Web Application: Nutrition Management System
William D. Evers, Foods and Nutrition
The project goal was to create a dynamic, interactive Web site to help students think critically about
lifestyle options, improve food and physical activity choices, and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Instructional goals
- Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Supplement classroom instruction and allow the instructor more time to devote to other topics
Project Rationale
Americans are in great need of guidance and education in improving their health and the health of their families. However, the ability to know just which personal habits are best, or how to discern between fact and fiction related to healthy food choices, has become quite complex: there is so much information available that many consumers become confused or discouraged. The ability to think critically about such messages and to use problem-solving measures is essential, and the need for educators to provide appropriate learning opportunities that help students develop those skills is imperative.An online multimedia module can use interactive evidence-based nutrition activities to guide students through logical steps in critical thinking about their lifestyle choices. The personal application of these multimedia activities leads students through the process of recognizing their own current behaviors and changing to more healthy behaviors.
Designed as a practical experience in developing critical thinking skills, this multimedia, computer-assisted instruction module will teach undergraduate students in a non-major nutrition course how to apply the nutrition principles taught in the course toward healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Implementation
Working with the subject matter experts from the Foods and Nutrition department, the IDC team developed the web application, “Nutrition Management System: Food, Nutrition, and Healthy Lifestyle,” that evaluates users’ diet and exercise habits. The application is structured to administer users from a centrally maintained database. The hierarchy in administration allows for designating roles (Student, Instructor, and Teaching Assistant) to the various users of the application. Different user roles are associated with varying degrees of access. This administrative set up also sanctions the control and management of external users.The module will initially be offered through an introductory course for non-foods and nutrition majors, to be completed outside of the classroom as a supplement to course activities.
Technologies Used
The IDC team built the front-end of this web-based module using Active Server Pages (ASP) to display information. The user’s diet and exercise data collected through the interface are stored in a Microsoft SQL Server Database. The back-end database also contains tables extracted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, which provide a list of foods and their nutrient information.Impact on Student Learning
As an out-of-class assignment, the interactive module augments the lecture without taking classroom time. Since some of the content is covered in parts of the lectures and other assignments, use of the module could release some lecture time for the instructor without adding as much extra time for students. The module assists students by effectively teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills that can enrich the educational process. It can adapt to students’ needs by providing self-paced instruction, enrichment of the traditional educational methods, and evaluation of self-monitoring techniques via the Internet.Beyond its use in courses such as F&N 202: Food Preparation and Nutrition, the proposed interactive module can be offered in any health-related course that evaluates food choices and behaviors. Such courses can be found in the biological sciences, family and consumer sciences, health and physical education, and allied healthcare. Resources from the multimedia program can continue to have value to the student in related course work and for healthcare consumer education programs beyond the university setting.
Dr. Evers expects this project to greatly benefit students: "I believe this application will allow students to better understand the importance of the nutrients in their diet while learning practical ways to improve their health through changes in food choices.” He adds, “I also see this as a great way for me to automate a process that we have currently been doing in a less complete but more time consuming way through paper assignments that get handed in over a semester's time."
Web link: http://nms.ics.purdue.edu
IDC Staff Contact: Sangeetha Khichadia