Overview
The study of this unit will assist you to develop your understanding of food and nutrition and the health of Australians. This unit has a focus on food and nutrition systems in Australia, the development of nutrition-related diseases/conditions, and contemporary issues related to food security and environmental sustainability. In addition, the role of food and nutrition in health and the range of factors that influence food choices, nutrition behaviours and health, will be considered from a medical science perspective. Future medical scientists, educators, policy makers and consumers of food may benefit from this unit through broad exploration of the interrelationships between nutrition and health.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Formal unit evaluation
Students found the 2012 unit text outdated and expressed dissatisfaction with the out of date information.
Update the unit text. If an up-to-date version of the existing text is not available, consider sourcing more up-to-date information from other government, non-government and research sources.
Feedback from Formal unit evaluation
Students expressed the desire for weekly rather than fortnightly tutorials in order to explore the learning activities in more detail and give students additional opportunities to ask questions.
Consider increasing the frequency of tutorials.
Feedback from Unit coordinator self-reflation
The current marking rubrics for the assessments are limited in their ability to distinguish between levels of achievement by students.
Review and revise the assessment marking rubrics.
- Describe food system and security; and factors influencing food supply and intake in Australia
- Relate the role of food and nutrients to human health and wellbeing from a medical science perspective
- Discuss common nutrition-related conditions from a medical science perspective.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 20% | |||
| 2 - Group Discussion - 30% | |||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Group Discussion - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- ZOOM
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.khalesi@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
1 - Orientation and Introduction
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
2 - People & their environment
Chapter
Chapter 1 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
3 - The global food system
Chapter
Chapter 2 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
4 - The policy environment
Chapter
Chapter 3 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Group allocations will be provided after census date Commence contributions to small group discussion forums
Module/Topic
5 - Food production
Chapter
Chapter 4 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Continue contributions to small group discussion forums
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
6 - Food selection
Chapter
Chapter 5 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Continue contributions to small group discussion forums
Module/Topic
7 - Food waste
Chapter
Chapter 6 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Group discussion forums will close Friday 2nd September, 5.00pm AEST. After this, no more contributions will be allowed but the group space will remain accessible.
Online Quiz #1 opens 9.00am AEST Monday 29th August, Week 7.
Module/Topic
8 - Food & nutrient intakes - Part 1
Chapter
Chapter 7 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Online Quiz #1 closes 5.00pm AEST Friday 9th September, Week 8.
GROUP DISCUSSION AND REPORT Due: Week 8 Friday (9 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
9 - Food & nutrient intakes - Part 2
Chapter
Chapter 7 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
10 - Nutritional status & health
Chapter
Chapter 8 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Module/Topic
11 - Monitoring & surveillance
Chapter
Chapter 9 - Australia's Food & Nutrition
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Essay Due: Week 11 Friday (30 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
No lecture this week.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Zoom Tutorial (details of day & time will be available on the unit Moodle page)
Online Quiz #2 opens 9.00am AEST Monday 3rd October, Week 12.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz #2 closes 5.00pm AEST Friday 14th October, Review/Exam Week.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Your Unit Coordinator and Lecturer this term is Dr Saman Khalesi. He can be contacted via the Unit Moodle forum or via email (s.khalesi@cqu.edu.au). His office is located on Level 21, Room 21.08, CQUniversity, Brisbane City campus and his phone number is 07 30234153.
Lectures:
Lectures for this unit are developed by our Nutrition Teaching team. It is based on the Australia's Food & Nutrition, 2012 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. This report is the only comprehensive governmental report on Australia's food and nutrition system freely available and can be downloaded here. Throughout the term, you will also receive additional reading materials and resources to complement Australia's Food & Nutrition document and further your learning. Links to all documents and resources required for this unit will be provided on the unit Moodle page.
Tutorials:
Throughout the term, Zoom tutorial sessions will be held weekly. These sessions will provide all students with the opportunity to ask questions of the lecturer/tutor and explore the weekly learning activities included in the unit Learning Guide. Each tutorial will cover the content from the previous week. All Zoom sessions will be recorded so if you are unable to ‘attend’ on the day, you may view the session online at a time suitable to you. Links to these sessions (and the recordings) will be included on the unit Moodle site. If you have never used Zoom before or require assistance, please review the Zoom information provided in Moodle Help for Students in the Support menu on Moodle.
Weekly learning activities:
The weekly learning activities outline readings and activities to guide and support your learning. For each you should:
- Read through the specified pages of the text and any additional resources provided, and complete the activities as listed. NOTE: weekly activities will be discussed and explored during the weekly tutorials and do NOT need to be submitted.
- Review the online lecture and tutorial recording/s relevant to that week.
Communications:
Throughout the term, all NON-PERSONAL communications between students and the Unit Coordinator (for example, questions relating to assessment tasks, due dates, learning activities etc) must be held via the relevant forums on the unit Moodle page. Any PERSONAL communications (personal illness, life events) should be held with the Unit Coordinator via email or telephone. All emails must include your name, contact details, the unit code and a brief message that clearly outlines your question/communication.
All requests for extensions on assessment task due dates, must be made via the Assessment Extension Request (AER) system in Moodle.
1 Online Test
Understanding the concepts of food habits, environment, production and systems that influence our food selection, waste, and our nutritional intake and health, is fundamental to many health professions. This assessment task includes two online quizzes to assess your understanding of the learning materials from week two (2) to week eleven (11).
ONLINE QUIZ #1:
- is COMPULSORY
- contributes 5% to your unit mark.
- Includes 15 questions and assesses learning from weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7.
- Has a time limit of 30 minutes.
Note: you will only have one (1) attempt at this quiz.
ONLINE QUIZ #2:
- is COMPULSORY
- contributes 15% to your unit mark.
- Includes 45 questions, and assesses learning from weeks 8, 9, 10 & 11.
- Has a time limit of 90 minutes.
Note: you will only have one (1) attempt at this quiz.
In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after the close dates.
Additional information regarding these online quizzes will be provided on the unit Moodle page.
Online Quiz #1 will be available from 9.00am AEST on the Monday (29 August) of Week 7 and will close at 5.00pm AEST on the Friday (9 September) of Week 8. Online Quiz #2 will be available from 9.00am AEST on the Monday (3 October) of Week 12 and will close at 5.00pm AEST on the Friday (14 October) of Review/Exam Week.
Marks for Online Quiz #1 will be available when the quiz closes at 5.00pm AEST on the Friday of Week 8. Marks for Online Quiz #2 will be available when the quiz closes at 5.00pm AEST on the Friday of Review/Exam Week.
Marks will be allocated for each correct response. There will be no loss of marks for incorrect responses.
- Relate the role of food and nutrients to human health and wellbeing from a medical science perspective
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
2 Group Discussion
As consumers and providers of healthcare and/or health services (in whichever field/discipline or context) we are often asked to provide advice and/or share our opinions. In our current societies, we are regularly bombarded with food and nutrition-related information from a range of sources, and this information may or may not be based on scientific evidence. In this assessment, you will have the opportunity to debate topics with others in an appropriate manner and explore the scientific literature to support or dispute your arguments and increase your knowledge of food, nutrition and health.
Group Allocation
After Census Date in Week 4, you will be randomly allocated to a group (6-8 students per group). Each group will be provided with an online group space on the unit Moodle page. Each group space will include a discussion forum in which you should contribute your discussions. You are required to complete group discussions by Friday of Week 7 at 5.00pm AEST. You will not be allowed to contribute any new discussions to your group forum after this date.
Individual Contribution to Group Discussions
For this task, you are required to actively contribute to learning within your allocated group, by posting answers and written discussions of your experiences and knowledge of key topics (as outlined below):
- Food labeling and food marketing and their influence on food choices,
- Food insecurity – what is it?, and how does it influence on nutrition-related diseases?; and
- Factors influencing food supply at global and national levels and how supply influences our food choices and risk of nutrition-related diseases.
You are expected to contribute at least:
- Three (3) initial forum contributions, one (1) on EACH OF THE THREE DISCUSSION TOPICS listed above (250 - 350 words each excluding references)
- Two (2) follow-up contributions (no word limits) to any of the discussion topics listed above (Please see additional details in the unit Assessment Guide).
Open discussion is important. However, it is expected that you will ALWAYS weigh up the evidence (from reputable sources only), and respect the right of every student to have an opinion, even if it differs from your own. Please respect your fellow peers and always maintain a polite, respectful dialogue, and communicate in a professional manner at all times. Please refer to Working in a Group in the unit Assessment Guide for more information on working effectively in the group discussions.
Marking
Each student will complete and submit an INDIVIDUAL report of the discussions had by your group by the end of week 8. The report will be approximately 1100-1600 words (and may be longer depending on the length and frequency of your contributions to the group discussions). Your report should include:
- A copy of your three (3) initial posts (250 - 350 words each) to the group discussion;
- A brief summary (250 - 350 words) of the follow-up discussions you contributed to the group discussion in addition to at least one (1) reliable/scientific source of evidence (not included in the word count) you used to support your contribution; and
- A statement about your group's overall agreement and disagreement (100 - 200 words) regarding the topics
You are required to complete the report template provided on the unit Moodle page.
Week 8 Friday (9 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 10 Friday (23 Sept 2022)
Your report will be assessed using a detailed marking rubric available on the Moodle page. The marking criteria include:
- Relevance and accuracy of initial contributions
- Clarity of the summary of follow-up contributions and the statement about the group's overall agreement and disagreement
- Writing fluency, referencing, structure, grammar and submission requirements
- Describe food system and security; and factors influencing food supply and intake in Australia
- Discuss common nutrition-related conditions from a medical science perspective.
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
3 Written Assessment
You are required to conduct research on one (1) of the three (3) topics discussed in your group:
- Food labeling and food marketing and their influence on food choices, OR
- Food insecurity – what is it, and how does it influence on nutrition-related diseases?; OR
- Factors influencing food supply at global and national levels and how supply influences our food choices and risk of nutrition-related diseases.
You are then required to develop an essay (2000 +/-10% words) that includes:
- An introduction to the topic which you have researched;
- A body section that discusses current understanding, practices, evidence and/or statistics related to these issues/topics in Australia (and at the global level where applicable);
- A conclusion that summarises your research and findings; and
- A reference list of at least five (5) reliable/scientific sources used in the essay.
You are required to complete the essay template provided on the unit Moodle page.
Week 11 Friday (30 Sept 2022) 5:00 pm AEST
Exam Week Monday (17 Oct 2022)
Assessment feedback and marks will be returned on Certification of Grades (November 4th).
Your essay will be assessed using a detailed marking rubric available on the Moodle page. The marking criteria include:
- Clarity and accuracy of the introduction, background, aim and direction of the essay
- Accuracy, relevance and flow of information and evidence discussed
- Clarity and relevance of conclusion and implication statement
- Referencing, structure, grammar and submission requirements
- Describe food system and security; and factors influencing food supply and intake in Australia
- Relate the role of food and nutrients to human health and wellbeing from a medical science perspective
- Discuss common nutrition-related conditions from a medical science perspective.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
