launch.

Understand the basic principles of sensory analysis

Evaluate consumer acceptability of food products and concepts

IV

Written quizzes.

Evaluation of written reports.


Lecture, discussion, and reading.

Students develop a proposal for the Human Subjects Review Board and conduct acceptability tests.

Demonstrate the use of oral and written communication skills Independently research scientific and nonscientific information

Make group presentations and write progress reports

IV-VI

Evaluation of written reports and oral presentation.

Students work independently and in teams to create written progress reports and final group presentation of new product.


Describe hurdles and regulatory challenges to developing new products in the “real world”

II

Written quizzes.

Evaluation of written report and oral presentation.

Lecture, discussion, video presentation.

Independent research for specific products.

Provide leadership in a variety of situations Work effectively with others Commit to the highest standards of professional integrity and ethical values Deal with individual and/or group conflict

Work effectively and professionally in multiple roles as part of a product development team

III

Evaluation of written report and oral presentation.

Evaluation of student peer review questionnaire.

Observation of students during laboratory sessions

Students work together in 5-6 member groups in a semester-long effort to create a new food product and present it to the department. Students must work effectively in class, various laboratories, and on their own time to solve conflicts and deliver an acceptable



Handle multiple tasks and pressures

outcome in the time allotted.


Food product development is offered on an every-other-year rotation, and the class is fairly

evenly divided among food science students and food management students, with a few nutrition

and graduate students. The primary objective of the class is for students to learn about the

product development process through hands-on development of an innovative new food product.

Lectures, reading assignments, and guest presentations are also utilized to help students gain a

more comprehensive understanding of the product development process in the food industry.

The assessment tools include written reports (40%), oral presentation (20%), quizzes (20%),

and participation (20%). The written reports, which include two progress reports and the final

report, typically start out weak, with insufficient support for the group’s product concept. As the

semester progresses, the reports improve, and the final report is usually excellent. These reports

represent group work, although it is fairly common for the same person(s) within a group to pull

the reports together. I have not changed the format or content of the report, which is quite

extensive, over the past five years. I feel that the actual group-based product development aspect

of the course, which is the most important part of the course, has worked well, and no changes

have been made. Students complete the course able to 1) optimize formulation and /or processing

parameters of a product to address quality issues, 2) Evaluate consumer acceptability of food

products and concepts, 3) make group presentation and write progress reports, 4) Describe

hurdles and regulatory challenges to developing new products in the “real world”, and 5) work

effectively professionally in multiple roles as part of a product development team.

Over the past 5 years, I have revised the class format from having one exam to four quizzes. The

exam used to consist of memorization-type questions from the required text (Developing New

Products for a Changing Marketplace) and synthesis-type questions based on information from

guest speakers. Students felt that it was a lot of material to cover in one exam, and exam grades

were quite variable, ranging from 45 – 95%. I have dropped the previously required text and

switched the required reading to only current articles from food industry trade magazines (Food

Technology, Prepared Foods, Food Product Design, etc). The combination of shorter, more

frequent quizzes, and current readings in the trade magazines, has resulted in better grades and a

better understanding of trends, challenges, and hurdles in developing new food products.

Evaluation of student participation during lecture and lab is a key assessment tool in this course.

Because participation is so important, I have now developed a written policy for class attendance

and participation. Missing more than one lecture or lab period results in a significant loss of

points. I changed this policy the last time I taught the class, and participation in lecture and

discussion increased significantly. I also now make it a point to hand out the peer review sheet to

group members the first week of the class. Seeing the evaluation criteria for peer review of group

participation early on reminds the students that they will be evaluated by group members as well

as by the instructor. This may have contributed to the decrease in group dynamics problems the

last time I taught the class.

FSN 585 Sensory Evaluation of Foods



IV.A.1. Be able to apply and incorporate the principles of Food Science in practical, real-world situations and problems

IV.D.1. Be able to apply the principles of Food Science to control and assure the quality of food products

IV.F.1. Be aware of current topics of importance to the food industry

V.D.1. Explain the skills necessary to continually educate oneself

Apply knowledge to solve quality assurance and product development situations and problems

III

Written examinations and instructor evaluation of assignments

Classroom lectures; WebCT reading assignments

IV. B.1. Know how to use computers to solve Food Science problems

IV.C.1. Be able to apply statistical principles to Food Science applications

Learn how to use SIMS and SYSTAT software programs to statistically analyze data and solve practical problems

III

Faculty observation and evaluation of assignments

Instructor evaluation of written examinations and assignments; student participation

Classroom lectures; SYSTAT analysis assignment; exercise in setting sensory test up in SIMS; group project

IV.E.1. Understand the basic principles of sensory analysis

Describe and apply the basic principles of sensory evaluation

II

Written examinations; faculty observation of participation in sensory tests; faculty grading of triangle test assignment

Classroom lectures; textbook and WebCT readings; group project; triangle test design assignment

V.A.1. Demonstrate the

Create reports that not only identify problems and report test results, but

V Faculty evaluation of written sensory test report and oral and written

Oral and written reports for group project; written report for a sensory test

use of oral and written communication skills

V.F.1. Independently research scientific and nonscientific information

V.F.2. Competently use library resources

make thoughtful recommendations for future actions

Utilize technical information to prepare oral and written reports

group project report held outside of class.

