Effects of a Game‐Based e‐Learning Module on Undergraduate Food Science Students’ Planned Behaviors Concerning Good Manufacturing Practices

Understanding the role of food science education in developing undergraduate students’ intentions to implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) may be a key strategy in developing the workforce's implementation of GMPs and other food safety programs. Previous research has demonstrated the effects of educational interventions on planned food safety behaviors in various settings; however, none have studied GMPs interventions and college students. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate the effects of a game‐based e‐learning module on undergraduate students’ planned behaviors concerning GMPs. Forty‐four participants were recruited from 42 food science clubs across the United States to complete a game‐based e‐learning module and pre‐ and posttest survey instruments. We compared changes in pre‐ and posttest scores using paired Wilcoxon signed rank tests and explored the role of GMP‐related knowledge and TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls) in predicting students’ intentions to implement GMPs using multiple linear regression. We modeled pretest scores, posttest scores, and changes in scores while controlling for student demographic factors (for example, year in college, gender, and so on). Only participants’ knowledge and perceived behavioral controls significantly increased (P < 0.05) after completing the game‐based e‐learning module. Posttest regression models explained twice as much variance than pretest models (up to 54% total). Changes in intentions to implement GMPs were predicted by changes in subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and knowledge, as well as previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry. The only predictive variables for both pre‐ and posttest scores were subjective norms, previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry (P < 0.05). A discussion of how these results provide insights for food safety educators to optimize their teaching impacts was presented.     

Investigating Change in Adolescent Self‐Efficacy of Food Safety Through Educational Interventions

A successfully targeted intervention can influence food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as encourage participants to recognize their own responsibility for safe food handling. This acknowledgement of an individual's responsibility and capacity to address food safety can be understood as self‐efficacy of food safety (SEFS). This study investigated the impact of a specific educational intervention, Hands On: Real‐World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms, curriculum on SEFS in adolescents and was guided by two research questions: (1) to what extent can an existing food safety curriculum impact students’ SEFS, and (2) to what extent does a relationship exist between changes in self‐efficacy and changes in food safety behavior, particularly when controlling for knowledge gains. A total sample of 424 students across 6 states participated in this study. Teachers were trained to implement the Hands On program in their classrooms and then students were administered a pre‐ and posttest to measure the impact of the program on knowledge, food safety‐related behaviors, and SEFS. The data indicated that there is a strong predictive relationship between SEFS and positive behavior change. Additionally, the Hands On program was effective at increasing students’ SEFS.     

Effect of a Problem Based Simulation on the Conceptual Understanding of Undergraduate Science Education Students

A study of the effect of science teaching with a multimedia simulation on water quality, the “River of Life,” on the science conceptual understanding of students (N = 83) in an undergraduate science education (K-9) course is reported. Teaching reality-based meaningful science is strongly recommended by the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996). Water quality provides an information-rich context for relating classroom science to real-world situations impacting the environment, and will help to improve student understanding of science (Kumar, 2005a; Kumar and Chubin, 2000). The topics addressed were classes of organisms that form river ecosystem, dissolved oxygen, macroinvertebrates, composition of air, and graph reading skills. Paired t-test of pre- and post-tests, and pre- and delayed post-tests showed significant (p < 0.05) gains. The simulation had a significant effect on the conceptual understanding of students enrolled in a K-9 science education course for prospective teachers in the following areas: composition of air, macroinvertebrates, dissolved oxygen, classes of organisms that form a river ecosystem, and graph reading skills. The gain was more in the former four areas than the latter one. A paired t-test of pre- and delayed post-tests showed significant (p < 0.05) gains in the water quality and near transfer subsets than the dissolved oxygen subset. Additionally students were able to transfer knowledge acquired from the multimedia simulation on more than one concept into teachable stand-alone lesson plans.     

