Dipartimento di Culture, Politica e Società

Note

The Introduc??on to Food Science MOOC aims to educate and engage consumers and the food sector on the food system; improve their knowledge and
apprecia??on of food; empower them to become ac??ve change agents towards an inclusive, transparent and trusted food system; and a??ract talented and
enterprising people into the food system. The MOOC will explore food contaminants, control systems and governance in the food system; ethical and sustainable considera??ons; and consumer responsibili??es. The MOOC will be delivered over four week, with a new topic introduced each weeks. The course will cover the following four topics:
1. Macro and Micronutrients
2. Food Safety (Biological, chemical and physical hazards)
3. Ethical and Sustainability Considera??ons in the food System
4. The role of the consumer in making safe, health and sustainable food choices The unique a??ribute of this MOOC is its ability to a??ract interest from learners worldwide. In par??cular, the course will be targeted towards 16-18 year old EU ci??zens who are currently studying a food related subject at level 3. The purpose of the MOOC is to provide extra reading which supports their learning and to showcase the opportuni??es within the sector and encourage them to undertake food related degrees as they start to consider their future career pathway.
MOOCs allow unlimited par??cipa??on and open access via the web so it is expected that there will be wider par??cipa??on beyond the target audience and this will help to spark a new genera??on of informed ci??zens. The partners involved are from leading organisa??ons, including Queens University, Belfast, University of Turin, University of Madrid, University of Aarhus and CSIC. The involvement of mul??-discipline experts from these organisa??ons will ensure learners are provided with evidence-informed and reliable informa??on in an understandable format. As a result, learners should increase the value they place on our food system and become empowered to self-manage their consump??on in a healthy and resource-efficient way. Moreover, the integra??on of rising starts and industrial partners as case studies will illustrate the measures underway in food security and showcase the career pathways which exist within the food sector. The MOOC also gives the opportunity to monitor the learning behaviour of registered users and to collect data about socio-economic and demographic characteris??cs. This data, appropriately anonymized, will be useful for improving the design of the course and for reaching a be??er understanding of the uses and impact of the MOOC for learners.