Faculty-led Inquiry into Reflective and Scholarly Teaching (FIRST)
Date of this Version
Spring 2022
Document Type
Portfolio
Abstract
The aim of this course portfolio was to assess improvement of students’ literature research skills and scientific writing after embedding communication lectures, activities and assignments in FDST 132 Practical Applications in Food Science. This is a terminal laboratory course for first year Food Science majors with basic science knowledge. The goal of the course is to allow students to put in practice some basic food science principles and work with their cohort. This portfolio outlines the changes made to this course, the rationale for embedding lectures and assessments in scientific communication. The specific skills and topics I aimed to teach students, and examples of the assessments and rubrics used to evaluate said skills. Through this portfolio I evaluate samples of student writing and reflect on their progressive improvement. I also reflect on the class modifications and what improvements could be made based on my own experience and students on the course and their attitudes towards the course content.