Development,Dissemination, and Assessment of a Food Safety Systems Management Curriculum for Agribusiness Students in Armenia

This study addresses the development, dissemination, and assessment of a Food Safety System Management (FSSM) curriculum offered to college‐aged, agribusiness students in Yerevan, Armenia. Prior to beginning the program, demographic data were collected and a paper‐based pretest was administered to access the food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude of participants (n = 29). For assessment of a skill, participants’ handwashing techniques were videotaped and scored before the program commenced. Immediately after completion of the entire curriculum, a paper‐based post‐test with identical questions for food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude was administered and handwashing skills were assessed. ANOVA with repeated measures was used to evaluate significant differences (α = 0.05) for food safety knowledge using a pretest, post‐test, and a 3‐mo follow‐up. A paired t‐test was used to evaluate handwashing skills before and after the curriculum was presented. The pretest score (44.93%, ± 2.87) for food safety knowledge (n = 29) differed significantly (P <0.0001) when compared with the post‐test score (73.21%, ± 3.28) and the 3‐mo follow‐up (n = 23) score (67.76%, ± 3.93). Participants’ (n = 9) handwashing skills prior to delivery of the FSSM curriculum differed significantly (P <0.0001), when compared to handwashing skills after completion of the curriculum. Students’ food safety attitudes and behavior assessed using a five‐point Likert scale, also improved significantly as a result of the FSSM program. The 3‐mo follow‐up survey on food safety attitude and behavior was consistent with the post‐test survey results. The information from this project may be of interest to education experts, Extension professionals, food industry personnel, or regulatory agencies, in the development and dissemination of an international food safety program.     

Research Study on an Applied Interdisciplinary Product Development Course for College Sophomores

This research compares the industry readiness, product development skill level, and overall knowledge gains of students taking an undergraduate research course (treatment) to those who did not (control). This 2‐semester Applied Interdisciplinary Product Development (AIPD) course for sophomores brought together interdisciplinary teams of food science, nutrition, and packaging science students in a hands‐on setting to create healthy food products for children, complete with retail packaging. A Subject Knowledge Assessment (SKA) was used to evaluate the mean percent difference value (MPDV) of food science, nutrition, packaging science, and general product development knowledge gained through the course. SKA results indicated that the MPDV were significantly different (α = 0.05) between the treatment and comparison groups in the overall score and in every subject area score except packaging science. Data from an Exit Questionnaire (EQ) was used for evaluation of attitudes pertaining to product development knowledge and skills, department engagement, and pedagogy. EQ results indicated that mean scores between the treatment and comparison groups were significantly different (α = 0.05) in 7 of the 9 statements on product development knowledge and skills, both statements pertaining to pedagogy, and the statement pertaining to department engagement. Overall, the research project was considered a successful intervention for educating sophomores at the University. Overall, the research project was considered a successful intervention for educating sophomores in the Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science department at Clemson University. The student‐lead teams were held to a greater degree of accountability for their success in terms of education gleaned and value of experience gained as metric for the University and other IFT Accredited programs.     

Food‐Based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand‐on, food‐based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: (1) assess 4th graders food‐related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and (2) compare gains in food‐related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food‐based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands‐on, food‐based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n = 9) and North Carolina (n = 9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n = 8) and North Carolina (n = 8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher‐developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple‐choice questions administered pre‐ and post‐test. Only subjects with pre‐ and post‐test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n = 343; Control n = 237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre‐test. At post‐test, the intervention group scored (9.95 ± 2.00) significantly higher (p = 0.000) than the control group (8.84 ± 2.37) on a 13‐point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food.     

Increasing Content Knowledge and Self‐Efficacy of High School Educators through an Online Course in Food Science

Purdue Univ.'s College of Agriculture developed an Advanced Life Sciences (ALS) program in partnership with several high schools across Indiana. As part of ALS, secondary educators take an introductory food science (FS) course (ALS‐Foods) and teach it at their high school. High school students taking the ALS‐Foods receive dual credit for an introductory course required for all FS majors at Purdue. The goal of this project was to develop an online course to improve content knowledge and self‐efficacy of secondary educators in the field of FS. The course was offered over a 3‐wk period and consisted of 3 learning modules focused on food chemistry, food microbiology, and food processing. Modules included class activities, videos, study questions, and teaching tools. Participants were assessed on content knowledge through written assignments, quizzes, and a final examination. Twenty secondary educators from several states were enrolled. Overall, content knowledge increased significantly (P < 0.05) across all 3 modules after completing the course. Highest scores were in food microbiology/safety (84%), followed by food processing (76%) and food chemistry (70%). A precourse survey indicated that the majority (>80%) of participants felt they had “no‐confidence” to “little‐confidence” in teaching FS concepts related to the 3 modules. Upon completing the course, the confidence level of all participants increased to “some‐confidence” or “complete confidence.” By strengthening the knowledge level of secondary educators, they will be better prepared to teach FS and subsequently, more high school students could be exposed to FS and consider it as a career.     

