Unit rationale, description and aim
A fundamental understanding of nutrition is essential for practitioners in food, exercise and health-related industries. In this unit, students will: develop an understanding of key documents that inform dietary recommendations including the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Nutrient Reference Values; explore macronutrients and how they are absorbed; gain an understanding of vitamins and minerals and how they work to maintain good health; and be introduced to dietary assessment methods and analysis. The concepts of hydration, exercise nutrition (including for training, competition and recovery, supplements, and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), fad diets, First Nations diets and the relationship between diet and disease are also explored.
Students will develop skills in reading, interpreting, and communicating scientific literature that contribute to the evidence base that shapes nutrition practice and recommendations. By combining the skills developed throughout the unit, students will be able to conduct basic dietary analysis using industry-standard software (FoodWorks™) and make evidence-based recommendations to improve the overall health of general and athletic populations.
The aim of this unit is to help students build a strong nutrition foundation from which they can develop knowledge, and skills that are relevant to professional practice in food, nutrition and exercise.
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.
Identify the role of energy balance, the Australia...
Learning Outcome 01
Describe the nutritive and non-nutritive component...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse evidence that supports nutritional practic...
Learning Outcome 03
Critique information collected using different die...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Food composition and function
- Physiology of digestion and absorption
- Energy metabolism, energy balance, and hydration
- Nutrient reference values and dietary guidelines for healthy eating
- Sports nutrition strategies
- Undernutrition and overnutrition in health and exercise
- Nutritional supplements, ergogenic aids, and evidence-based approaches to diet/nutrition information, and fad diets
- Methods of dietary assessment and evaluation
- Scope of practice and referral pathways for inappropriate dietary behaviours
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders traditional diets
Assessment strategy and rationale
To help students achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate capabilities, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome and obtain a minimum mark of 50%.
A range of assessment strategies is used in ways that support the developmental sequence of the learning and teaching strategy. Each task is designed to build the skills necessary for working towards the final assessment task.
Assessment task 1: Written task early in semester requires students to present newly acquired knowledge and develop their ability to communicate reasoning and understanding through a review of scientific literature.
Assessment task 2: Provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their written communication skills, as well their ability to interpret dietary guidelines and make food-based recommendations.
Assessment task 3: The final assessment task provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their understanding of the unit content and demonstrate critical thinking in the analysis and interpretation of dietary data using written communication skills.
Overview of assessments
To pass this unit, students must demonstrate that they have achieved each learning outcome and obtained a total mark of at least 50% in this unit as a minimum standard.
Assessment Task 1 - Written Assessment Investi...
Assessment Task 1 - Written Assessment
Investigate a topical issue related to key nutrition principles.
Enables students to communicate reasoning and demonstrate application of knowledge and skills developed in the unit.
25%
Assessment Task 2 - Written Assessment Interpret...
Assessment Task 2 - Written Assessment
Interpretation and utilisation of dietary guidelines to make food-based recommendations.
Enables students to apply key unit learning as well as demonstrate their written communication skills.
25%
Assessment Task 3 - Written Assessment Dietary a...
Assessment Task 3 - Written Assessment
Dietary analysis enabling students to assess and interpret individual dietary habits using appropriate nutrition software.
Enables students to demonstrate application of knowledge and skills developed in the unit. Enables students to demonstrate written communication skills.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit employs student-centred active learning through blended delivery combining self-paced online content with face-to-face sessions. A constructively aligned developmental sequence progressively builds student understanding across three stages: knowledge acquisition of introductory nutrition concepts, completion of activities that progress introductory nutrition concepts, and development and application of skills essential for further nutrition studies.
Learning and teaching approaches to support the three-stage approach include active learning, case-based learning, individual and group activities, cooperative learning, and reflective/critical thinking activities. This range of approaches will provide students with appropriate access to required knowledge and understanding of unit content, and opportunities for development of practical skills. These approaches will allow students to meet the aims, learning outcomes and graduate capabilities of the unit. Learning and teaching approaches will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively in learning activities.