V.B.1. Define a problem, identify potential causes and possible solutions, and make thoughtful recommendations V.B.2. Apply critical thinking skills to new situations V.C.2. Work and/or interact with individuals from diverse cultures V.E.1. work effectively with others V.E.2. Provide leadership in a variety of situations V.E.3. Deal with individual and/or group conflict V.G.1. Manage time effectively V.G.2. Facilitate group projects V.G.3. Handle multiple

Develop skills working with others to accomplish mutual goals on a realistic timeline

VI

For all of these competencies, faculty evaluation of group project and mandatory sensory experiment participation; faculty evaluation of written examinations

Classroom lectures; screening potential subjects and working with staff and other students for sensory tests; group project

tasks and pressures

V.C.1. Commit to the highest standards of professional integrity and ethical values

Appreciate the legal and moral aspects of testing human subjects and working with proprietary information

I

Written examinations; faculty evaluation of group project; successful completion of mandatory human subjects protection tutorial; faculty observation

Classroom lectures; textbook and web readings; group project assignment


In the fall of 2008 the class was redesigned as an introduction to sensory evaluation with a focus

on difference testing and consumer research. In previous years the course included a greater

breadth of topics but some students failed to grasp the basic set up of difference tests. The new

course format resulted in all students (n =14) being able to design a triangle test correctly and

grades on the first exam, which addresses difference testing ranged from 79-94, a great

improvement from class performance in previous years.

Students also participated in tests at the Consumer Testing Center to gain experience with test

set-up and execution. Each student had to set up a study with the SIMS sensory software. Key

tasks for that assignment were questionnaire design, experimental design, test design and

execution. Another assignment involved entering sensory data into SYSTAT statistical software

that is provided to students by the University at no charge. Students were responsible for

obtaining descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviations, conducting analysis of

variance and mean separation using post-hoc tests. Scores for the demonstration of a hedonic

test in SIMS and a data set analysis of variance using SYSTAT also improved, with scores of 25-

30 (out of a possible 30 points) compared with scores as low as 18 in previous years.

Confidentiality and protection of human subjects’ rights are stressed throughout the semester. All

students must complete the University’s tutorial on research with human subjects. Projects have

flexible deadlines to allow students to develop time-management and multi-tasking skills.

Students demonstrate their understanding of non-parametric and parametric statistics by

designing experiments, analyzing data, and interpreting results in quizzes, homework projects

and exams. Quizzes on WebCT are objective in nature and cover a variety of topics. Exams

consist of short answer and essay questions. Students are given situations and asked to design

sensory studies to address those situations. Students are also provided with results of sensory

tests and asked to explain the outcomes. Subjectively their performance was better than in

previous years although the last group of students taking the class were quite heterogeneous in

their academic abilities. Students did improve from prior classes in their ability to determine

when a difference test, preference test or acceptability test should be performed. All students in

2008 grasped the concept that not all quality assurance and product development situations

require a single solution. The students were adept in applying more than one possible solution to

a problem posed to them during examinations.

A group project required a minimum of three students to work together to design an experiment,

research related literature on the topic, submit an application for research with human subjects,

prepare samples, recruit subjects, execute the sensory test, analyze results and present a summary

of the project to the class. In prior years I had asked the students to find a Maine company that

had a sensory problem to solve or to design an academic project that could be published in a

peer-reviewed journal. The undergraduate students in particular did not have the social and

conceptual skills to design studies under those constraints, so in 2008 I gave the groups a list of

possible project topics. Selection of a group project topic early in the semester facilitated

completion of projects before the end of the semester but some groups were negligent in filing

timely applications for research with human subjects. The delay in approval made them rush

through their projects and those groups did not score as highly as the other groups did. Some

students were capable of all tasks related to the execution of a sensory test, while others had

mediocre interpersonal skills for recruiting and greeting potential subjects. Two self-appointed

group leaders were not strong in time management skills and thus contributed largely to their

groups rushed activities at the end of the semester.

Only two seniors graduated in 2009 who took the course in 2008 so we do not yet have any

feedback regarding their ability to conduct sensory testing in their new jobs.