The Impact of Instructional Design on College Students’ Cognitive Load and Learning Outcomes in a Large Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

The effective design of course materials is critical for student learning, especially for large lecture introductory courses. This quantitative study was designed to explore the effect multimedia and content difficulty has on students’ cognitive load and learning outcomes. College students (n = 268) were randomized into 1 of 3 multimedia groups: text + graphics (Group 1–TG); audio + text + graphics (Group 2–ATG); or video + audio + text + graphics (Group 3–VATG). Participants answered a demographic survey and pretests before viewing 2 food science supplemental lecture materials (i.e., water mobility and amino acid structures) and completing the cognitive load instrument and post‐tests within a noncontrolled setting. Cognitive load scores were tabulated and compared using a 3 × 3 ANOVA and Tukey post hoc analysis across multimedia groups and food science supplemental lecture materials. Based on the post hoc, students in Group 1–TG had higher intrinsic cognitive load scores than Group 2–ATG (ANOVA, P < 0.05). Cognitive load and post‐test scores were tabulated and compared using a spearman correlation across groups. In Group 1–TG, students that reported less intrinsic cognitive load had higher post‐test scores. Also, students that reported more germane cognitive load had higher post‐test scores. In Groups 2–ATG and 3–VATG, students that reported less extraneous cognitive load had higher post‐test scores (ANOVA, P < 0.05).     

Implementation of Real‐World Experiential Learning in a Food Science Course Using a Food Industry‐Integrated Approach

Success skills have been ranked as the most important core competency for new food science professionals to have by food science graduates and their employers. It is imperative that food science instructors promote active learning in food science courses through experiential learning activities to enhance student success skills such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and team work. The aim of this study was to incorporate “real‐world” experiential learning into a food product development course. Undergraduate students enrolled in a food product development course worked on a semester‐long product development case study developed by the Instructor of the course and the Manager from ACH Food Companies, Inc. The case study was presented to students in the form of a product development competition. Students were placed into groups and given the task to develop a cake mix with specified parameters. At the end of the semester, student groups participated in a case study competition to showcase their product concepts. Each student group gave a PowerPoint presentation and was evaluated using selected criteria. Students rated the course overall as being very good. Students perceived the case study to be beneficial and informative regarding employer (ACH's) expectations. Students recommended that the Instructor minimize restrictions/specifications for product concepts and increase the quantity of course/laboratory meetings per week. This approach will continue to be used and further evaluated as an approach to incorporate active learning and provide food science undergraduates with a sense of employer expectations.     

Assessment of Knowledge and Behavior Change of a High School Positive Deviance Food Safety Curriculum

High school students are a critical audience for food safety. Students may enter the foodservice industry or become primary meal preparers for their families. The positive deviance food safety curriculum was developed based on the messages from the Fight BAC! Campaign. The curriculum is designed for high school students to overcome barriers to safe food handling practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the positive deviance approach to change food safety knowledge and behaviors among high school students. Students (n = 218) from two high schools participated in this study. The positive deviance method uses group discussions lead by the teacher who reinforces and praises behaviors, which reflect recommended food handling practices. Measurements included pre‐ and postsurveys, preobservations and postobservation cooking classes, take‐home tasks, and in‐class activities. Results indicated that the curriculum significantly increased students’ food safety knowledge. Specifically, the percentage of students believing that color was a good indicator of meat doneness dropped from 52% to 17% after exposure to the curriculum. When observed, the students’ compliance with recommended behaviors increased. Prior to instruction, most ground beef burgers students cooked did not reach 160°F, while after the intervention, almost all of the burgers reached 160°F or higher. The curriculum will benefit from a revision that emphasizes areas such as how to use, calibrate, and to clean food thermometers.     

Linking Biochemistry Concepts to Food Safety Using Yogurt as a Model

This laboratory activity was designed to strengthen our Food and Nutritional Science students’ knowledge of biochemistry concepts and the relationship between these concepts and food science. The result was a laboratory experience in which biochemistry concepts are taught using yogurt as a model, in order to link those concepts to food safety, an important area of food science. The students employed a colorimetric method to measure the lactase activity of bacterial strains found in commercial yogurts and were encouraged to relate the activity to bacterial lactic acid production, fermentation, and food safety. Students were assessed with pre‐ and post‐test exams, laboratory reports, class performance rubrics, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The result demonstrated that the students successfully completed the learning objectives and were motivated during the activity. This exercise could be used as a template for a simplified and engaging way to introduce food science majors, as well as other students, to complex biochemistry and molecular biology concepts using food, particularly yogurt, as a model.     

