Exploring the Basics of Human Nutrition

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

This course aims to explore the basics of human nutrition and healthy lifestyles. It considers the different nutrients and offers a broader understanding of both the essential and non-essential ones. It also provides a clear context and comprehension of a healthy diet and evaluates the necessary nutritional values.

Course objectives:

• To formulate a broad understanding of the key fundamental points of human nutrition to help sustain daily life activities and promote good health and lifestyle.
• To confidently assess nutritional reading material and read scientific literature with critical thinking focused on understanding and communication.
• To encourage to put into practice the knowledge acquired by making better food choices.

Classes will take place once a week for ten weeks and will consist of lectures followed by, analysis of published research, case studies, group activities, and practical workshops, with ample scope for discussion and questions.

These classes allow students to meet and maximise interaction and enhance fluency in a friendly, supportive environment, by employing visual teaching techniques and various practical exercises, such as describing and analysing specific nutritional behaviours and evaluating current nutritional models proposed by mass media.

Students are advised to obtain access to the recommended books that will help to bring a clearer understanding to each session. Reading material will be provided during the lessons.

By the end of the course, students will be expected to:

1. Acquire an understanding of the nutrients essential to the human body and their main role;  

2. Understand how to analyse the composition and content of a healthy diet, and learn to utilise the components of proven nutrition best practices;

3. Understand relevant research articles and display critical thinking skills.

The formative and summative assessments will measure the student’s ability to identify important and relevant literature and make an informed evaluation of its significance and key arguments.

• Formative assessments: Students will be assessed throughout the course utilizing multiple-choice quizzes (Week 4 and 7), based on the content of the previous lessons. These assessments will not count towards the final examination. All students are encouraged to participate. Feedback will be provided to help students prepare for the final summative assessed piece(s) of work at the end of the course.

• Summative assessments

Either

Option A: Write three brief written assignments (each c. 500 words). The students will choose topics from a predetermined list of titles based on key nutrients for a specific age group;  guidelines will be provided during lectures . To ensure alignment with course objectives, students need to submit an outline, abstract, or plan of their proposed written pieces for the tutor's review and approval before Week 7).

Or

Option B: One written assignment (c. 1,500 words essay) on a chosen nutrient with a particular focus on deficiency impact, based on recent relevant research (selected from a list of approved titles), or other suitable topics in agreement with the tutor. To ensure alignment with course objectives, students need to submit an outline, or abstract, or plan of their proposed written pieces for the tutor's review and approval before Week 7).

Through the essay, the student has to demonstrate not only knowledge and understanding of the material, but also offer a critical evaluation of a topic.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes, and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.