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COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Science of Nutrition is designed for two audiences: (1) majors in health sciences, allied health, and nutrition-dietetics who require an introduction to a nutrition course as part of their degree requirement and (2) nonmajors who want to apply nutritional requirements to their lives and the lives of their families.
The primary goal of this introductory nutrition course is to increase your knowledge and understanding of nutrition and how it plays a crucial role in aspects of your existence. With nutritional knowledge that is accurate and scientifically based, you can become critical thinkers and develop problem-solving skills that can help you live a healthier, successful life.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Through studying the textbook, course guide, and video programs, you should be able to:
- Describe how to properly design individualized eating plans by utilizing diet planning principles, the USDA MyPyramid food guidance system, the RDA, and other food guide plans that incorporate personal and ethnic food preferences.
- Describe the digestive system, including problems that it encounters and solves during the digestive process.
- Explain the differences between and the actions of energy- and nonenergy-yielding nutrients including types of carbohydrates and the lipid family.
- Describe protein form and function, identify essential amino acids, explain the health effects of protein intake, describe protein-energy malnutrition, and explain how vegetarians and nonvegetarians obtain adequate protein.
- Explain the steps involved in metabolism and the way energy is derived from carbohydrate, fat, and protein, including the consequences of consuming too much and obtaining too little energy.
- Explain the effects of other types of dietary elements on metabolism including vitamins, water-electrolyte balance, and mineral supplementation.
- Apply nutritional material to life conditions including physical activity, pregnancy, disease, and aging.
- Apply your knowledge of nutrition to completing a required "Diet Analysis Project" included in the course guide.
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COURSE MATERIALS
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. These materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
Course Guide
Student Course Guide for "Nutrition Pathways: An Introduction to Nutrition," 6th ed., by Marie Yost Maness, rev. Colleen Loveland (Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, in association with Dallas TeleLearning, Dallas County Community College District, 2008; ISBN-10: 0-495-11680-7).
Textbook
Understanding Nutrition, 11th ed., by Ellie Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes (Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008; ISBN-10: 0-495-11669-6).
Video Programs
Nutrition Pathways (26 half-hour video programs produced by Dallas TeleLearning, Dallas County Community College District).
Note: The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Each study assignment includes the necessary links for accessing the video stream, using either Windows Media™ Player or RealPlayer®.
Software
Diet Analysis Plus, version 9.0 (ESHA Research and Thomson Wadsworth; ISBN-10: 0-495-38765-7)
The software program Diet Analysis Plus provides a modern learning tool with a wealth of data and features that can save you hours of work looking up information. It also facilitates completion of the "Diet Analysis Project" in Written Assignment 6. With Diet Analysis Plus you can generate professional diagrams for your own nutritional enhancement. The method is so easy, in fact, that many students testing this approach have generated nutritional plans for family members and loved ones.
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COURSE STRUCTURE
The Science of Nutrition is a three-credit online course consisting of six assignment modules and two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination.
Each assignment module consists of one or more units that contain study assignments, an Internet activity and online discussion, and a written assignment. Study assignments include lessons in the course guide and their associated video programs, together with textbook reading and self-tests. A unique feature of this nutrition course is the required project incorporated into your sixth assignment and outlined at the back of the student course guide.
For the course's assignment modules (study assignments, Internet activities and online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
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ONLINE PARTICIPATION
The Science of Nutrition has five (5) graded online discussions based on Internet activities drawn from the textbook's companion Web site. We start out, however, with an ungraded but required discussion in Module 1 titled "Introductions." All class discussions take place on the class Discussion Board.
Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
For additional information on online discussions, see the Online Student Handbook in the General Information area of the course Web site.
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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
The six (6) written assignments in the course are built around associated lessons in the course guide. Assignments 1–5 consist, on average, of four essay questions (Assignment 1 has two essays, and Assignment 2 has six). The questions come from Practice Test essay questions in the course guide or from chapter Study Questions in the textbook. They may deal with text material or information from the course guide. Written Assignment 6 is the "Diet Analysis Project." This required project enables you to apply what you have learned in the course while you complete it. For an outline of the project, see the back of the course guide.
Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each lesson. Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials), citing text materials where appropriate and in an appropriate manner.
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the
>>View/Complete Assignment
link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click  to turn in the assignment.
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EXAMINATIONS
You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.
Midterm Examination
The midterm is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is two hours long and covers all material from modules 1–3 of the course (lessons 1–13 of the course guide and the associated textbook reading). The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (part 1) and a choice of essay questions (part 2). To prepare for the exam, review all Practice Test questions and assignment essays.
You may take the examination only during the designated midterm exam period, by choosing one of the following two options:
- Online Proctor Option: If you have a webcam with a microphone and a reliable, high-speed Internet connection, you can take the exam online in the convenience of your home. During the first week of the semester, you will select an appointment through the ProctorU scheduling system. Then, on your selected day and time, you will be monitored by a remote proctor who will communicate with you via your video and audio connection. For further information on scheduling and taking an online proctored examination, see Tests & Quizzes > Midterm Examination.
- Pen-and-Paper Option: You may choose your own proctor or take the exam at Thomas Edison State College during midterm exam week. You should schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site). For more information on scheduling a pen-and-paper proctored examination, see the Online Student Handbook in General Information.
If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.
Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored online exam. It is two hours long and covers all material from modules 4–6 of the course (lessons 14–26 of the course guide and the associated textbook reading). The "Diet Analysis Project" is also covered. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (part 1) and a choice of essay questions (part 2). To prepare for the exam, review all Practice Test questions and assignment essays.
The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you at the start of final exam week. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.
Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
- Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
- Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
- Plagiarizing answers.
- Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
- Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
- Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.
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GRADING AND EVALUATION
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
| Online Discussions (5) |
10
percent |
| Written Assignments 1–5 |
30 percent |
| Diet Analysis Project (Written Assignment 6) |
10 percent |
| Midterm Examination |
30 percent |
| Final Examination |
20 percent |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.
Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and examinations are based on the following numerical grades:
| A |
= |
93–100 |
C+ |
= |
78–79 |
| A– |
= |
90–92 |
C |
= |
73–77 |
| B+ |
= |
88–89 |
C– |
= |
70–72 |
| B |
= |
83–87 |
D |
= |
60–69 |
| B– |
= |
80–82 |
F |
= |
Below 60 |
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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first
steps:
- Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
- Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook General Information area of the course Web site. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.
- Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)
- Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
- If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.
Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:
- To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
- Read the section "Course Organization" in the course guide for a brief overview of how the guide is designed. The "Course Guidelines" can help you complete the course successfully.
- Follow the course guide carefully when studying each lesson. Always read the Lesson Assignment noting the required pages from the textbook and other related activities. Then read the Overview and Learning Objectives. To get the most from your reading, read the Text Focus Points.
- Answer the Practice Test questions at the end of each lesson in the course guide. The Practice Tests are extremely important for your success on the final examination, since the exam contains the same type of questions. Do all of these tests! Be sure you understand the answers. The answer key following each test provides text references.
- Finally, to enrich your learning experience and to help you prepare for the "Diet Analysis Project" (Written Assignment 6), work through as many of the optional Related Activities in each lesson as you can.
- Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.
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