Week 7: Assessments & Learning Models

Experiential Learning Activity

 

Objective

College students will work together in teams of two in a food lab to create a sample one-day meal plan that is “nutritionally balanced.” This activity will occur before the lecture or any other instruction. 

​

Activity 

Students work in their teams to create a plated breakfast, lunch, and dinner that they believe represents a nutritionally balanced day. First, they will plan out a three-meal plan (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and then they will assemble the meal using real food in the food lab. Students will photograph their plates and use a provided template to create a digital meal plan that includes the photos, type of food, and quantity for each meal. 

​

Assessments

​

Formative Assessment

Each student team will exchange digital meal plans with another student team who will enter the meal plan into a nutrition tracking app that provides total calories, macronutrient breakdown, and the number of servings of USDA food groups (fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy). Students will receive their meal plans back with nutrition information and discuss their findings with their peers. As teams, they discuss what foods could be added or removed from their plans to bring them in alignment with the guidelines shown in the nutrition app. Digital meal plans and any changes are turned in to the instructor for review but are not graded. 

​

Authentic Assessment: Performance  

At the end of the semester, student teams will choose a local restaurant for an in-person dining experience. Given the information learned throughout the class, they will select items from the menu to create a nutritionally balanced meal. Each student may request one substitution only for their entrée. 

​

Connections to Learning: Experiential Learning Model

​

This activity represents an experiential learning activity by requiring students to perform a hands-on activity (creating meals in the food lab) and a field trip (choosing healthy menu items while dining at a restaurant). The initial activity must be completed before they receive formal instruction on nutrition, USDA guidelines, macronutrients, or food tracking apps.

 

This activity takes the learner through the four stages of David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: 

1. Active Experimentation: Students plan out what their three-meal plan will include for each meal.

2. Concrete Experience: In the food lab, students physically create each meal and photograph it.

3. Reflective Observation: Students review the nutritional analysis of their meals.

4. Abstract Conceptualization: Students review the nutritional analysis and collaborate on how to improve their meal’s nutrition. 

 

This activity allows students to express their creativity while learning skills they will need for a lifetime. Because the assessment is formative, there is no fear of the results impacting a grade, and the learner can devote their attention to creating a meal within the very broad guidance of “nutritious” rather than being concerned about meeting specific guidelines in a summative assessment. Turning in their digital meal plans allows the instructor to gauge the class's knowledge level and plan for necessary scaffolding.  The authentic assessment of restaurant dining represents a real-life application of the classroom material, which is meaningful since it reflects a skill that will benefit the student throughout their lifetime.