Large online classes (defined as class enrollments with 60 plus students)1 can overwhelm the student and instructor. An asynchronous learning environment with large student numbers can result in poor student performance and isolation. However, a well-designed and well-managed course can result in a positive experience for teacher and student.
Online instructors need to identify with the learners who may have little or no experience in the online environment and are novices regarding course content.1 Student expectations and classroom policies must be clearly stated at the beginning through a detailed syllabus that is treated like a contract between the instructor and student. One approach in setting up a successful course is to examine course design rubrics like the one produced by the Quality Matters Program.3 It focuses on quality standards in “Course Overview and Introduction, Learning Objectives, Assessment and Measurement, Instructional Materials, Learner Interaction and Engagement and Course Technology.�2
a single course. Create ideas with clear and simple objectives.
Does this quote remind you of times you’ve had to set the record straight on the latest nutrition quackery? Why does fact have such a hard time competing with fallacy- especially when it comes to nutrition information? As nutrition educators, our job is to make sure that fact comes out on top. Brothers Chip and Dan Heath outline a strategy to help ideas ‘stick’ with the listener in their book Made to Stick.1 It’s summarized in the acronym SUCCES.
This doesn’t mean dumbing down or sound bite teaching. It does mean avoiding details that can bury the main ideas. As experts we are likely to be enamored with nuances and complexities of nutrition topics- leading to what the Heaths call ‘the curse of knowledge.’ Although we are part of the process of training people to fill very complex roles as nurses, doctors, dentists, etc., they do not have to learn it all in one class! Curriculum mapping to build complexity throughout programs will get the desired student outcomes and prevent dilution of main concepts relative to
Wouldn’t it be great to just once hear a flight attendant say, “Although the song says there are 50 ways to leave your lover, there are only six exits on this plane?” Now that would get our attention! As nutrition educators, we can attract our students’ attention with unexpected innovation. For example, rather than lecturing on the micronutrients one by one, why not divide the class into teams and have a 3-minute debate on the water fluoridation controversy, the best calcium supplement, government regulation of sodium content in food or the role of B-vitamins in heart disease? Start the lecture with a case study that builds mystery around a nutrition-related cause of death. Spice up a lecture with Prezi instead of Powerpoint. Conduct your class at the local grocery store or assign an online ‘scavenger hunt’ to answer a PICO (Patient Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes) question. Taste tests, guest lectures, man-on-the-street interviews, flipping the class- ideas are only limited by your imagination!
Terms like unhealthy diet, malnutrition, and aspiration are abstract terms for students until we show them test tubes of fat
and sodium in processed foods, pictures of bloated stomachs in children with kwashiorkor, and video clips of a modified barium swallow. Ideas ‘stick’ when they are presented in ways that engage the senses or common human experiences.
To build that credibility, ideas need to be articulated by an expert. Sometimes the expert is a field expert, and sometimes it’s the person who has ‘been there’. Think of the powerful effect of commercials featuring the deteriorating health of cocaine users and smokers. These vivid images are far more compelling than health statistics. The statement “Obesity adversely affects joints” draws a yawn; showing students X-rays of crushed growth plates in morbidly obese children creates belief.
They are likely to ‘stick’. Antitobacco campaigns that show body bags to illustrate the connection between smoking and death have far greater emotional appeal than statistical pie charts and bar graphs. Students grasp the complexities of eating disorders when they view images and hear the emotional stories of people who struggle with bulimia or anorexia nervosa.
Case studies, clinical scenarios, and historical events told with vivid details permanently etch a concept in the brain. Students are more likely to remember the im-
portance of personal hygiene when handling food if they know the story of Typhoid Mary. They can appreciate the impact of scurvy on world history when they read about Dr. James Lind. Perhaps the ideas presented in Made to Stick will
inspire greater creativity in your courses. I invite each of you to send examples of ‘sticky ideas’ you have used in your courses to tjohnson@troy.edu. I will compile and disseminate to all NEHP members.
The Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) will gather at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon, August 9 - 12 for the 46th SNEB Annual Conference, “Nutrition Education: Moving from Good to Great.” The conference will kick off with a keynote address by Michelle May, founder of the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Workshops. Conference attendees will also participate in education sessions featuring the latest information on dietary guidelines, educational strategies, nutrition policy, and wellness initiatives with a focus on putting research into practice.
This premier event for nutrition education professionals from around the world allows attendees the opportunity to interface with influential nutrition-
ists from extension, public health, government, academia, industry, and community settings. In addition to education sessions, the SNEB Annual Conference features an exhibit hall, fun run, student networking, and silent auction to benefit the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior Foundation. Detailed conference information is online at http:// www.sneb.org/events/ conference.html.
Resource, etc.
Academy’s Mission
Academy’s Vision
Academy’s Goals The public trusts and chooses Registered
Dietitians as food, nutrition and health experts. Academy members optimize the health of Americans. Members and prospective members view the Academy as vital to professional success. NEHP’s Mission
NEHP’s Vision
SNEB’s Mission
NEHP’s Goals
SNEB’s Vision
SNEB’s Goals Advocate for policies that support healthy
communities, food systems, and behaviors. Promote research related to effective nutrition
education and behavior change at the individual, community, and policy level. Build collaborations with organizations, industries and government to promote healthy communities, food systems, and behaviors. HE Division’s Mission
HE Division’s Vision
HE Division’s Goals Share curriculum ideas and materials in a
newsletter; online videos and webinars. Contribute to program ideas and speakers for the
Annual Conference. Give awards to students for outstanding research.