‘Dry laboratories’ in science education; computer‐based practical work

Practical (laboratory) work in science education has traditionally been used to allow students to rediscover already known concepts and ideas, to demonstrate concepts taught in the classroom or, in the case of inquiry‐based science curricula, to teach concepts. Often, these laboratory practicals do not achieve their goals and may even confuse or demotivate students. It is not that using ‘wet’ practicals is intrinsically wrong; rather, it is that they are often used for the wrong reasons. They do have a place in science curricula ‐ for the conveyance of tacit knowledge that can only be achieved in the laboratory setting. In our view, their use should be restricted to that.

Non‐laboratory practicals ('dry labs'), and especially multimedia practicals, tend to be used for completely different reasons. They are best used to help students achieve specific cognitive skills (such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation) needed to practise science and to carry out scientific inquiry. This article sketches the problems associated with the use of dry laboratories in science education, presents design considerations for the use of such practicals in science education and presents examples of innovative non‐traditional practicals.     

从学生实践能力培养探讨食品科学多媒体教学

食品科学课程专业性较强,利用多媒体教学可控性、交互性、集成性强的特点进行教学,将复杂的学科信息形象直观地呈现给学生,达到改善课堂教学,提高学生实践能力的目的。     

If You Don't Know,Ask! Using Expert Knowledge to Determine What Content Is Needed in an Undergraduate Food Quality Management and Control Course

Quality management and quality control of food products are critical to producing food that is safe to consume and has consistent quality and sensory attributes. The extent to which undergraduate students are equipped with competencies in quality management/control, in theory, has a direct connection with their career potential to ensure food products and/or services meet the expectations of consumers and society. However, the most important quality management/control competencies for undergraduate food science students have yet to be identified. The objective of this study was to determine key knowledge and skills in quality management/control needed by food science graduates. A modified Delphi method was used to gather consensus on these knowledge and skills from experts in food quality management/control. Surveys were used to establish a framework of the most relevant quality management/control concepts for undergraduate food science students to learn and organize these concepts into core domains according to their relative importance. A course outline for teaching an undergraduate course on food quality management/control was developed that detailed relevant topics and depth of coverage for each of these topics. The needs assessment method used in this study to align course content with food industry's needs may be used for a wide variety of course topics.     

Development and Evaluation of Food Safety Modules for K‐12 Science Education

Career and educational opportunities in food science and food safety are underrecognized by K‐12 students and educators. Additionally, misperceptions regarding nature of science understanding persist in K‐12 students despite being emphasized as an important component of science education for over 100 y. In an effort to increase awareness concerning career and educational opportunities in food science and food safety and to improve the nature of science understanding among K‐12 students, a series of problem‐based learning modules was developed and pilot tested with a total of 61 K‐12 students. Results of pre‐ and postevaluations and assessments indicated that (1) interest in science, food science, and food safety increased and (2) content knowledge related to the nature of science, food science, and food safety was improved. We further suggest that these modules provide opportunities for educators in traditional as well as extracurricular settings to demonstrate important concepts contained in the newly released Next Generation Science Standards.     

A multidimensional approach to examine student interdisciplinary learning in science and engineering in higher education

Preparing science and engineering students to work in interdisciplinary teams necessitates research on teaching and learning of interdisciplinary thinking. A multidimensional approach was taken to examine student interdisciplinary learning in a master course on food quality management. The collected 615 student experiences were analysed for the cognitive, emotional, and social learning dimensions using the learning theory of Illeris. Of these 615 experiences, the analysis showed that students reported 214, 194, and 207 times on, respectively, the emotional, the cognitive, and the social dimension. Per learning dimension, key learning experiences featuring interdisciplinary learning were identified such as ‘frustrations in selecting and matching disciplinary knowledge to complex problems’ (emotional), ‘understanding how to apply theoretical models or concepts to real-world situations’ (cognitive), and ‘socially engaging with peers to recognise similarities in perceptions and experiences’ (social). Furthermore, the results showed that students appreciated the cognitive dimension relatively more than the emotional and social dimensions.     

