Syllabus
Master of Science in Applied Nutrition
APN 620 Nutrition Education and Health Behavior Change – Summer A 2018
Credits - 3
Description
Health behavior theories and practices utilized to facilitate healthful behavior change in a variety of nutrition counseling and clinical settings are examined. Topics include motivational interviewing, practice of professional and engaged verbal and nonverbal communication, active listening, practitioner directed goal setting and group counseling. The design and evaluation of nutrition counseling practices are explored.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Program Objectives
The course will satisfy the following program objectives. You will learn how to:
- Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion initiatives
- Apply core research principles to measure the nutrition status and environment of individuals and communities
- Develop communications and collaboration strategies with representatives from government, non-profit, community, and business entities regarding nutrition initiatives
- Interpret and modify explanations of complex nutrition concepts for various audiences
- Research, develop and disseminate evidence-based and theory driven educational materials and work-products at an audience appropriate level for topics related to nutrition and health promotion
Assignments
Key Assessments:
- The Food and Culture Fact Sheet: You will create a fact sheet intended to educate a general audience about a culturally-specific diet.
- Fact Sheet Readability Assessment: You will analyze your fact sheet for readability.
- Therapeutic Relationship Report: You will complete a report detailing a particular therapeutic approach and the importance of motivational interviewing.
- Presentation: You will give two presentations. One that addresses the information in the fact sheet, and one that covers the information in the Therapeutic Report.
Smaller Assignments: You will complete smaller assignments that will help you complete the larger assignments. These smaller assignments include a Theory of Change paper and a cultural competency quiz.
Case Studies: You will complete two case studies.
Discussion Board:
You will be required to participate in discussions. Initial posts are due on Sundays, and responses are due by Tuesday. If the initial post and response are not submitted within the discussion week you will be given a zero. Posts submitted after the discussion week will not be graded.
Your success in the course relies on robust discussion, critical thinking, and peer-response. Weekly posts responding to prompts posed are meant to facilitate a deeper understanding of the broader themes of the course as well as enrich the readings, handouts, and lectures. Your initial response should be no less than 400 words. Peer-responses should be no less than 200 words and must be thoughtful, contain compliment as well as constructive criticism, and maintain a professional tone.
Furthermore, in regard to all assignments, please observe the following:
- All assignments must be completed using AMA formatting where appropriate.
- All times refer to Eastern Time (ET).
- All questions about assignments, and all questions in general, should be sent through email.
Writing Statement
As professionals in the field, you will consistently be expected to clearly and concisely articulate advanced concepts for diverse audiences at a variety of educational levels.
Graduate students are expected to produce their best quality work, including screening their work prior to submission for clarity, grammatical, spelling, formatting and mechanical issues.
While there is often a portion of each assignment’s rubric dedicated specifically to grammar, spelling, mechanics, and formatting, it is critical to understand that failure to submit work that has been adequately proofed may result in a reduction of points in other areas of the rubric. These may include, but are not limited to metrics rating professionalism or content knowledge and synthesis; work submitted in graduate courses should provide evidence of strategic reading, writing, and academic speaking skills essential for success in the discipline.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Food and Culture Fact Sheet | 15 |
| Fact Sheet Readability Assessment | 10 |
| Therapeutic Relationship Report | 10 |
| Presentation (Fact Sheet) | 10 |
| Presentation (Therapeutic Report) | 10 |
| Case Study Activities | 10 |
| Theory of Change Paper | 10 |
| Discussion Board | 20 |
| Course Reflection/-Portfolio Piece | 4 |
| Student Syllabus Contract | 1 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Weekly Schedule:
Week One: 5/2 – 5/8
Week Two: 5/9 – 5/15
Week Three: 5/16 – 5/22
Week Four: 5/23 – 5/29
Week Five: 5/30 – 6/5
Week Six: 6/6 – 6/12
Week Seven: 6/13 – 6/19
Week Eight: 6/20 – 6/24
Major Due Dates
|
Case Study #1 |
5/15 |
|
Theory of Change Paper |
5/29 |
| Key Assessment, Part One: Food and Culture Fact Sheet | 6/3 |
| Key Assessment, Part Two: Readability Assessment | 6/5 |
| Key Assessment, Part Three: The Presentation | 6/10 |
|
Case Study #2 |
6/12 |
| Key Assessment, Part Four: The Therapeutic Relationship Report | 6/17 |
| Key Assessment, Part Five: The Presentation | 6/19 |
| Course Reflection/E-Portfolio | 6/24 |
| Discussion Board Posts and Responses | Every Sunday and Tuesday |
Note: To access Modules 1 and 8 you will need to complete a brief survey.
