FNH 371: Human Nutrition over the Lifespan, Term 2

INSTRUCTOR:  Jennifer Black

Office: FNH 242 or virtually/zoom 

EMAIL: j.black@ubc.ca (but I’d rather talk to you in person in, before or after class or during office hours)          

CLASS TIME and LOCATION:  Klink 200 at 11a.m -12:20

OFFICE HOURS:  Directly after class most days, I'll be available for in-person chatting, assignment brainstorming or course-related questions.  I'll also hold a Zoom office hour on Thursdays after class until around 2pm  (and other times or appointments may be opened based on student need and interest).

If you want to "reserve" a specific office hour spot, please visit the office hour sign up link here (but drop ins are also very welcome). I may also invite guests to class or office hours from time to time including people doing research or developing health policies or nutrition programs related to class topics.

Virtual Office Hours: sign up  here

BRIEF COURSE DESCRIPTION: Nutritional requirements and dietary patterns of healthy individuals throughout the life span.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:  Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify and explain physiological and psychosocial changes over the life span with implications for nutrition and indicate how dietary needs and behaviours are affected by these changes.
2. Describe how and why requirements change over life for key nutrients (e.g., protein, fat, iron, calcium, vitamin D).
3. Explain and justify current dietary guidance, especially for life stages when nutritional status is particularly important (e.g., pregnancy, infant and young child feeding, older adulthood).
4. Assess dietary intakes of individuals at different life stages, evaluate whether they conform to current dietary guidance, and provide appropriate guidance on nutrition-related issues.
5. Critically evaluate and synthesize well-selected evidence to develop useful answers to questions about nutrition over the lifespan.
6. Integrate and apply your learning to promote health and wellbeing – for yourself, your friends and family, and your broader communities – now and in the future.

CLASS FORMAT: We will use a combination of lectures, large- and small-group discussions, case studies, in-class clicker questions, small-group learning activities, and independent reflection and writing throughout the course. 

 EVALUATION (note you have some choice here!):

Note: If desired, you may choose the value particular items will contribute to your final grade (i.e., the Case Studies, Assignment, Midterm, and Final Exam).  You may choose a value for those items from within the ranges provided in the column at the right.  Make sure that the values you choose add up to a total grade value of 100% and advise me of your choice by completing the Flexible Assessment Survey on Canvas by 11:59 PM on Jan 26.  No changes will be permitted after that date.  If you want to have your final grade calculated using the proposed values, no actions are needed to confirm this. The proposed values will be used for all students who do not specify otherwise.

Weekly assignments and in-class activities:   Individual mini-assignments will also be completed each week throughout the term.  Some can be completed during class time individually or in groups (or finished outside of class time if you want more time for reflection), and others will be done on your own time to enhance learning and reinforce concepts covered in class. These small weekly learning activities must be completed and submitted on Canvas before their weekly due dates (which will be DUE before class each Tuesday).  Late submissions will not be accepted.  If you satisfactorily complete 90% or more of these weekly activities, you will receive full marks.  If you complete and submit fewer than 90%, your mark will be calculated based on the proportion you complete.

iClicker Cloud: Many classes will include clicker questions as one way to help you be active with your learning during class. Please make sure that you have a working student iClicker Cloud student account. We will be using clicker questions in class from the very start, but your engagement won't start counting towards participation marks until February  (so you have a few weeks to make sure your clickers are working).  Also remember that "letting someone else use your iClicker Cloud account counts as cheating. So make sure your iClicker work honestly reflects your learning and not anyone else" (see iClicker Student Guide for more FAQs). Iclicker responses (participation only, not correct answers), will be counted towards a very portion (10%) of your weekly participation marks (the more you click, the more you earn).  These are really just for your participation and learning. So if your clickers aren't working one day - please don't stress.  But if you participate in >90% of the clicker questions throughout the term, you will receive full points on the small contribution towards your participation mark. 

Case Studies: Information for each case study will provided in advance on Canvas.  You must review and analyze the case study and apply what you are learning to answer the questions included in the case study before you start the online quiz for that case study.  The online quiz for each case study will be available in Canvas; deadlines for completing the quizzes are listed in the “Evaluation” table above and in the syllabus (see link here).   You will have up to 90 minutes to complete each Case Study Quiz.  Each quiz will include both closed-ended (e.g., multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false) and open-ended (e.g., short-answer) questions based on your analysis of the case study.  You are expected to complete quizzes INDEPENDENTLY.

Assignment:  The assignment provides an opportunity to explore your specific interests.  You will identify a question related to nutrition at a particular life course stage and then provide a clear, concise, evidence-based answer to that question, based on two appropriate papers selected from the peer-reviewed literature.  See complete instructions on Canvas.  

Midterm Exam: You will have the full class session to complete the midterm exam.  The Midterm will include multiple choice questions, true/false questions, and short answer questions including some based on a new case study. 

Final exam: The final exam will include multiple choice questions, true/false questions, and short answer questions, (including some based on a new case study).  The final exam is cumulative (i.e., it will cover the whole term) with an emphasis on material covered since the midterm exam.

How to decide how your final mark will be calculated:  There is no single best “strategic” way to calculate your final grade – think about what would be best for you (consider your own learning, your interest level, your schedule, and your other commitments this term).  The proposed values will promote learning and success for the majority of students, but please take a few moments to decide what would work best for you and your learning this term.  If you would like to adjust the way your final grade will be calculated, you must inform the instructor of the changes you would like to make by completing the  Flexible Assessment Survey on Canvas by 11:59 PM on Jan 26.  No changes will be permitted after that date.

COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS:  There is no textbook for FNH 371.  A course notes package is available on Canvas and serves as a supplemental learning resource along with slide decks from each module that are the source of resources, materials and information for this course. The course slides and notes documents will also provide a variety of resources for learning including video and web-based links, nutrition education resources, public health reports and resources.  Many of these links are OPTIONAL and available to deepen or assess your learning, but several are core resources for emphasizing key course content. 

 INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS IN THE DIETETICS MAJOR: This course, like all required courses in the Dietetics Major, contributes to coverage of the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP).  All students in the Dietetics Major should refer to the Mapping of Curriculum to ICDEP page on the dietetics website to familiarize themselves with the requirements.

For the full COURSE SCHEDULE and COURSE ACTIVITIES click here. 

EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS IN FNH 371:

1. Attend all classes in person if possible. If you must miss a class due to illness or other emergency, it is your responsibility to obtain notes for that day from a classmate.  A live-streamed/zoom link may be available, but is expected to be used only for exceptional circumstances. This is an in-person class and course delivery methods have been developed for students to engage in person.
   
2. Actively participate in the various learning activities in class and during your own self-directed learning– this will greatly enhance your learning (and reduce the amount of time needed for additional review prior to the midterm and final exam!).
3. Respect and make a positive contribution to our learning environment in class. Please arrive on time. Do not try to “multitask” in class or use your electronic devices to check materials unrelated to class!  Reducing distractions can improve your learning significantly.
4. Use the slides provided on Canvas as a framework for your note-taking during class. Build on them (and integrate material from the course notes) to create an effective study and reference tool.
5. Take advantage of live classes and office hour time to ask questions, seek clarification, or discuss issues further.
6. Provide feedback on the course through the midterm course evaluation (the results of which can be applied to the remainder of the course) and the official UBC course evaluation at the end of the semester. Your perspectives and suggestions are greatly  valued.
7. Enjoy this learning experience – and apply what you are learning about nutrition over the lifespan to improve your own health and the health of our broader communities, now and in the future.

ABSENTEE POLICY: We expect you to be actively engaged and prepared for all class meetings. In the event that you are unable to attend a scheduled class in person class or complete a scheduled learning activity because of illness or emergency, you are responsible for any material presented in class. See UBC’s policy regarding illness and accommodations. You are expected to contact the instructor and submit a medical note/certificate of illness or appropriate documentation for any absence that requires accommodation.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Academic honesty is a core value of scholarship.  Please remember the importance of academic integrity (more information available here: bit.ly/UBCAvoidPlagiarism) and UBC’s regulations regarding academic misconduct and plagiarism, including disciplinary measures (excerpted below and available here: bit.ly/UBCAcademicMisconduct)

Students are responsible for informing themselves of the guidelines of acceptable and non-acceptable conduct for graded assignments established by their instructors for specific courses and of the examples of academic misconduct set out below. Academic misconduct that is subject to disciplinary measures includes, but is not limited to, engaging in, attempting to engage in, or assisting others to engage, in any of the actions described below.

1. Cheating, which may include, but is not limited to:
   1. falsification of any material subject to academic evaluation, including research data;
   2. use of or participation in unauthorized collaborative work;

• use or possession in an examination of any materials (including devices) other than those permitted by the examiner;

1. use, possession, or facilitation of unauthorized means to complete an examination (e.g., receiving unauthorized assistance from another person, or providing that assistance); and
2. dishonest practices that breach rules governing examinations or submissions for academic evaluation

2. Plagiarism, which is intellectual theft, occurs where an individual submits or presents the oral or written work of another person as his or her own. Scholarship quite properly rests upon examining and referring to the thoughts and writings of others. However, when another person's words (i.e. phrases, sentences, or paragraphs), ideas, or entire works are used, the author must be acknowledged in the text, in footnotes, in endnotes, or in another accepted form of academic citation. Where direct quotations are made, they must be clearly delineated (for example, within quotation marks or separately indented). Failure to provide proper attribution is plagiarism because it represents someone else's work as one's own. Plagiarism should not occur in submitted drafts or final works. A student who seeks assistance from a tutor or other scholastic aids must ensure that the work submitted is the student's own. Students are responsible for ensuring that any work submitted does not constitute plagiarism. Students who are in any doubt as to what constitutes plagiarism should consult their instructor before handing in any assignments.

In other words... Do your own work!  Discuss course work with friends and learn with and from each other as you complete in-class activities and assignments.  But make sure you complete all quizzes and exams independently, without the use of aids that have not been authorized by the instructor.  If you do the assignment, you must write the report independently and properly attribute and cite your sources.  Please review resources available through the UBC Library (e.g., bit.ly/UBCHowtoCite) and/or speak to the instructor if you are not sure how to do this.  

 Emerging policies about use of Generative AI tools

 Students are permitted to use artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI, to gather information or review concepts. However, students are ultimately accountable for the work they submit, and any content generated or supported by an artificial intelligence tool must be cited appropriately.  On the course Q&A assignment, students are responsible for justifying their selection of key evidence and its interpretation and appropriate citing of all materials selected. 

Acknowledgement

UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The land it is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, who for millennia have passed on in their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.

 A note about names and pronouns: I most often use the pronouns she/her but am also comfortable with they/them. You are always welcome to share your pronouns if your feel comfortable doing so in any parts of our course.  If you have a preferred name that does not appear on Canvas or a preference for how others refer to you in class, please let me know.

Copyright

All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the Course Instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline.