An official website of the United States government.
The public is increasingly aware of challenges in food safety with instantaneous access to information in the wake of food-related illness outbreaks and recalls through news and social media. Even if accurate, the information provided is typically limited to the products and suppliers involved, and occasionally includes the shortcomings that may have contributed to the contamination event or illness outbreak. While providing critical information for public health in the midst of potential crises, these moments often are the extent to which many are attentive to food safety. By their very nature, such news pieces offer an incomplete rendering of a critical scientific and social issue with limited insight on the roles of various scientists and their approaches to determine a problem source, resolve the immediate problem, and prevent future recurrences. Thus the educational problems in this realm are, 1) limited knowledge of food safety 2) limited awareness of professional roles in food safety, and 3) the consequent negative perceptions that can become amplified due to knowledge gaps. <P>This project will help fulfill the educational need of curriculum development for expanding student awareness of food science careers while utilizing a technology-enhanced, interactive instructional delivery system. The products of this project will be new educational materials that teach the scientific method and food safety through foodborne illness traceback, problem resolution, and prevention of future recurrence. These concepts will be introduced in an interactive web-based format with applicability for smart mobile devices.
Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to create and evaluate an educational interactive gaming module for use by postsecondary students as an effective instructional tool to improve the understanding and awareness of food safety within the larger context of agriculture, food manufacturing and public health. <br/>Audience: This module will be used and assessed by college students from diverse backgrounds to gain a better understanding of food safety knowledge, and cultural bias and existing attitudes related to our food production system. Food safety is an expansive and increasingly complex area of great importance to our growing population. Consequently there is a demonstrated need for an increase in the number and diversity of post-secondary students studying food science as well as other agriculturally-related fields involving food safety.
<br/>Products: The adaptable gaming module will allow students to select different roles and different case studies in the framework of a foodborne outbreak investigation; they will respond to time-sensitive questions to determine the source, reason and preventative solution for the outbreak.
<br/>Outcome/Impact: The University of Delaware, University of Maryland - Eastern Shore and New Mexico State University represent an inter-institutional collaboration to design, develop and assess a multiple-use web-based gaming platform to improve the quality of academic instruction, and attract, recruit and retain undeclared majors to food science and other related majors. Enrolled students at the three institutions will be used to direct development of the module, fully assess the function and application of the module, and assess their own changes in knowledge, and the bias and attitudes regarding food safety and agriculture. This gaming module will have substantial merit for use in food science classrooms throughout the United States.
<P>
Approach:<br/>
University of Delaware food scientists will lead the development of the scientific content for the interactive module. The scientific approach for investigation of a foodborne illness outbreak will direct the learning content and the scenes to be created for the interactive module. A focus group of university students will be formed to solicit input on the nature of content delivery and feedback on content issues. Students in courses at UD studying Animal and Food Sciences and outside of the department will be solicited to participate in these groups. Throughout development of the content, UD will regularly communicate conceptual ideas with NMSU investigators who will use their proven design process they have developed over the past 20 years. This iterative design process incorporates educators, food safety content specialists, scientists and educational technology specialists, designers and members of the target audience who will test the modules throughout development to ensure the design and interactive module is effective. University of Delaware investigators will develop assessment tools in conjunction with the experts from the UD Office for Educational Assessment. The project will be assessed for the most part at UD and at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore.