Our beliefs contribute to our identity and reflect who we are and how we live our lives. Many of our beliefs and attitudes about food and nutrition develop from our exposure to food and nutrition information via various media sources (internet, television, social media, radio, print) and the environments in which we live (our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, supermarkets, streets etc.). This information can have a significant impact on how we experience food, and the beliefs we develop about food and eating.

Although the internet and social media has provided us with easy access to an abundance of information, these 'advances' have also promoted the development of much confusion about what is 'true'. Although most food and nutrition information is likely based on scientific evidence (either wholly or minimally), it is also influenced by the personal beliefs of the individual/s providing the information and when we read or view food and nutrition information (non-scientific and/or scientific), it is often difficult (for laypersons and professionals alike), to discern what is fact from fiction i.e., what is myth and what is reality. It is said that all myths have a seed of truth BUT is this really the case in relation to food and nutrition myths?

This assessment task provides you with the opportunity to explore some myths about food and nutrition and the evidence underpinning each myth, and develop a written account of why you would, or would not, believe or refute these myths.

Task Details

To complete this task, you are required to:

• Choose two (2) myths from the lists below (you must choose one (1) from each topic area),
• Explore the internet for non-scientific and scientific literature from the past 10 years (approximately) in relation to the myths you have chosen,
• Develop an essay that outlines the origins of the myth, evidence that supports or refutes each of the myths and uncovers any ‘seeds of truth’ within each of the myths.

Your essay (1500 words ± 10%) must include:

• An introduction that outlines the myths and the likely origins of each myth (approximately 250-300 words),
• A body section that outlines the scientific literature that supports and/or refutes each myth (each myth should be discussed separately, and headings can be used for each) (approximately 500 words per myth),
• A conclusion that summarises your findings and includes a statement for each myth that could be provided to advise others about the reality of the myth (i.e., what would you recommend to another person if they asked if it was a myth or not (approximately 250-300 words), and
• References (at least 10) for all scientific and non-scientific sources cited in your essay.

Marks will be allocated for each of the following criteria:

1. Introduction clearly outlines the likely origins of each myth and outlines key points of discussion to be included in the body of the essay.

2. Essay body includes discussion that is drawn from extensive research of scientific and non-scientific evidence and demonstrates understanding of the 'evidence' underpinning each myth.

3. Essay body includes discussion that is drawn from extensive research and demonstrates critical thinking skills.

4. Essay body includes discussion which is highly relevant to each of the two chosen myths.

5. Essay includes a conclusion that clearly summarises findings in relation to each myth and provides a conclusive statement that could be communicated to the general public in relation to the reality of each myth.

6. Essay includes obvious connections between ideas and concepts and demonstrates critical thinking and information literacy skills.

7. Essay demonstrates strong academic writing skills including: paragraph construction and flow of ideas; few or no errors in grammar, spelling, sentence structure and punctuation; and meets submission requirements including word length.

8. Referencing is accurate & consistent (APA or Harvard) in-text and in reference list and is presented and formatted in a professional manner.

Food and nutrition affect each one of us in many ways. Most, if not all of us, discuss food, nutrition, and health in some way on a somewhat regular basis and inherently understand the value of discussing such topics with others e.g., seeking clarification, help/advice, and confirmation/agreement from others. In practical terms in learning and teaching, group discussion involves interaction and sharing of learning, provides benefit to all involved and is recognised as a key aspect of ‘deep’ or meaningful learning (rather than surface learning).

This task will provide you with the opportunity to:

• Explore selected topics in food and nutrition to develop an understanding of the topic and appreciation of your perspectives/experiences of each topic,
• Work with other students in a small group to share your knowledge and perspective of topics to assist you to develop a meaningful understanding of the topics, and
• Reflect on your learning and experiences in this group activity, complete peer assessment of your group work, and develop a brief report of your reflections.

Task Details

To complete this task, you are required to:

• Complete four (4) learning activities (see list of activities below).
• Participate in two (2) online Zoom meetings (each meeting expected to be approximately one (1) hour duration) to be conducted by your group between weeks 4 and 8 of term.
• Discuss (with your group during your Zoom meetings) the topics and outcomes related to each of the learning activities. This discussion should focus on sharing personal experiences, current understanding/learning and opinions in relation to each of the learning activity topics. NOTE: it is likely that you would cover 2 topics in each one-hour zoom meeting e.g. topic 1 and 2 in meeting #1 and topics 3 and 4 in meeting #2.
• Develop a brief report on your group discussions and associated learning, and
• Complete peer assessment of the contributions made by other students to your group work.

Groups, group allocations and group spaces:

• At the end of week 4 (after Census date for Term 1), each student will be randomly allocated to a group. Random allocation of students to groups aims to create a mix of students from different disciplines and backgrounds to provide a greater opportunity for exploration and learning from exposure to different perspectives.
• Each group will be provided with a group space on the unit Moodle site (see My Group Space in the Assessment tile). NOTE: Only students allocated to your group will be able to access and view your group discussions.
• Once allocated to your group, it is expected that you will contact your group and introduce yourself via the discussion forum in your group space.

For each of your group meetings, your group members will need to nominate/self-elect:

(i) a meeting coordinator, and

(ii) a meeting facilitator

NOTE: Ideally all students should share in these roles, but it will be up to each group to communicate with each other and decide how the meetings will be coordinated and facilitated i.e. which student/s will take on which role.

Role of the meeting coordinator:

The meeting coordinator will be responsible for:

• Establishing a day and time that is suitable to all members of their group to meet – you may use any form of communication inside or outside of Moodle to establish the meeting time,
• Communicating the meeting time to all members of the group - you may use any form of communication inside or outside of Moodle to notify students,
• Creating a Zoom meeting link in your group space on Moodle (instructions for this will be provided in Moodle),
• Recording the Zoom meeting and uploading the recording to your group space in Moodle.

Role of the meeting facilitator:

The meeting facilitator will be responsible for:

• General conduct of discussions in the meeting including – student introductions (in first meeting) and prompting discussion of each topic,
• Ensuring all members of the group are given equal opportunity to contribute their discussions, and
• Keeping to the allocated time of the meeting.

Role of all individuals during each meeting:

During each Zoom meeting, each student should be given opportunity to briefly present the outcomes of the learning activity (round-robin style). Your individual contributions to discussions should include a combination of:

• Providing an overview of your understanding and/or experiences in relation to the learning activity and related topic,
• Asking questions of others in your group about the learning activity/topic,
• Responding to other student’s questions or comments, and
• Inviting/encouraging other students to engage in further/deeper discussion on the views or information they have presented.

Prior to contributing to the discussion of a topic it is expected that each student will have:

1. Completed the learning activities related to the topics listed below, ( NOTE: You are NOT required to submit your answers to these activities).
2. Read through and/or viewed any related media articles provided on each of the topics,
3. Reflected on answers to the learning activities and personal opinions of any related media and considered your current knowledge, understanding and experiences related to the topics, and
4. Made note of any questions that arise during completion of the activities that you feel unable to answer alone or would like to explore further and/or any personal experiences or opinions you have regarding the topics (you should ensure these questions are discussed in your group meeting).

Learning activities for Group Discussions:

Each of the following activities should be completed by all students and outcomes related to these activities discussed during your group discussions.

Activity #1: Using the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to assess nutritional intakes

For this activity you will need to:

• Complete a 24-hour food recall for yourself or a family member or friend (Please use the 24-hour food recall template available from the unit Moodle site).
• Review all foods and drinks consumed and categorise each item in relation to food groups according to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating)
• Calculate the approximate number of serves of each food group consumed (including discretionary foods and water).
• Compare the intakes of each food group (including discretionary foods and water) against recommendations and according to the gender and age of the participant (see Recommended number of serves in Food Essentials tab in the Eat for Health website as noted above).
• Create a list of recommendations for how their diet could/should be improved to meet recommendations.
• List the food groups that have been under- or over-consumed and based on your understanding of the nutrients in our food, outline any health consequences or nutrient deficiencies that may arise if this intake was maintained over a longer period.
• Outline some of the factors that you identified/encountered during conduct of this activity that should be considered when making recommendations based on a 24-hour food recall (Note: you should review information about limitations of 24-hour food recalls to answer this question).

Activity #2: Case study 1.2 – Nutrition Information on Food Labels (see page 9 of textbook: Food Nutrition and Health by Tapsell (2019).

Activity #3: Case study 2.1 – The Mediterranean Diet (see page 36 of textbook: Food Nutrition and Health by Tapsell (2019).

Activity #4: Case study 13.2 – Sports Supplements and Ergogenic Aids (see page 320 of textbook: Food Nutrition and Health by Tapsell (2019).

