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Syllabus

Master of Science in Applied Nutrition

APN 740 Nutrition and Nutrition Information in Media – Fall 2018

Credits - 3

Description

Commercial and media influence on concepts of physical and mental health, wellness, nutrition and nutrition education will be examined. Commercialization and consolidation of food systems and the impacts on nutrition are explored. Topics include food labeling, food advertising, the impact of consumers and food businesses on food supply and policy, food lobbyists and policy practices impacting consumer habits, social influences of advertising on the impact of food choices, and media dissemination of nutrition information. 

Materials

Course materials are listed and, where possible, linked on a week-by-week basis. No textbook needs to be purchased for this course.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Program Objectives

  • Develop and utilize nutrition concepts and best-practices for nutrition and health promotion 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

Course Outcomes

In this course you will learn how:

  • Analyze and communicate the impact of social analytics and social media campaigns on nutrition-related business to a variety of audiences
  • Employ principles of ethics in social media as they apply to nutrition and wellness
  • Develop business assets for a competitive nutrition and wellness market

Assignments

Discussion Board: Each week you will be asked to respond to a prompt, and foster discussion by responding to responses by classmates. 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.

In one of your discussion boards, in Week 4, you will be creating a visualization. This visualization is an excellent opportunity for you to publish some of your work in UNE’s DUNE repository, and so there are accompanying documents that you can use, should you choose, to submit your work to DUNE. 

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. 

Initial Blackboard posts are due each Sunday at 11:59pm ET. Post peer-responses by Tuesday at 11:59pm ET. Please note: All times refer to Eastern time.

Key Assignments: There are two key assessments in this course, due in the fourth and seventh weeks of the course. For detailed instructions on how to complete and submit these assignments, refer to the “Key Assignment Overview” page in blackboard (always reachable via the link the so-named link the navigation bar). 

The first Key Assignment, due Week 4 will have you writing a research paper in which you examine the relationship between existing research and evidence on the performance of a nutrient/food-product/supplement, and how that evidence is communicated to the public through popular multimedia channels. 

The second Key Assignment, due Week 7 will have you presenting your findings in a live webinar format to your classmates on your findings. Leading up to the delivery of the webinar, you will be required to sign up for a date/time in which you will be able to meet with a small group of classmates and your instructor to deliver your webinar and watch theirs—watch for communications from your instructor on how to sign up for those particular dates/times. You must sign up for a date/time by the end of Week 3. You will also be asked to submit your powerpoint slides to your instructor in Week 5.

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.
  • No extra credit will be made available.

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

AssignmentsPoint Value
9 Discussion Board Posts and Responses at 3 points each27 points total
Nutrition "Expert" Review7
Commodification of Food Paper7
DUNE Agreement and Abstract - for Week 3 Infographic Discussion2
Literature behind Nutrition Claims Paper7
Key Assessment 1: Nutrition Research Paper10
Food Lobbying Paper7
Key Assessment 2 Checkpoint: Powerpoint Slides6
Food Policies Paper7
Key Assessment 2: Academic Webinar15
Reflection Prompt / E-Portfolio5
Total100

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 Dates

Week One: 5/1 – 5/7

Week Two: 5/8 – 5/14

Week Three: 5/15 – 5/21

Week Four: 5/22 – 5/28

Week Five: 5/29 – 6/4

Week Six: 6/5 – 6/11

Week Seven: 6/12 – 6/18

Week Eight: 6/19 – 6/23

Major Due Dates

Nutrition “Expert” Review

Tue., 10/30

Commodification of Food

Tue., 11/6

Literature Behind Nutrition Claims

Tue., 11/13

Timeline of Labeling Laws

Tue., 11/13

Key Assignment 1 – Nutrition Research Paper

Tue., 11/20

Industry and Food Lobbying

Tue., 11/20

Food Policies

Tue., 11/27

Key Assignment 2 Checkpoint: Powerpoint Slides

Tue., 11/27

Food Policies

Tue., 12/4

Key Assignment 2: Webinar Presentations

Tue., 12/11

Course Reflection/ePortfolio Piece

Sunday, 12/16

Discussion Board Initial Posts and Responses

Every Sunday and Tuesday

Please note all due date times are according to Eastern Time. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your instructor.

