67A-6 |
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S. J. PINTAURO1, A. Krahl, and V. Chamberlain. (1) Dept. of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, 318 Terrill Hall, Burlington, VT 05405 The educational system in the U.S. is being fundamentally transformed, largely due to the explosive growth and incorporation of information technologies, including Web-based Instruction (WBI). Many universities and colleges are now incorporating WBI into their curricula. Relatively little data are available, however, on the effectiveness of this technology in teaching college-level courses. The objectives of this project were to 1) develop a high quality, Web-based, interactive multimedia course on Food Safety and Regulation (W-FSR) and 2) to evaluate student attitudes and effectiveness of this online course, compared to a traditional lecture format course (L-FSR) and a course consisting of a combination of lecture and the online Web material (WL-FSR). The online Web course included a series of lessons that contained text, animations, videos, interactive quizzes, and the ability to print copies of the learning material for each lesson. The Web site also included a live chat room and a discussion board. The W-FSR, L-FSR and WL-FSR courses were taught over three consecutive semesters. Students were free to enroll in any of the semester courses. Students in all three groups took identical, validated pretests, posttests, and attitude assessments. There were no significant differences in pre-test scores between the three groups. Post-test results for the L-FSR, W-FSR and WL-FSR groups were 68.0 ± 1.74, 65.5 ± 4.95, and 72.4 ± 1.71 (mean ± SE), respectively, with the WL-FSR group performing significantly better than the W-FSR group at p<0.05. Overall student attitudes regarding their course format were generally better in the L-FSR and WL-FSR groups, however. The results of this study suggest that a college-level course in food safety and regulation can be effectively taught via the Web. Furthermore, students’ cognitive performance can be maximized through the combined use of Web-based learning materials and in-person lectures and discussions.
Session 67A, Education: General
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