Engaging students from the get-go
Starting a class today – Food Polymer Science for graduate students.
Getting students engaged is a challenge – even at this level (MS & PhD candidates) – some of them are only doing the course for required credits. So what can we do?
Mano Singham in Liberal Education** rails against the traditional “rule-infested, punitive, controlling syllabus that is handed out to students on the first day of class“, claiming that what is missing is any mention of learning and any indication of the passion of the instructor for the subject matter [we hope the instructor has some passion]. Our formal syllabi here at Oregon State U do list anticipated learning outcomes, but what is missing is the first person-narrative of the instructors view of the subject in the context of food production, consumption, and we hope, the enjoyment of our food.
The Center for Teaching and Learning here at OSU has a summer workshop on a “living course” – a guide to creating a partially web 2.0 based class delivery mechanism. A key part of the development of a living course/syllabus was to create a first person course narrative as a welcome to students and as a way of bringing the subject to life from the start.
I have linked to the current course narratives for both the graduate food polymers course as well as my science of deliciousness course for any of you food science instructors out there who are interested. Comments are welcome.
FOOD POLYMERS narrative
FOOD CHEMISTRY – DELICIOUSNESS narrative
**Via TEACHING TIPS from the University of Hawaii’s Honolulu Community College.
Rye bread baked from a formula in Michel Suas’ “Advanced Bread and Pastry – A Professional Approach” from the San Francisco Baking Institute.
OSU