Unit rationale, description and aim
Food systems that are sustainable and environmentally sound are urgently needed to provide food for the world’s population now and into the future. Building these food systems requires a critical understanding of the historical, cultural, social, economic, political, environmental, and technological influences on food choice, use and habits of individuals and communities, both locally and globally. In this unit, students will be provided with the opportunity to critically analyse these issues and propose ‘real-world’ solutions while developing their individual research skills. Building on understanding and skills developed in earlier units, students will extend their competence in systematically searching for, retrieving and analysing food and nutrition-related literature, and synthesising learning about socioecological impacts on food choice within a broader food system context. The aim of this unit is to support students to develop a framework for critically analysing food systems, articulate the requirements for appropriate sustainable food systems, and further develop research skills.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Systematically search for, locate, extract, and cr...
Learning Outcome 01
Compare and contrast influences on food choice, us...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically analyse issues and propose solutions re...
Learning Outcome 03
Review research and present findings on a food, so...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Critical approaches to examining food and nutrition issues
- Finding, synthesising, and presenting the evidence
- Food systems; yesterday, today and tomorrow
- Socioecological model for understanding influences and their interrelationship
- Food habits, choosing and using food
- Food and culture and religion
- Food sociology, policy, economics
- Food and technology
- Environmental issues in food systems
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ways of caring for land
- Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Professional and culturally safe presentations in academic fora
- Peer review
Assessment strategy and rationale
To best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, a range of assessment strategies are used in ways that support the developmental sequence of the learning and teaching strategy. Thus, the three phases of the strategy are reflected by integration of three appropriate assessment tasks.
The first written assessment task, will allow students to demonstrate understanding of content taught during the first half of the teaching period. The second assessment task requires that students demonstrate their food and nutrition-related research skills and ability to analyse, synthesise, and write professionally. The final assessment task allows students to demonstrate their research synthesis, presentation and peer review skills.
Overview of assessments
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome by obtaining a minimum combined mark of 50% in graded units.
Assessment Task 1 - Quizzes: Require students to...
Assessment Task 1 - Quizzes:
Require students to demonstrate understanding of topic areas.
20%
Assessment Task 2 - Written Task: Require studen...
Assessment Task 2 - Written Task:
Require students to demonstrate critical thinking, analytical and academic writing skills.
30%
Assessment Task 3 - Seminar Presentation: Semina...
Assessment Task 3 - Seminar Presentation:
Seminar presentation: Require students to demonstrate organisational, presentation, critical thinking, cultural safety and peer review skills.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
To align with the sequence of learning outcomes, this unit follows a three-phase strategy to provide a developmental learning experience. It begins by consolidating students’ prior knowledge and building their ability to critically analyse food and nutrition issues through literature review and application to real-life contexts. It then shifts to integrating this knowledge through the examination of sustainable and environmentally sound food systems. Finally, students communicate their learning through the development of professional presentation skills.
Learning and teaching methods include active, experiential and case-based learning, individual and group activities, cooperative learning, online modules, and critical reflection tasks delivered over 12 weeks. In the first half of the unit, students complete asynchronous modules to develop critical understanding of food, society and environmental issues, and participate in tutorials that apply theory using a research approach. The second half focuses on seminar preparation and delivery, including peer review.
The approach fosters independence, requiring students to take responsibility for their learning and actively participate in all activities to support achievement of the unit’s aim, outcomes and graduate capabilities.