Individual Reflective report:

A template for your reflective report will be available on the unit Moodle site. Your reflective report will include:

• The date and time each Zoom meeting was held,
• Names of students who attended each meeting or who were in your group but did not attend the meeting/s,
• General overview of the types of discussions had during each of the meetings e.g., what opinions/experiences/evidence were shared during the meeting and was there a consensus, variation or disagreement among your group in relation to the topics?
• Peer assessment of the involvement and contributions made by other group members during each meeting, and
• Written account of your reflections of how the discussions impacted your learning e.g., increased your understanding of a topic; changed/confirmed your opinion and/or personal practices; prompted you to talk with others about the topic and your new knowledge/understanding, prompted you to engage in further research etc.

Ten (10) marks will be allocated for each of the following criteria (for a mark out of 30 that will contribute to your overall grade):

• Attendance to online Zoom meetings (5 marks for each meeting - total 10 marks)
• Peer assessment of group meeting contributions (5 marks for each meeting- total 10 marks)
• Reflective report (10 marks) - written account of reflections that clearly demonstrates how the students understanding of topics has developed because of their discussions, and information technology competence and/or teamwork and/or communication skills have developed because of the task.

NOTE: your Reflective report can be written in the first person. No references are required in your Reflective report.

Nutrition assessments are integral to understanding if we meet our needs for a healthy diet. There are no 'gold standard' measures of dietary intakes and the process of assessing the intakes of an individual requires consideration for a broad range of factors (i.e. holistic assessment).

This assessment task provides you with the opportunity to develop skills in conducting a basic nutrition assessment, understand how you can use nutrition assessment information in context of your respective professional roles, and how you could provide appropriate advice to others in the future.

Task Details

To complete this task, you will be required to:

• Conduct a nutrition assessment on a family member or friend that includes:
• a 24-hour food recall,
• 3-day food record,
• nutrition history,
• measures (self-reported by participant) of height, body weight, waist circumference, and
• record of any nutrition-related diseases/conditions (templates will be provided on the unit Moodle site)

• Develop a 15-20-minute oral presentation that reports the outcomes of your assessment and includes a discussion of each of the following criteria:

• Issues encountered during the conduct of your 24-hour food recall and 3-day food record, how these align with evidence-based processes, and any other assessment methods you believe would have enhanced the quality of information collected in your nutrition assessment (include evidence-based justification).
• Evidence-based discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of food recalls and 3-day food records and issues that you encountered in the process of conducting the nutrition assessment, that may have impacted the accuracy of the nutrition data you collected and your subsequent recommendations.
• Comparison of the individual’s food intakes in relation to their stage of the lifespan and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and recommendations for serves of each food group (including discretionary foods).
• Practical suggestions for change in dietary intakes and behaviours that you consider necessary for this individual to meet the recommendations for a healthy diet with respect for their stage in the lifespan, current dietary recommendations, and consideration for any health or dietary factors noted in your holistic health assessment.
• Comparison of the individual’s anthropometric measures in relation to current Australian standards/recommendations for Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference.
• A conclusion that provides a summary of your case study and key outcomes.
  

Five (5) marks will be allocated for each of the following criteria (and reduced to a mark out of 30 to contribute to your overall grade):

• Introduction is attention getting (i.e. the viewer is interested/stimulated to hear/watch more) and lays out the problem/topic well and establishes a clear framework/path for rest of the presentation.
• Technical terms included in the presentation are well defined and presented in language that is appropriate for the target audience.
• Advantages & disadvantages of food recalls and 3-day food records.
• Practical issues encountered during conduct of the 24-hour food recall and 3 day food record (nutrition assessment) and justification is provided if other methods or tools were used.
• Accurate comparison of the individual’s food intakes in relation to their stage of the lifespan and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) recommendations for serves of each food group (including discretionary foods)
• Practical suggestions for change in dietary intakes and behaviours that you consider necessary for this individual to meet the recommendations for a healthy diet with respect for their stage in the lifespan, current dietary recommendations and consideration for any health or dietary factors noted in your holistic health assessment.
• Comparison of the individual’s anthropometric measures in relation to current Australian standards/recommendations for Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference.
• An obvious conclusion that restates key points from the main presentation.
• Speaker uses a clear, audible voice and delivery is poised, controlled and smooth with strong language skills, pace, pitch and pronunciation.
• Presentation has a logical sequence and style of presentation and images areas well prepared, informative, effective and not distracting.
• Length of presentation is within assigned time limits.
• References are included to support evidence-based discussion and definitions and are accurate according to APA or Harvard referencing requirements.