39E-10

L. WICKER¹, B. W. Barnes, and N. Detienne. (1) Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, 1020 Cedar and East Campus Road, Athens, GA 30602

Changes in the method of conducting processing laboratories was precipitated initially by large enrollments, lack of dedicated instructional processing equipment, and lack of teaching assistants who have experience in teaching food processing.

Ideally, processing labs demonstrate practical problems from the food industry and enhance troubleshooting and critical thinking skills. An approach that has been successfully developed and used for several years is to designate the responsibility for the laboratory handout, preparation, and supervision of processing labs to a team of currently enrolled students.

In practice, my graduate students, pilot plant staff and I work with each group to help prepare the lab hand-out, make work sheets, demonstrate the equipment, etc. The time input required from my students or me was variable, but the overall learning process and consistency in the lab experience was improved.

Careful planning and communication between the team, the lead graduate student, the staff and the instructor resulted in successful, productive labs. The students enjoy the responsibility and ownership of a laboratory and learn the break down and set up of equipment. Semester to semester variation in quality of the laboratory experience was minimized. The problems associated with unavailability of a graduate student who had the course, experience, or language skills to direct a lab were reduced. Overall, “excellent” student comments on organization, planning, and significance of the labs was received.

This approach has resulted in enhanced understanding of the equipment, principles of operation, experimental design, and understanding of concepts.