Week One: Nutrition Education
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Analyze diet-health experience
- Identify the basics of nutrition education
Lectures
- What Is Nutrition Education?
Required Readings
- Chapter 1 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
No assignment this week.
Discussions
Discuss experiences with diet-health relationship.
Week Two: Effective Communication
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Assess the hallmarks of effective communication
- Identify barriers to communication
- Identify ways to overcome communication barriers
Lectures
- What Is Effective Communication?
Required Readings
- See course for readings
Assignments
Case Study #1
Discussions
Discuss past or current interpersonal conflicts.
Week Three: Theories of Learning
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Assess various learning methods and how they apply to nutrition education
Lectures
- What Is Learning?
Required Readings
- Chapters 2, 11 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
No formal assignment. Work on upcoming key assessment assignments.
Discussions
What do you do in your everyday work to promote learning?
Week Four: Patient-Centered Counseling
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Assess theories of patient-centered counseling
- Articulate an opinion related to theory of change
- State what you believe is most important in being an agent of change
Lectures
- Patient-Centered Counseling
Required Readings
- Chapters 4, 7 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Theory of Change paper
Discussions
What theory resonates most with you?
Week Five: Cultural Competence
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Assess your level of cultural competence
- Identify areas for improving cultural competency
Lectures
- Cultural Competence
Required Readings
- Chapter 9 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Key Assessment Parts One and Two due
Discussions
Discuss the results of your cultural competency quiz.
Week Six: Motivational Interviewing
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Implement motivational interviewing techniques
- List the hallmarks of motivational interviewing
Lectures
- Motivational Interviewing
Required Readings
- Chapters 2,3, 4 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Case Study #2
Discussions
DB1: Discuss the spirit of motivational interviewing
DB2: Discuss how you would apply the spirit of motivational interviewing to sample case study
Week Seven: Health at Every Size
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Discuss the philosophy and science behind HAES
- Communicate scientific findings related to HAES to medical practitioners
Lectures
- Healthy at Every Size
Required Readings
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Key Assessment, Parts Four and Five: Therapeutic Relationship Report and Presentation
Discussions
DB1: Find a current news article that discusses HAES.
DB2: Respond to a physician’s assessment of a diabetic patient.
Week Eight: Wrapping Up
Weekly Learning Outcomes
- Identify the hallmarks of group education
- List the benefits of group education
Lectures
- Group Education
- Tying It All Together
Required Readings
- Chapter 10 in textbook
- See course for additional readings
Assignments
Reflection/E-Portfolio
Discussions
How has this class changed your views on promoting health behavior change?
Student Resources
Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.
Questions? Visit the Student Support Applied Nutrition page
UNE Libraries:
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
- Applied Nutrition Database
- Library Tutorial: Find an article
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
UNE Student Academic Success Center
The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of services to support your academic achievement, including tutoring, writing support, test prep and studying strategies, learning style consultations, and many online resources. To make an appointment for tutoring, writing support, or a learning specialist consultation, go to une.tutortrac.com. To access our online resources, including links, guides, and video tutorials, please visit:
Information Technology Services (ITS)
- ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673
Accommodations
Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.
Policies
AMA Writing Style Statement
In keeping with the requirements of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, the American Medical Association (AMA) Manual of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course and is available at both UNE libraries under the title "AMA Manual." Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.
Online resources: AMA Style Guide
Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool
The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.
Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in AMA citation and academic writing.
You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements
Course Evaluation Policy
Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.
Attendance Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.
Late Policy
Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.
Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.
Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures
The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.
UNE Course Withdrawal
Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.