Integrated and interactive workbook for food chemistry and analysis

Food Chemistry and Food Analysis are two closely related fields that are in the core of food sciences, understanding the composition, properties, nutritional value, stability, cost and safety of foods. The two fields greatly benefit from solid foundation in knowledge in the other, which is why we propose to develop an intergrated electronic workbook to support the studies of food chemistry and analysis (Related lectures: Lebensmittelchemie I&II, Lebensmittelanalytik I& II, partially also Praktikum Lebensmittelchemie). The integrated and interactive workbook to be generated on Polybook platform will be built of independent thematic modules, where individual text parts can be combined in a tailored order to fit the specific needs. In other words, the entry portal of the Workbook can be designed separately for each course so that, the sections are organised and arranged with the mental logic needed for that topic. The workbook will include short summaries of theory and explanations of most important terms and concepts, exercises to be carried out as part of interactive sequences in lectures or as homework and self-study material during the semester and for exam preparation. We will integrate various modules, where the students can also get feedback on their learning (quizzes, summarising tasks etc.).

• well-structured learning material that students can use to prepare and post-process the lectures and solve exercises at various levels
• the workbook can be used in various lectures throughout the bachelor’s degree
• self-study is encouraged and students can check their learning progress at any time

The project aims at supporting students’ learning in several consecutive semesters, offering several opportunities to link their newly learned content to concepts and themes learned in previous semesters and associated lectures. Currently the students find individual lecture courses to be isolated entities, and we wish to guide them in building the links between various courses in the food science curriculum to understand the interconnectivity of disciplines by making the connections visible and offering examples and motivation to exercises via interlinked examples and case studies. The material produced is very interactive, offering the students the possibility to actively engage themselves in the learning process to learn and monitor own learning.

A final evaluation of the project was unfortunately not yet possible. Due to Covid-19, various tests planned for 2020 had to be postponed.

Feedback we have received from students:
• “Above all, the exercises are very helpful to check the learning success.”
• “The polybook for the lecture was very helpful to refresh the material again or to understand it better.”

• clearly structure your workbook from the beginning
• use feedback from students to improve the workbook continuously