The overall goal for assessment in this course is to help learners gauge progress toward their own health goals. Assessments are important opportunities for students to summarize their learning, get some feedback and be one step closer to their own health goals. Quizzes are graded for feedback purposes but scores will not be recorded. All assessment will include descriptive feedback, opportunities to correct misunderstanding and will reinforce students’ previous learning. Students will be asked to self-evaluate throughout the course and can probe deeper on any particular topic with links to extended resources.
Module 1 – All About Heart Disease – How Diet and Cholesterol are Connected
Most assessment in this content-heavy module will be computer-based. Students will complete web-based quizzes that allow for revision of wrong answers, relearning and extended learning on the topics presented.
- Pre-test – At the beginning of the course, students will be presented with a short set of questions to gage their own understanding of heart disease and how cholesterol and diet impact the cardiovascular system. (View some sample questions.)
- Heart Disease Progression – To check for understanding of the sequence of events that result in heart attack or stroke, students complete a quiz with a sequence question. (formative)
- Diet and Cholesterol – To check for understanding of dietary sources of cholesterol and other foods that are known to exacerbate disease, students will complete a visual matching list to identify foods that are good or bad. (formative)
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Statin Drugs – Students will show their understanding of how statins work to lower serum cholesterol and the problems inherent in treating only a symptom of heart disease and not the underlying problem as well as side effects of the drug in a web-based quiz using pick-multiple and pick-one scenario questions. (formative)
- Case Study – In small groups, students will be presented with a case study of a person on statins, or who has been recommended to take the drug, and generate a specific plan for improved health based on lipid test profile accounting for factors such as age, gender, and lifestyle. Student groups will present treatment recommendations (diet or drug/diet combination). (formative)
- Response Journal Question– Students will complete a personal health assessment based on lipid profile, health history (including lifestyle other chronic health conditions) and devise personal goals for improved health. (formative)
- Module 1 Summative Quiz – Allows for revision of wrong answers, relearning and click-through extended learning on the topics presented as desired.
Module 2 – Looking Toward a Healthy Future – Cognitive Dissonance, Change Challenges
The objective of Module 2 is to allow students to process their personal reactions to the content presented in Module 1 and the realities of the challenges of implementing personal lifestyle and diet changes. They will begin work on the central feature of the course, their own Healthy Eating Plan.
Assessments will gage student understanding through:
- whole group and small group discussions
- written/recorded composition/journal questions
- student generated Healthy Eating Plan
- self-evaluation
- Cognitive Dissonance – In a written journal entry, learner will acknowledge and describe the contradictions between the evidence presented in the course and their personal beliefs/biases, cultural values, and their personal understanding of food and health based on conventional wisdom or media. Students must acknowledge and address: 1) personal biases, 2) attitudes of personal accountability and control of their own health, 3) feelings presented if Personal Health Plan involves acting without the support of their doctor, and 4) challenges to implementing a diet change in their life. (formative)
- Case Study – Student learning will be assessed through class discussion and response journal of case studies of individuals who have overcome personal, social and cultural obstacles to better health through diet and lifestyle changes. Student will answer a composition question comparing and contrasting themselves with an individual in the case study samples. (formative)
- Healthy Eating Plan – Students will create a personal health plan to incorporate diet changes and specifically plan for potential impediments to creating new life habits. The totality of the plan and their depth of reflection will demonstrate student understanding. Embedded in this activity is self-evaluation. (summative)
Module 3 – Recognizing Evidence-Based Health Information
Students will develop skills to critically assess health claims and become an educated consumer of health information.
- Cut Through the Noise – Students will apply the seven rules for distinguishing between evidence-based health information and bad journalism or shoddy science in a group performance-based problem. Also, student learning will be assessed using true/false, pick-multiple and performance-based problem quiz questions. (summative)
- Who’s Voice is Loudest? – Students will be assessed on their understanding of the key players that influence U.S. dietary guidelines as well as medical knowledge and intervention protocols using true/false, pick-multiple and problem-based quiz questions.
Module 4 – Let’s Eat!
Assessments in this Module will include web-based quizzes as well as real-world applications of new knowledge. In real-world settings such as the grocery store, home kitchen and restaurant, the learner will select and prepare foods that support cardiovascular health.
- Choose Foods that Support Health – To check for understanding, students will answer a sequence question ranking various individual foods and recipes and image selection questions to identify healthy food choices. While shopping for their recipe items, students select best available ingredient options or alternatives. (formative)
- Old Favorites in a New Way – With a small group, student understanding will be demonstrated by converting an old favorite recipe to incorporate healthy ingredient alternatives. Assessment includes a performance scenario to revise a favorite unhealthy recipe. (formative)
- Healthy At Home – Student will demonstrate understanding of the content through cooking choices made while they prepare their recipe. Students will identify foods in their cupboards and refrigerator that will either need to be removed or avoided (if they have others in their household on a different diet plan). (formative)
- Eating Out – Students will demonstrate understanding of foods for optimum health by selecting the best available menu choice or devise a unique dish based on available options in a restaurant. (formative)
Final Summative Test and Self-Evaluation–Students will be assessed on their mastery of the entire course content in a web-based final assessment that includes multiple question types: matching list, pick one, pick multiples, sequence, performance, composition and a self-evaluation. Descriptive feedback will be included as well as click-through extensions on question topics.
Next – Reflection: Instructional Strategies and Assessment Methods
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