This learning resource (Food Studies for Beginners) is a well-designed and reasonably well-thought out resource that is easy to work through and understand. The selection of sub-topics for modules works well with the learning outcomes, all of which I found to be fulfilled by the material. The resource at times deviates from its patron learning theory of Constructivism and has some other minor flaws.
Website Structure
The website’s navigability is greatly helped by the primary menu which contains links to every part of the resource but is hindered a little by awkward navigation from one module to the next. Perhaps linking each module post to the next might help streamline navigation.
Content and Assessment
The written content is usually concise, but occasionally a little verbose (e.g. Module 2: types of ingredients), which can be jarring. There are some minor grammatical errors throughout the resource (a brief look-over by a proficient English speaker would eliminate these) but they do not detract from the material. The videos chosen are from appropriate sources, relate to the module’s content, and interesting to watch for the most part. Overall, I felt the content disseminated a very precise set of information as predicated by the learning outcomes.
Regarding the two facets of Assessment included in this resource: I enjoyed the discussion prompts but questioned the quizzes. The prompts encouraged me to contextualize my daily experiences in the context of food studies/safety, and I feel characterized Constructivism well. The quizzes however struck me to be motivated by purely behaviorist tendencies and usually only encouraged me to memorize facts and figures. Some quiz material did not even seem to be mentioned in the module’s content (e.g. Practice Quiz 2, q3). This assessment might benefit from some re-working in terms of question selection and format.
Technology Choice
This part of the resource impressed me. The technology choice, especially Padlet and Google Docs, are brilliant and work fabulously in the context of an online learning resource. They are quick and easy to access, and easy to use.