FSN 587 Food Analysis

IFT Competency Learning Bloom's Assessment Learning

Outcome Taxonomy Tool(s) Activities

Food Chemistry & Analysis

Understand the principles Explain the II Written Lectures and

behind analytical

techniques theory and exams, laboratory

associated with food

logic

behind homework discussions

food analysis assignments,

methods and the

professor

asking

questions in

class

Demonstrate practical

Operate

and III By going into Students will

proficiency in food

analysis understand the lab and be working

food analysis observing

with

partners

instrumentation students as and spend 6

they hours in the

work and lab/week.

consulting All students

with the lab will get to

instructor use the

equipment

and do the

experiments

using the

latest

analytical

equipment

like

LC/MS/MS

and GC/MS

along with

basic

equipment

like pH

meters,

vacuum

ovens, and

balances.

Calculate

and IV Assigned Students

interpret food homework are given

data

problems

and problem

lab sets to hand

calculations in as part of

their grade

Also each

student will

maintain a

lab notebook

where

experimental

results are

calculated

and checked

by me.

Write lab V Instructor Students will

reports and will look at learn how

keep a

each

student’s to maintain

notebook lab notebook a lab

before they notebook

leave the when

lab working in

Instructor

will the lab.

grade lab

reports after

several

rewrites

Be able to select the Evaluate VI Written Classroom

appropriate analytical analytical examinations lectures and

technique when methods lab

presented with a discussions

practical problem

Evaluation

by Each student

me and the will be given

class a peer-

reviewed

article to

critique in

class on the

method used

and the

data and

results.


Since my last IFT review in 2005 for FSN 587 Food Analysis, I have had to change the course

based on results of my assessment tools. I have always observed that 20% of the students in this

class meet my learning outcomes no matter what I use for teaching techniques, but the other 80%

have been difficult to reach.

Learning Outcome I- Explain the theory and logic behind food analysis methods.

After doing my most recent assessment of this learning outcome, I found that at least 75% of the

students did not understand food analysis methods in sufficient detail to in my opinion be

successful either in the work force or graduate school. So I changed the following: more

interactions with the students during lecturing; increased the test time given to complete an in

class test from 1 to 2 hours; gave a pre-laboratory lecture and finally started grading homework

assignments. With these changes I have observed from my last class assessment that

approximately 80% of the students are doing well in this learning outcome. To try to reach more

students, I am thinking of having mandatory help sessions since students do not seem to visit me

if they do not understand the basic principles.

Learning Outcome II- Operate and understand food analysis instrumentation.

After performing exit interviews with my food analysis class I ascertained that approximately

60% of the class still could not adequately operate or understand the basic principles behind the

instrumentation. In order to see if I could get more students to improve in this outcome, I

decided that I should spend more time in the lab and make sure the TAs are trained to help in this

outcome. These 2 changes have helped another 40% of the students become more successful in

mastering this learning outcome. To reach more students, it will most likely require more

individualized training. I am thinking of making videos of how the equipment operates so that

students can review these before coming to the lab.

Learning Outcome III- Calculate and interpret food data.

When it comes to math I have observed that most students are not prepared when they come into

food analysis. There understanding of significant figures and lab calculations is not adequate. In

2006, I started giving a pre-test the first day of class to get a feel for what math skills students

have. This pre-test helps me to determine where I must start with math that they should have had

in freshmen chemistry and food chemistry. I also give a post-test at the end of class. I have had

to add assigned food analysis math problems. This helped about 60% of the class with their food

analysis math.

I found that data interpretation is also a difficult area for food analysis students. To help in this

area, I have gone to requiring that lab reports be written like scientific papers. This has forced

them to go through the process of data interpretation. By requiring this type of report, my recent

classes have improved their ability in this outcome area.

Learning Outcome IV- Write lab reports and keep a notebook.

After reviewing the students’ lab reports and notebooks I found that approximately 80% of the

students had deficiencies in being able to maintain a current notebook and to write scientifically.

To try and improve these deficiencies I require that each student maintain a lab notebook during

lab and to be sure that this is happening I will have the TA look over the notebook before the

students can leave. The TA will have the student sign the notebook and date it and then the TA

will sign and date below the students signature. This exercise has improved everyone’s lab

notebook skills.

Students in food analysis class were only required to keep an extensive lab notebook but after

reading these notebooks I decided that 90% of the class had trouble with scientific writing. To

address this problem, I implemented the requirement that students had to write lab reports

following the format of the Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry. This improved the

writing skills of about 30 % of the students. So the next time I taught the class, I decided to

make it writing intensive whereby students had to rewrite the lab reports until they were correct.

This helped all the students to improve their writing skills.

Learning Outcome V- Evaluate analytical methods.

After assessing the overall outcomes of the last Food Analysis class that I taught, I came to the

conclusion that they still did not understand analytical methods and the peer-reviewed methods.

So in my class in the spring of 2010 I am having each student critique a peer-reviewed analytical

method of my choice in front of the class. Every student will also get the same article to be able

to take part in the evaluation.

viii. course outcomes and assessments - ift. · pdf fileviii. course outcomes and assessments...

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