This course will be delivered using Team-Based Learning (TBL). TBL focuses on student mastery of the course content and prepares students to be life-long learners. This instructional format fosters the development of problem-solving skills and the application of knowledge to real-world problems. Students also develop interpersonal and team interaction skills.
You will be assigned to a team with approximately three (3) to four (4) members during the first class.
Phase 1 – Preparation: You will complete specified readings as designated in the course schedule.
Phase 2 – Readiness Assurance Test: At designated classes (see Course Schedule), you will be given Readiness Assurance Tests (RAT). RATs (multiple-choice and short-answer questions) measure your comprehension of the assigned readings and help you learn the material needed to begin problem-solving in phase 3. The purpose of Phase 2 is to ensure that you and your teammates have sufficient foundational knowledge to begin learning how to apply and use the course concepts in Phase 3. RATs are closed books and based on the assigned readings.
· Individual RAT (IRAT) – You will individually complete a multiple-choice and short-answer test based on assigned text readings. This test will be administered in class and will be closed- book and time-limited.
· Team RAT (TRAT) - Following the IRAT, the same multiple-choice and short-answer test is re- taken with your team. The test will be closed-book and time-limited.
· Appeals Process - Once your team has completed the team test, your team has the opportunity to fill out an appeals form. The purpose of the appeals process is to allow your team to identify questions where you disagree with the question key, question-wording, or ambiguous information in the readings. Instructors will review the appeals outside of class time and report the outcome of your team appeal at the next class meeting. Only teams are allowed to appeal questions (no individual appeals).
· Feedback and Mini-lecture - Following the RATs and Appeal Process, the instructor may briefly clarify any difficult or troublesome concepts.
Phase 3 - In-Class Activities: You and your team will use the foundational knowledge acquired in the first two phases to make decisions that will be reported to the class and subject to cross-team discussion/critique.
Peer evaluations
Team Member Evaluation: Peer evaluations will be completed so you can give and receive feedback on preparation, participation, and contribution to team performance. You will complete a peer evaluation form (details on Canvas) for all of your team members. This is a formative evaluation in the middle of the semester. It is your opportunity to give your peers helpful feedback and get helpful feedback from your peers. At the end of the course, you will provide a final peer evaluation.
Reflection papers
After the field trips and guest speaker presentations, students will complete a reflection to harness what was learned through the experiences. Instructions will be available on Canvas. Students will upload the reflection paper on Canvas upon completing the field trips or after guest speaker presentations.
Debates and Food Assistance Program Presentations
The debates are meant to prepare you to have a firm grip on pertinent public policy issues impacting the nutrition and dietetic profession. During this class, you will be required to work in a group to study and prepare arguments for or against two topics – SNAP and Soda, Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax. At the beginning of class on the day of the debate, your group will have 15 minutes to meet and discuss your key ideas and strategies. However, kindly keep in mind that you will need to schedule ample time (outside scheduled class time) to prepare for your chosen debate topic. In addition, students will be allocated to groups and will give a presentation on food assistance programs in the US.
Assignments
There are a total of three assignments in this course. The assignments are cumulative and build on each other. These assignments give students the opportunity to practice and learn core skills performed by dietitians or health care professionals in a community setting.
o Assignment 1 is an individual assignment consisting of assessing the nutrition intervention needs of a unique target population for each student. A list of suggested target populations will be available on Canvas under the “Assignments” link. You will choose a target population on a first- come, first-serve basis and get final approval from the instructor. Kindly keep in mind that the final decision of a target population is at the instructor's discretion to better accommodate the class's needs and learning.
o Assignment 2 is an individual assignment that continues with the same target population where the students apply a behavior theory (i.e., Stages of Change, Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, etc.) and select an appropriate nutrition education curriculum for their assigned target population using the DESIGN Principle.
o Assignment 3 relates to the management plan (resources and systems) and 4 P’s of marketing (product, place, price, and promotion), implementation timeline, and evaluation (i.e., process outcome, qualitative, quantitative) of nutrition interventions for the assigned target population as described in Assignment 2. This assignment is a group assignment and will be in the form of a written document and a timed PowerPoint presentation in class by the students in the group.
The instructor encourages students to work ahead, particularly on the assignments, to be able to ask pertinent questions during scheduled class time and on the assignment discussion days. This will also ensure that students can submit their assignments on time.