Experiential learning activities are often viewed as impractical, and potentially unfeasible, instructional tools to employ in a large enrollment course. Research has shown, though, that the metacognitive skills that students utilize while participating in experiential learning activities enable them to assess their true level of understanding and mastery of the subject matter. The objectives of this study were to (1) create and implement 2 experiential learning activities in our introductory, large enrollment course and (2) evaluate their cognitive and affective impact on student learning. For the 1st activity, completed in class during the nutrition and health section, the instructional team asked the students to complete a dietary intake assessment. For the 2nd activity, completed via the course website, the instructional team asked the students to complete a food safety survey prior to the commencement of the food microbiology and processing section to assess the students' own personal food safety behaviors. The students were asked to evaluate both the cognitive and affective aspects of the experiential learning activities by completing a reflective questionnaire after participating in each activity. The majority of the students that participated in the experiential learning activities reported that the activities helped them learn the course material (97% for the dietary intake activity and 77% for the food safety activity) and that they liked participating in the activity (85% for the dietary intake activity) or were engaged by the activity (77% for the food safety activity). These results indicate that experiential learning activities can be successfully created for and implemented in large enrollment courses.
Historically, saturated salt solutions in desiccators have been used to investigate the effects of increasing relative humidity and temperature on the volatile retention efficiency of amorphous glasses. Obtaining data using desiccators is a static process that gives the researcher discrete data points with which to draw conclusions. Dynamic vapor sorption (DVS; SMS, London, U.K.) is a humidification system that creates specific relative humidity and temperature environments within a chamber that contains the material being investigated. This study had two specific aims: (1) to develop a DVS-fast GC-FID method that dynamically evaluates the effects of humidification and temperature increases on volatile release from amorphous carbohydrate glasses and (2) to evaluate the validity of the DVS-fast GC-FID method. Artificial cherry Durarome (Firmenich, Plainsboro, NJ) was used as the model system. The DVS-fast GC-FID method proved to be an innovative, accurate, and precise technique that can be used to conduct humidification/temperature-volatile release studies.
: The overarching goal of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative is to foster effective STEM teaching and learning throughout the educational system at the local, state, and national levels, thereby producing science literate citizens and a capable STEM workforce. To contribute to achieving this goal, we have assembled six food science demonstrations for use at all educational levels and have presented these lessons to students at the elementary through higher education levels. The focus of this article is to share these food science demonstrations and our experiences using them so that others can use them for engaging students in STEM disciplines, through food science, at any educational level. Featured demonstrations include: (1) liquid nitrogen ice cream: a matter of changing phases, (2) seeing our senses work together, (3) whipping up the cream, (4) milk versus dark: what is the difference?, (5) counting calories by burning them, and (6) culinary spherification: the wonders of cross‐linking. Overall, our experience with using these demonstrations has been very positive. Students appear engaged in the learning process and love to consume the demonstration end products. Downloadable handouts containing demonstration details for each demonstration are available as supporting information.
: Physicochemical changes that occur in artificial cherry Durarome® (benzaldehyde entrapped in an amorphous sucrose glassy matrix) when exposed to humid environments were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) and DSC (DVS‐DSC), and DVS‐fast gas chroma‐tography‐flame ionization detection (DVS‐fast GC‐FID). The average measured midpoint glass transition temperature (Tg) value for “as is” Durarome was 45.9 ± 1.86°C, indicating that Durarome is in the glassy state at the experimental temperature (T) of 25°C. Humidification of Durarome increased the matrix moisture content and subsequently depressed its Tg. An appreciable percentage of the original benzaldehyde released from the Durarome matrix, measured using the dynamic, open DVS system, began when the Tg was depressed to approximately ‐5°C, or T‐Tg = 30°C. Volatile release initiation is influenced by the physicochemical characteristics of both the matrix material and the volatile compound, as well as the humidification system used (that is, static, closed versus dynamic, open). Thus, it is reasonable to expect that each volatile entrapping matrix system will exhibit a different T‐Tg release profile.
Abstract: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).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.