Learning module «FoodChemAnalysis»

The “FoodChemAnalysis” project aimed to develop a web-based learning tool that highlights the close connection between food analysis and food chemistry. These two disciplines are central to understanding the composition, properties, and safety of food and form the basis for many other areas of food science.
In traditional teaching, lectures are often perceived as isolated units, leading students to miss the connections between the closely related topics. This affects their understanding of the overall context and their ability to solve complex analytical problems that involve both food analysis and chemistry.
The motivation for this project was to bridge this gap by providing students with learning materials and media that demonstrate the strong connection between the individual disciplines. The “FoodChemAnalysis” learning tool was developed to help students perceive lectures not as isolated topics but to understand that food analysis and chemistry are inextricably linked.
The learning tool is modular and can be used in both food chemistry and food analysis courses during lectures and for self-study. It allows students to build the relevant competencies at their own pace and in a protected environment with realistic application examples. A particular focus was placed on interactivity and continuous support of the learning process through digital learning media.
The subject-specific content of the learning tool was developed in collaboration with experts from the food industry, research, official control, and contract laboratories. The modular structure and the competence development among the instructors during the project allow for the continuous expansion of the learning tool with new problems. This promotes students’ interdisciplinary skills and helps them recognize and apply the connections between topics from different courses.
With the help of the learning tool, students should be able to solve larger analytical problems from various fields where food analysis and chemistry play a role. Unlike existing learning platforms, “FoodChemAnalysis” does not focus on individual subjects but emphasizes thematic connections. This aims to foster a better understanding of the bigger picture among students.

The “FoodChemAnalysis” project was implemented in several phases to ensure that the learning tool met both content and didactic requirements.
In the first phase, various programs for creating the learning tool were evaluated. After thorough review, Articulate was chosen for its user-friendliness and flexibility.
The subject-specific content of the learning tool was developed in close collaboration with experts from the food industry, research, official control, and contract laboratories. This collaboration ensured that the content was practical and up to date. A particular focus was placed on creating professional video interviews with the experts. These videos show the experts in their work environment, provide information about their education and career paths, and explain why food chemistry and analysis are important in their profession.
In addition to the video interviews, one analytical problem in the field of research was developed as a practical example for students.
The learning tool was first used and evaluated in the fall semester 2022 in the Food Chemistry II course. Feedback from students and instructors was collected and analyzed to further optimize the learning tool.
In the spring semester of 2024, the finished learning tool was used and evaluated again in the Food Analysis I course. Feedback was again used to refine and finalize the learning units.
The modular structure of the learning tool allowed for the integration of new practical problems at any time and the continuous expansion of the tool. This promotes students’ interdisciplinary skills and helps them recognize and apply the connections between topics from different courses.

The “FoodChemAnalysis” project was successfully implemented and helped students better understand the connections between food analysis and food chemistry. Students no longer perceived the lectures as isolated topics but recognized the inseparable link between the two disciplines. This was a central goal of the project and was achieved through the learning tool.
An unexpected benefit was the positive response to the professional video interviews with experts from the food industry, research, official control, and contract laboratories. These interviews showed the experts in their work environment and provided students with insights into their education, career paths, and the importance of food chemistry and analysis in their professions. This focus on video interviews arose because the team lacked “Instructional Design” expertise, which could not be covered by a new hire. Therefore, multiple analytical problems from various professional fields could not be developed as desired, and only one example problem was created.
Another point was the time required to create an interactive starting page for the learning tool, which was higher than expected. Despite these challenges, the learning tool was successfully deployed and evaluated in the fall semester 2022 in the Food Chemistry II course and in the spring semester 2024 in the Food Analysis I course. Feedback from students and instructors was used to further optimize the learning tool.
The survey among students showed that a group of students very much enjoyed working independently on such a problem and benefited greatly from it. Others had more difficulty doing this independently. This suggests that the learning tool is particularly suitable for self-motivated students, while others may need more support. This will be considered in the future use of the learning tool.
The experiences from this project can be transferred to other contexts and larger student numbers by using the modular structure of the learning tool to integrate new practical problems. This promotes students’ interdisciplinary skills and helps them recognize and apply the connections between topics from different courses. By continuously expanding the learning tool, larger groups of students can also benefit from the practical content.

Jose Guanter Fonds, Visualisation and Simulation