Development and Evaluation of a Multi‐Institutional Case Studies‐Based Course in Food Safety

Developing novel, engaging courses in food safety is necessary to train professionals in this discipline. Courses that are interactive and case‐based encourage development of critical thinking skills necessary for identifying and preventing foodborne disease outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a case study module‐based course for upper division undergraduate and graduate students interested in food safety. Four independent case study modules were developed and implemented by 4 universities working in tandem over a semester course. All case studies incorporated molecular and epidemiological methods employed by professionals in food safety in outbreak investigations. Each case study was based on a (i) suspect foodborne pathogen, (ii) identification tools including biochemical test variations and pulsed field gel electrophoresis, multiplex PCR and/or whole genome sequencing, and (iii) suspect location and company type from farm to production site to restaurant. Pre‐ and postinstruction evaluations revealed significant increases in understanding of the concepts introduced through each module as demonstrated by overall mean normalized gain of 0.32 ± 0.35 (15% ± 19%; n = 60). Institution, role of instructor, prescore, and learning environment all played a significant role in the effects of overall learning. This study provides a successful model for a case study‐based course in food safety. The guidelines and materials developed by our group are available for use by other institutions.     

An augmented reality-based learning approach to enhancing students’ science reading performances from the perspective of the cognitive load theory

Reading has been regarded as a medium for learning science, revealing the importance of enhancing learners’ reading competence in science education. The critical features of science texts are their multiple representations, such as text and visual elements, which assist the representation of science concepts. A multimedia learning environment can present relevant materials in various formats and help students to process the materials in meaningful ways, for example, by integrating learning materials with relevant prior concepts, and organizing them into a consistent and coherent cognitive structure. However, some issues with multimedia instructional design have been proposed, such as students’ cognitive load and learning motivations. In this study, an augmented reality-based science learning system was developed based on the contiguity principle of multimedia learning in order to promote students’ science learning. Moreover, an experiment was conducted on a natural science course in an elementary school to assess the effectiveness of the implemented system on students’ learning. The experimental results display that the students learning with this approach found made significant gains in their learning achievements and motivations compared to those learning science with conventional multimedia science learning; moreover, their perceptions of extraneous cognitive load were significantly reduced during the learning activity.     

Validation of an Interdisciplinary Food Safety Curriculum Targeted at Middle School Students and Correlated to State Educational Standards

ABSTRACT:  Providing effective food safety education to young consumers is a national health priority to combat the nearly 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States annually. With the tremendous pressures on teachers for accountability in core subject areas, the focus of classrooms is on covering concepts that are tested on state performance examinations. As a result, topics such as food safety are rarely addressed in middle school classrooms. Middle school is an ideal time to teach food safety because adolescents are in the process of setting lifelong behaviors; therefore, they are more likely to synthesize new food safety knowledge in a way that will lead to the development of lifelong behaviors. The purpose of this study was to scientifically validate an educational resource that provides a method for classroom teachers to involve young consumers in food safety education while meeting state content area curriculum standards. An interdisciplinary curriculum targeted at middle school students and correlated directly to state content standards was designed to include highly effective instructional strategies that teach food safety concepts through all core subject classes (science, math, social studies, and language arts). The curriculum was pilot tested in 5 schools using a pretest, posttest, and follow-up test assessment model. The results showed that the curriculum was highly effective at raising student knowledge (21% gain) and improving students' food handling behaviors (8.47% gain) from pretests to posttests. In addition, 6 wk after implementation, students retained 86% of their total knowledge gain as measured by a follow-up assessment.     

Understanding food processing and systems: Pilot testing a standards‐aligned middle school curriculum

Consumer confidence and trust, as it relates to the food system, is one of the most sensitive areas within consumers’ understanding of food. Surveys have shown that a large majority of people would like to learn more about agriculture and food manufacturing, with young people being among those most eager for more information about where their food comes from. Food‐focused educational resources often go unused due to teachers’ lack of familiarity with the subject area, the pressures of standardized testing, and lack of alignment to state content standards. Building on the success of the Hands On Classrooms platform that developed and validated curricula with high adoption rates by teachers and a demonstrated impact on student knowledge and self‐efficacy, a new curriculum on food system and food processing was developed and pilot tested. Two teachers from rural Virginia and Tennessee participated in the study. Both teachers received online professional development prior to implementation. Students were given pretests and posttests to measure (a) what impact does the curriculum have on students’ knowledge of food systems and processing and (b) to what extent does the curriculum have an impact on student's self‐reported skills related to these topics? A total of 87 students completed the assessments and showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest on both knowledge (p < .001) and skills (p < .001) related specifically to where food comes from and how it is processed, content that is typically not covered in middle school curriculum. Further research can be undertaken to measure the impact on others in different geographic and socioeconomic areas to provide additional data to validate the program.