Week One: Introduction to multimedia, social media, and nutrition

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Decipher the differences between questionable and science based articles.
  • Explore modes of communication using multimedia and social media platforms.
  • Analyze social media nutrition experts for best nutritional practices in reporting.

Lectures and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Discussions

  • Introductions

Assignments

  • Nutrition “Expert” Review

Week Two: Commodification and commercialization of food and nutrition

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze the characteristics of commodity foods and food products.
  • Analyze how commercialization is applied to food industry and expressed to the public.
  • Explain the health promoting and health adverse effects of commodity food consumption.
  • Analyze the ethical issues regarding commodification and commercialization of foods.

Lectures and Required Readings

Supplemental Videos

Recommended Readings

Assignments

  • Commodification of Food Assignment

Discussions

  • Food as a Common Good vs Food as a Commodity

Week Three: Policy of Food Labeling and Regulation

Weekly Learning Outcomes

Lecture and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

  • FDA updates food labeling laws Conagra Nutri-Bites™ Webinars
  • View the first 30 minutes until questions are posed
    • Click on the red button that says “Play webinar video”.
    • You may also download the powerpoint under “Webinar Materials”.

Professional Resources for Products

False Advertisement Claims from Lecture

Assignments

  • Literature Based Nutrition Claims Assignment

Discussions

  • Food as a Common Good vs Food as Commodity
  • Infographic / Timeline

Week Four: Industrial marketing and communication

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze methods and techniques the industry utilizes to capture their audience through advertisements.
  • Summarize your thoughts by comparing and contrasting effective advertisements.
  • Analyze research and current trends geared toward childhood and adolescent populations.
  • Evaluate governmental involvement between industrial marketing and the consumer.

Lectures and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Assignments

  • Key Assignment 1 – Nutrition Research Paper

Discussions

  • Comparing and contrasting advertisements in the media

Week Five: Food Lobbying

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Summarize the history of lobbying and its effects on nutrition.
  • Describe the techniques used to lobby nutritional messages and achieve desired outcomes for policy.
  • Interpret how the lobbying of sugary beverages and highly processed foods is currently integrated into our food system.
  • Anticipate and explain what consequences may occur due to nutritional lobbying on consumer health.

Lecture and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Assignments

  • Food Lobbying Assignment
  • Key Assignment Checkpoint: Powerpoint Slides

Discussions

  • Industry Food Lobbying

Week Six: Marketing and policy of organic food systems

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Explore the meaning of organic using today’s standards.
  • Interpret how policy influences the organic food system.
  • Determine the trends in organic food policy and its impact on consumers.
  • Examine how the food market has responded to consumer demand.
  • Assemble a short promotional video and written advertisement that captures the basic concepts of your webinar presentation.

Lecture and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Assignments

  • Food Policies Assignment

Discussions

  • Public Webinar Announcement

Week Seven: Public Health and the Food Industry

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Present a webinar to your specified group of classmates using Blackboard Collaborate.
  • Review the presentations of your classmates and provide them with feedback, and analyze their content.
  • Construct your research PointPoint slides in preparation for the live webinar
  • Analyze the benefits and downfalls of ideas pertaining to food industry, sustainability, and public health.

Lecture and Required Readings

Assignments

  • Key Assignment 2: Academic Webinar

Discussions

  • Food Trends and Popular Culture

Week Eight: Multimedia, marketing and food trends

Weekly Learning Outcomes

  • Examine various food trends in popular culture and determine their impact on the public as well as your own habits related to food.
  • Evaluate the presentations of your classmates using the rubric form
  • Discuss your course experience and summarize your ideas in the discussion board

Lecture and Required Readings

Recommended Readings

Assignments

  • Reflection Prompt / E-Portfolio

Discussions

  • Nutrition and Multimedia Reflection

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:

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 Online Student 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:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. 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.