36C-8 |
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C. A. REITMEIER, Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State Univ., 2543 Food Sciences Bldg., Ames, IA 50011-1061, D. A. Vrchota, Dept. of English, Iowa State Univ., 206 Ross Hall, Ames, IA 50011, and B. Licklider, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Iowa State Univ., N247B Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA 50011. Space exploration can provide an exciting context for learning biology, chemistry, and engineering as well as crop production, food processing, packaging, and other issues related to living and working in a closed environment. There is a critical need for innovative educational programs that address food science and technology concepts. The objective of the Space Food Challenge was to design and implement effective educational lessons about the challenges of developing food systems for space exploration and habitation. Because learners require other skills to facilitate their learning, this project integrated food science topics related to space travel, active learning, and communication strategies in a faculty development format. Participants met 40 hours during two semesters to learn about space food, learning theories, and communication strategies. Each participant selected a space food topic with learning and communication strategies to use in his/her class. Instructors developed a lesson plan, tested and evaluated the plan, implemented the lesson in their classrooms, revised the plan, and posted the lesson on the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center (FTCSC) website: www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/ftcsc. Eighteen participants developed space food lessons about nutrition, menu planning, symbioses in space, food irradiation, use of robots, fruit and vegetable storage, growing plants on Mars, and plant disease. Communication strategies included brainstorming, briefing, facilitating discussions, presentation skills, problem-solving pairs, and working in teams. Learning strategies were identifying similarities and differences, Turn To Your Partner, rubrics for assessment, and reflection journals. The lessons have been taught to 1,829 students in university, high school and elementary school classrooms, 4-H camps, and FFA groups. Space food lessons provided a platform for teaching students about the problems of providing food on earth as well as in space. Students discussed complex issues and practiced problem-solving and critical thinking skills while expanding their approaches to learning and their communication skills.
Session 36C, Education: General
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |