30B-1 |
A communication-intensive course in food microbiology |
S. DOORES, Dept. of Food Science, Penn State Univ., 107-B Borland Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 Developing the skill to communicate by means of the written word is extremely important in today’s society. Since the early 90s, Penn State has required each major to offer one course designated as a "Writing Intensive" course with the idea that iterative writing in one’s discipline may be a more palatable way to learn writing skills. Food Science 409W, Laboratory in Applied Food Microbiology, offers students the opportunity to improve their writing skills, and in addition, improve their oral communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Students assembled in teams of 3-5 select one of the basic laboratory exercises. They are expected to layer on elements of difficulty to convert the lab to one of a more research-oriented nature. A preliminary meeting is scheduled between the instructor and the team to develop the hypothesis, the scientific content and experimental design of the project. The team prepares handout material that contains a pertinent introduction, materials and methods, and interpretation guide. The entire class conducts the exercise and data are collected using spreadsheet software. The team analyzes the data, presents this information to the class, and then engages their colleagues in discussion of the data. The team formally writes a first draft of a "journal" article that is peer reviewed by their colleagues and the instructor. Using the critiques, a second draft is prepared. All articles are assembled into the Annual Reviews of Food Microbiology that is currently in its 8th year. As a result of this course, students improve their oral and written skills, develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. In addition, the ability to work in teams is emphasized and members of the team evaluate themselves and other team members. Most importantly, students build relationships with other students and the level of peer teaching is increased.
Session 30B, Education
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