Food Science Undergraduate Program Renewal: Scaffolding Student Learning and Incorporation of Sustainable Food Production Practices

Zhaoming Xu, Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Patricia Hingston, Project Co-Lead / Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Christine Scaman, Project Co-Lead / Associate Dean, Academic / Associate Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Judy Chan, Sessional Lecturer, Faculty of Land and Food Systems / Faculty Liaison, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Cyprien Loman, Assistant Dean, Learning Technologies Director, LFS Learning Centre
Anubhav Pratap Singh, Assistant Professor, Food Science, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

The purpose of this project is to evaluate and construct a plan to renew UBC’s Undergraduate Food Science program to provide a food science education that enhances student depth of learning of core concepts, promotes awareness of sustainable food production practices, and that includes all topic areas mandated by our accrediting body.

More specifically, this project will involve:

• Reviewing our program learning outcomes and identifying key experiences that graduates should have during the program.
• Assessing the overlaps and relevancy of the concepts taught in our courses to make space for additional topic areas mandated by our accrediting body that we are lacking.
• Scaffolding content across courses to improve student depth of knowledge in core food science topic areas.
• Reviewing our teaching, learning, and assessment strategies to ensure that they reinforce our program learning outcomes.
• Integrating knowledge of sustainable food production practices across our courses to better align our program with the goals of our Land and Food Systems Faculty and of UBC’s strategic plan.
• Reviewing the relevancy of the concepts we are teaching with respect to both local and global food industry practices to ensure that our students will have the proper knowledge and skills to be successful in their careers.
• Evaluating the growth potential of our program.

Overall we aim to deliver a stronger program that will help better prepare students for careers in the food industry and the food challenges of the future.

Zhaoming Xu, Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Patricia Hingston, Project Co-Lead / Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Christine Scaman, Project Co-Lead / Associate Dean, Academic / Associate Professor, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Deanna Bracewell, Curriculum Renewal Project Coordinator, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Judy Chan, Sessional Lecturer, Faculty of Land and Food Systems / Faculty Liaison, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
Cyprien Loman, Assistant Dean, Learning Technologies Director, LFS Learning Centre

Our project has stayed focused on its targets as described in our initial proposal. As identified by one of our reviewers, we recognize that we had an ambitious plan. Yet we are pleased to report the following outcomes are complete or nearing completion for the Food Science major:

• Assess the relevancy of program content with respect to industry needs
• Identify key learning experiences for graduates
• Assess program content overlaps, gaps and progression
• Recommend course scheduling improvements to scaffold content across courses and enhance student depth of knowledge in core areas

The remaining targets, which we will address in year two of the project, include:

• Develop a plan to add missing content areas, including sustainability
• Revise program learning outcomes
• Assess alignment between instructional and assessment strategies and program learning outcomes Evaluate the growth potential of the program

Overall, we are delighted with our productivity and progress in year one.